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It looks like a medical anti pattern, deal with the symptom that the base disease will cure itself, somewhat, maybe magically.

I know that forcing a happy face could lighten up a bit your mood, but this is going too far, and maybe is too simplistic in its view of depression.

A few things things:

- causation is difficult to establish

- symptoms can sometimes themselves be a proximal cause

- treatment of symptoms is one way to determine causation

worth adding:

- treating symptoms might help break at least part of a bad feedback loop