Is depression a form of mental illness?
Yes. It’s an illness that affects how you think, feel and act. Many people say they’re depressed when they feel sad, lonely, down or dejected. But the medical illness of depression is more than a fleeting bad mood or period of stress. True depression — what doctors often refer to as depressive illness or clinical depression is different from normal sadness or despair. Doctors now recognize depression as a medical disorder, an illness with a biological basis that’s often influenced by psychological and social stress.
