Have you ever been diagnosed with depression?

[Caliga]

I've been happy for most of my entire life.  Exceptions would be at various points in my childhood, but I haven't been generally unhappy at all since college.

[Martinus]

I've been happy for most of my entire life.  Exceptions would be at various points in my childhood, but I haven't been generally unhappy at all since college.

Same. And whenever I am feeling down, I find throwing myself into activity, such as work etc., to be stimulating. So this sounds opposite of depression as far as I am aware.

[LaCroix]

nope, i like myself

[Caliga]

Same. And whenever I am feeling down, I find throwing myself into activity, such as work etc., to be stimulating. So this sounds opposite of depression as far as I am aware.

[PDH]

I have suffered from recession, but never depression.

[CountDeMoney]

Leave me alone.

[mongers]

I have suffered from recession, but never depression.

My hair is depressed because of the recession.

[dps]

I've had panic attacks, but not clinical depression.

[Monoriu]

I do not believe that depression is a medical condition that could or should be treated.  Many will doubtless disagree, but I think it is just another word for general unhappiness.  So no, no matter how unhappy I am, I am not going to a medical professional and say: I'm unhappy, please give me drugs. 

Having said all that, there were periods in my life when I was really unhappy, most notably when I was in Canada.  I felt I was alone against the whole world.  I kept doing everything possible to graduate as soon as possible and to find work, but everybody just treated that effort as madness, pointless, and futile.  As if I should party.  I was in no mood to do anything, just basically stayed home most of the time.  Sometimes I wonder if some may call it "depression", though I certainly won't. 

The cure was simple.  Decide to go back to HK and boom, before I stepped on the plane, I got an offer and all problems magically disappeared. 

[CountDeMoney]

The hive mind has tremendous recuperative powers, doesn't it, Locutus?

[garbon]

Many will doubtless disagree 

It isn't even worth it to disagree when you are just plain wrong.

[garbon]

Btw, not sure I'm understanding but is Marti saying that he's been depressed a lot?

[Monoriu]

The hive mind has tremendous recuperative powers, doesn't it, Locutus?

Money did the trick 

[LaCroix]

I do not believe that depression is a medical condition that could or should be treated.  Many will doubtless disagree, but I think it is just another word for general unhappiness.  So no, no matter how unhappy I am, I am not going to a medical professional and say: I'm unhappy, please give me drugs.

nah, some people suffer from depression because they are genetically inclined to. others develop it after a traumatic event. i'm sure a portion falls into your category, but not nearly everyone. true depression isn't "unhappiness," it is an emotional emptiness that can stifle productivity. many people overuse the term, or misapply it to situations (such as lonely introversion), but that does not diminish its importance as a label for those who really do have chronic issues with it. some are genetically unlucky, and others had fathers who crawled into bed with them, and for them depression fits

[DontSayBanana]

Yes, among other things, which I've actually just started treatment for within the past couple weeks.