Responding to the headline: Because depression isn't sadness, it's a mental illness that causes a numbing, hollowing feeling that robs you of joy. In my experie

Responding to the headline: Because depression isn't sadness, it's a mental illness that causes a numbing, hollowing feeling that robs you of joy. In my experience, it's more akin to despair than sorrow. Feeling anything (even sadness) can help make it easier to cope with it if you're unable to seek effective treatment. Which is most people, probably. Most people I know who have depression can't (or won't) seek effective treatment, usually because of cost prohibition.