> I went to the doctor, told him I was feeling mild flu symptoms for a couple of months, he asked me a few questions, determined that I had depression, gave my

> I went to the doctor, told him I was feeling mild flu symptoms for a couple of months, he asked me a few questions, determined that I had depression, gave my some SSRIs, and sent me home. That seems like a pretty normal experience to me. Slightly confused and have a hard time with the definitions keeping the social stigma aside!. Would be great to gather some perspective from HN. What is depression? How does it compare to stress, or anxiety in itself due to unfulfilled needs of hardwork, rewards, ambition, wants and desires? And ... How is diagnosed? And how medical help is useful? :-) (I know I perhaps need to RTFM)