As for clinical depression...whether even I had it or not, I don't know...but most likely I did after waking up from surgery being totally deaf...or seeing my mother murdered. However...I still am depressed time to time (most people are)...I did seek help with Mental Health and was told that the reason for my depression was "because I was deaf"....and suggested anti-depressants...Did that help?...Not really...Time and knowing that "this too, shall pass"...and it has but I still have days thinking of it all, among other things that had depressed me....as for myself and IMO...I did not have an Illness...and no amount of therapy (at $90/hour) or meds was gonna solve "my problem"...but myself...I chose to deal with it...go on...knowing that worserer things have happened to other people....I chose to be happy regardless of what has happened in my Life...as I only have 1 Life to live...chose not to be unhappy...It's on me.