Clinical depression or depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. It lasts at least 2 weeks. Usually, the symptoms of a clinical depression have been present for quite a while, as you try everything you can to get rid of them. Clinical depression however, or as some might call as ‘major’ depression, is actually the medical term for depression. Actually clinical depression is more of a disorder rather than an illness since it basically covers only those who are suffering from symptoms related to depression.

Clinical depression, one of the more common categories of mental illnesses, is a serious brain disorder that affects the way nearly 19 million American adults feel, think, and interact. In contrast to the normal emotional experiences of sadness, loss, or passing mood states, this depression is extreme and persistent and can interfere significantly with a person's ability to function. Of course it must be diagnosed by a mental health professional, and is a serious condition that produces flare-ups known as major depressive episodes. Clinical depression is not diagnosed by the severity of the symptoms, only if the symptoms exist in the patient at all.

Treatment options for depression and anxiety include prescription medication, hormone therapy, psychotherapy, and a variety of other specialized therapies. Treatment for depression depends on many factors, including the severity of the condition, the persistence of the symptoms, and the person's personal history with the illness. For many forms of depression, a combination of psychotherapy and antidepressant medications can be an effective treatment.