OK, gotta chime in here.

A chiropractor is not schooled in brain chemistry to the extent that a board certified psychiatrist is. Period.

Philln - depression goes on a continuum. We all have down times in life and we don't call it clinical depression. Some people have an actual medical condition that predisposes them to seriously suicidal thoughts. Depression can be fatal. If you've ever been clinically depressed, you'd know that keeping busy and finding the cause are futile. Depressed people often cannot sleep, no matter how much they change their schedule.

Let me be very clear - I do advocate for behavioral changes. Exercise, diet, meditation, yoga, etc., can all be great adjuncts to treatment. But a clinically depressed person needs treatment in the form of medical intervention. We stigmatize mental illness in this country as being a weakness. As a result, people do not seek help. It's not "going on drugs" any more than taking thyroid medication is "going on drugs" (but ask somebody with a hypoactive thyroid how they feel without their "drugs" and I bet you'd hear the word "depressed.") Ask a person who has experienced black depression. Medication brings them back to normal - it doesn't make them high. I'm talking about medication - prescribed by a board certified psychiatrist - with the admonition that it can take several tries to find the right medication/combination of medication, diet and lifestyle change.

I'm pretty adamant about this topic & apologize in advance for offending anyone. It's important that people understand so that they can seek help for themselves or their loved ones without feeling ashamed, weak or less-than.