"I do not deny the existence of depression or anxiety - we all suffer from it at some point in our lives. Whether depression is illness depends on who you ask. Like virtually all "Mental Illnesses" there is no physiological test that you can take to determine if you have such an illness. Your psychiatrist will tell you about "chemical imbalances" (Has anyone taken a sample of the fluids of your brain and anlayzed these chemicals??) and the like and "research suggests..." but there is no physiological basis for calling anxiety or depression and illness."
The World Health Organisation (ICD-10) and just about every reputable health body on the planet do not concur with your opinion, but hey, your "personal experience and the research I did" obviously trump them.
