Depression is a disorder affecting mood and general outlook. Sometimes called “the blues,” it’s characterized by a loss of interest in activities or feeling sad and down. Even though most people feel sad or down for brief periods throughout life, clinical depression is more than just feeling sad. Depression is a serious medical condition and people usually aren’t able to just get over a depressive state. Talk to your doctor if you think you are suffering from depression or a major depressive disorder. People of any age and life situation can have depression.