I absolutely agree with your last paragraph: seek help.
However, I find "just because someone says they are depressed doesn't make them so. And that belittles people who really are depressed" a dangerous attitude with regards to that.
When I was younger I was quite seriously depressed but I didn't seek help for ages because I'd heard people say "oh, depression isn't just feeling sad, you shouldn't use the word depression lightly". I thought maybe I was just being stupid and lazy because I probably wasn't a special enough flower to have this mystical thing. I should really have looked for help a lot sooner.
So, if you're having problems, don't worry about what they are or aren't called or what other people say - look for any help you can find.
I disagree. By allowing people to use the word depression to mean "sad" or "upset" or "pissed" or "bored," or whatever word they replace it with, we are doing those with depression more harm.
If someone says they are depressed, we should tell them they need to get diagnosed. Treating it less than it is, I think, does more harm.
> I should really have looked for help a lot sooner.
But you didn't, precisely because people use the word far too lightly far too often.
However, I find "just because someone says they are depressed doesn't make them so. And that belittles people who really are depressed" a dangerous attitude with regards to that.
When I was younger I was quite seriously depressed but I didn't seek help for ages because I'd heard people say "oh, depression isn't just feeling sad, you shouldn't use the word depression lightly". I thought maybe I was just being stupid and lazy because I probably wasn't a special enough flower to have this mystical thing. I should really have looked for help a lot sooner.
So, if you're having problems, don't worry about what they are or aren't called or what other people say - look for any help you can find.