Can depression be healthy?

I think that I've learned a lot about my self by learning to deal with depression without the aid of medication.

I am disturbed by the American plight to mask all forms of unhappiness, either by repression or medicinal alternatives such as pills or illegal drugs and alcohol.

My depression has taught me that this is a horrible world. A dastardly place with which many people are opressed, starved, beaten, abused, raped, tortured, murdered, and forgotten; their bodies rotting into the soil from whence they came. Depression has taught me that there are many reasons to forfeit your life from this futile existence, where happiness cannot safely exist without suffering of equal degree.

But my depression has also taught me that among the many reasons why one may wish to destroy his or her self... there are exponentially more reasons as to why one should stay, and help his or her brothers and sisters that valiantly chose the same path.

Do you think depression is healthy?

Absolutely.

Any challenge is good for a person, as long as the person overcomes the challenge and learns from it. If the obstacle is too large to overcome, then it becomes unhealthy.

at first when i read your question i instantly thought 'of course not' but after reading what you said, it really makes sense.
if it's taught you to appreciate your life than who's to say it's a bad thing? you can't be sad all the time though. that's definitely not healthy.

Depression is not unhappiness.

Unhappiness is a valid response to various events in the world.

Depression is a crippling, often fatal, mental illness.

Depression is no more healthy than cancer. Though yes, I am sure one can learn a lot from cancer. But that doesn't mean it's healthy.

Well depression is an illness and these can't be good. It is possible to live with it though, as it is part of people.

I dont think depression can be healthy it just doesnt have to be unhealthy. If it doesnt negatively impact you such as ur ability to live, work, play, enjoy and pariticpate with family, friends and such then it is not unhealthy. Many creative minds have had self managed depression and have made beautiful and great things. Sadness, death, hardship all give us insight into life, our boundaries, judgements, and test our limits. Negative emotions contribute to poetry, short stories, artwork, and scores of other things. Our hardships can help us gain appreciation for the plights of others. ITs when our emotions cause us to ignore or make our normal lives unmanageable that they become unhealthy. Sadness and such are healthy depression has more depth more physical and mental ramifications for it to be healthy per say. Manageable yes...insightful ..maybe but healthy i in my opinion say no.

No! It robs people of normal interaction with the world and people. Depression puts a cloak of sadness about everything the person reaches for to escape it, it is incipient, it creeps in and robs joy, if things look optimistic, suddenly they are overwhelmed with dread and dashed hopes because they feel worthless-so nothing "good" is possible for them to attain for themselves and they are of no use to others; unlovable. With these convictions about themselves they are "DEPRESSED" definition--=IN A HOLE, CAN'T GET OUT, IN A DEPRESSION OR CHASM TO DEEP TO SCALE IT'S WALLS. They do not choose to feel like this, the chemicals of the mind are out of whack and they need intervention to overcome the DEPRESSION. You on the other hand--were in deep concerted thought over depressing circumstances, but perfectly able to not let it overtake your functions and life. So--read about mental illness. There is no comparison to your deep revelation of thoughts on world conditions, and a person suffering the throws of a dark depression. Hope that sheds some light for you. And--hope you may never experience true life altering depression.