The problem for people suffering from a depression is that they struggle to do either of those things.

It is an illness, and it needs medical treatment, but it is a completely different _kind_ of illness - a depression is as unique as the person who suffers it. Some respond to medication, some to therapy, some to a lifestyle change, some to a mixture of all of the above, and more.

But there also some who just have to learn to live with the disease.