Is it true that the Rebbe Rashab was clinically depressed?

It is recorded that when the Rebbe Rashab was in his early 40s he went through a period of “Nemichus Haruach” which is literally translated as a low spirit [i.e. sadness]. [Interestingly, this is the typical age that an individual goes through a midlife crisis which is often seen as a period of self-reflection, questioning, and emotional turmoil that can come in middle adulthood.] This does not however connote depression or clinical depression, for which the word in Hebrew is Atzvus. Now, while it is possible to argue based on the context of the story that there was some stage or level of depression present, there is no proof that this is the case, and that the Rebbe Rashab actually suffered from this medical condition. Accordingly, I would dismiss this diagnosis of the Rebbe Rashab as rumor and gossip at worst, and as speculation at best. One thing is for certain that this entire episode lasted within a single year, and therefore to state that the Rebbe Rashab suffered from clinical depression which can be interpreted as a lifetime battle, is simply inaccurate.

See Reshimos Hyaoman p. 229; Toras Menachem 33:431; Admurei Chabad Veyahadus Austria p. 78