LMo,
I can especially appreciate your post as I have been on both sides of depression. My fiance and I are both currently on medication for depression - me for a major depressive episode, him for Dysthymic Disorder (he has been depressed his whole adult life).

I have seen in the faces of my fiance, family, and friends the frustration and fear that accompanies my depressive episodes. I understand their fear because I appear to be a different person when I'm going through them - extremely irritable, mad, crying all the time, jealous, etc. Far different from the "normal" me - upbeat, positive, loving, laid back. I know that must be frightening. At those times I just want to cry out "I'm still me! I'm still in here, but I can't get out! I don't want to be this way!!"

I understand all too well the other side as I have watched my fiance just lay around day after day and not do anything but read or watch tv. Our sex life suffered as well - and I really didn't realize for the longest time what was going on and I kept thinking it was me and that maybe the spark had died since we moved in together. I also went to a counseling session with him once and it broke my heart to see him in so much pain. But mostly it was painful to hear him say over and over how he needed to do something, but never did it, then got frustrated with himself and called himself a loser, etc. To watch him start to feel better, do more, then cycle back into giving up and just laying around was really difficult. And, of course, the times he cried were the worst. It really is a helpless feeling to watch someone you love suffer from something like this.

Well, I just wanted to share my thoughts on the subject. And again, thank you for posting! I don't think anyone would get mad at you for expressing your opinion - it is clear you have been hurt by this illness as well.