I can relate to a lot of that. It actually took me years before I finally found some sort of exercise routine that actually makes a difference for me. But no, it will not help how you feel about certain situations, however it can help you be a little more functional and feel a little less stuck in the mud.

My dad and I have talked a bit about depression in the past and discussed the difference between circumstantial depression and chemical depression. Bad things in life will make you sad. And when they go on and on and never get better, it will make you depressed. That's circumstantial depression - where your circumstances make you depressed. Some people also experience chemical depression - everything in their life may actually be going pretty well, but they still feel depressed because the chemicals in their brain are out of whack.

I have problems with both and always have. The exercise helps the chemical aspect of it, but I still feel crappy because of circumstances. I explained this when I started therapy to let them know why I don't want medication at this time. I feel that my moods and the way I feel can be managed (not fixed, but managed) with what I do, how I eat, etc. But no matter how I FEEL, there are still other underlying issues that make me depressed and that is why I am in therapy.

Anyhow, perhaps your depression is really more due to your circumstances than anything else. In that case, therapy is going to be essential to get any noticeable relief.

Depression can and will make you lose interest in things you enjoy. In those cases, I usually switch. I try something else for a while. And, sometimes, I just keep doing what I'm doing despite the lack of interest and it can eventually still help. But it takes time and a lot of effort.

Anyway. I hope you can find something that works for you. I know feeling stuck in the dumps is not fun at all. I've been there LOTS.