I think you have made a crucial first step. Hang on to that thought. You have taken ownership of yourself. That is the key to freedom, and key to happiness. You might have heard that no one and not a thing can make us happy. It is true. Do you realize how many people walk through life blaming everything and everyone for who and how they are? They would never say "stop letting myself be this person I've become", like you just did. They may wish not to be in pain, but they will not stop seeing themselves as a victim, and thus make it someone else's job to fix them. It takes quite some courage to step into a driver's seat, because that means accepting what we had done to ourselves, and require us forgive (ourselves most importantly, and others too). I see just that courgeous a person! Please recognize this seemingly small statement for a tremendous achievement it is.

But there is always a lot of resistance of the old ways trying to hold you back, to what was. Lifetime of habits, that don't serve you anymore. How do you become a new person?

One of the great advices I received for mastering new life skills is "Fake it till you make it." What the person you prefer to be would be doing right now? Would she be exercising? Taking a walk in a park, striking a conversation with someone in a book store? Do it! Painting her room a cheery color? Pretend you are her. Walk like she would, talk like she would, if only for a few minutes at a time. Watch how you feel when you do it, and cherish those minutes when you find yourself "gee, I forgot to be depressed!". The idea is you will like it, and little by little fall into a role of this new happier, shinier you.

Most importantly, don't believe you are lacking willpower. You have a POWERFUL will, a steeltrap of a will. It's just that will has been used to serve a different vision of yourself.

Use your intelligence to help yourself. If, for example, what's stopping you is not being dressed, and the fact that you have no clean clothes to wear to go out, because you've been too depressed to do laundry, don't give up. Focus on one small step at a time so you don't fall under the seemingly overwhelming amount of work required to get out and do something.

A good therapist, and a support groups are great ideas! Sounds like your family also could be helpful.

I found a great help in listening to motivational speakers, like Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson, Caroline Myss. There are many others. Christian, Buddhist, New Age, or totally non-religious, any flavor you like.

And dancing. OMG! When it's just you and tv, and the show is soooo boring, make yourself turn your tv to a some lively music channel and dance around the room. Have you watched Grey's Anatomy? How Christina dances out her issues? It helps. It moves energy, it generates energy, and then you have momentum to do other things.

Best wishes to you. And congratulations!!