I hate getting depressed and the effect it has on my life and the people around me.

But, when I find a piece of prose that I can I identify with (eg Veronika, Prozac nation etc) I "enjoy" it, in a sense that it is a piece of hope, that someone understands, that I'm not alone in this, that I'm not a freak that doesn't deserve to belong on earth etc.

is this what you mean?