I can understand what you are talking about VenusHalley. I also tend to feel things deeply, and I am thankful for this. Because if I didn't do it, I'd be more like my peers in that my feelings would be pretty superficial. When you mention "whiney emo", this is what I am talking about. I guess what I'm trying to say is that my depression allows me to think and feel to a profound level that many people my age never really stop to experience. This helps me in my writing, too. It's a trade-off of sorts - could this be the reason many brilliant thinkers in history also showed signs of mental illness? They used it to their advantage rather than constantly fighting to hate it.
Interesting.