I am certainly not as skilled as others at words and helping out but I will give it a try I have had many depressions and I would say I am getting better at handling the effects. Allowing yourself to explore the darkness only pulls you further in I believe you need to speak positive things about yourself even if you do not believe it repetition of anything will seep into your mind if you are not in total deep depression exercise in any form helps I have been one year in this one and exercise has pulled me through the hardest parts I do get out around other people just to be around others sounds strange but it stops the darkness cycle for awhile