As far as getting your friend to understand depression, I'm not even sure that's really possible if they have never experienced it. I tried to explain it to my gf once, and I told her that if I told her to go sprint two miles after she got off working a twelve hour shift, that's how hard it can be just to get up in the morning. I still don't really think she truly understands, and it isn't a lack of trying on her part. I just think the true crippling, deepest parts of depression are indescribable. I get a lot of negative feedback from my mom about my dx, she tries to tell me I"m just hormonal or that "there is no magic pill that will make all life's problems go away". She doesn't understand that I am not looking to make all life's problems go away, I just want to get to a point where I can actually handle life's problems.