The longer my depression lasts, the fewer friends I have that stick by me and the more I seem to alienate my family. I'm down to one close friend who is tired of my negativity and doesn't want to hear me talk about any struggles I'm having, my sister and her family who are very busy with their own lives and have no understanding or interest in me, and my parents who do not listen to me and have plenty of their own issues. I try hard when I talk to family and friends to not just talk about my struggles but show interest in their lives as well and I try to stop myself if I'm going toward negativity. The problem is, I can't just absolutely stop talking about my struggles with depression and sometimes I need to share my feelings and have someone who knows me, listen, and give me their opinion. Depression is part of me and doesn't go away by not talking about it and makes it worse for me when I don't talk about it.

I know how difficult it is to be around someone who is down all the time and realize it can wear a person down. How do I keep my friends and family from fleeing when I'm so depressed?