I can understand being afraid of being hopeful. I still am and I don't have much active depression. It takes a while to really realize the ice is going to hold.

As for people who whine, I feel they are often exaggerating their issue and it can be anything, not only depression, actually more often something else, like a partner, another illness, the job or whatever. They don't want to change because they are actually not as miserable as they say and they like the drama. There is rather an antisocial or narcissistic tendency but people often can't see through what they present.

If they were truly depressed they would beg for anything to get better. I know I did. Being at my worst was utterly scary, confusing, draining and ruined me of ANY pleasure, I didn't even enjoy food because food didn't have a taste and I couldn't listen to music because I couldn't make out the tune, all I heard was random noise. The only relief I got is if I could cry.