I can totally relate with the whole being viewed as permantly depressed thing. One of my teachers had us talk to one new person each day in class, and we had to write down what we talked about with that person in our notebooks. I missed some notes, so I had to borrow someone else's notebook. I was curious to see what she had written about me, and she said that I was a "depressed kind of person". It's so frustrating, I know!

Hang in there, though. You seem like a very strong and intelligent person.