In strong form it can debilitate you, it can make you take your life. It sounds bad to have it But nothing is bad thinking makes it so. That is what Einstein said. Is depression bed? No. It is here to instruct us, to empower us and to further develop. So if you have depression use it first hand to learn hot to deal with it, There is always a feeling of loss in depression, the years of life that you do not have and you can not cope you cant live with it. Talking about suffering we can not stay and watch how people experience depression. We have to help. And you ask the individual is he is OK. If he is not help him/her.

There are two types of depression reactive depression and endogenous depression. Reactive is connected to an event in external world. While endogenous seem to come with no reason. It seems to come from nowhere but there is a feeling of loss. When you wake up in the morning depression is strong and you think is at its peak. But you are wrong. Before you go to bed see your thoughts and you will see a feeling of loss.

To deal with depression you need to identify your loss and and replace it with more appropriate thoughts. E.g : 'I lost the relationship' replace it with 'you can always start another relationship' 'I lost my children now they grown up' replace it with 'there is always something significant to do'. In depression we can not replace all the thoughts with another. The majority of thoughts are overwhelming. So what we do is get out of bed and do some tasks that will take a bit of effort to do and focus your mind on to it. Like dress up, shave and be ready for the day. The thoughts do not have time to get your attention. Now every time you finish a task you get energy. This is one way to deal with depression accumulate energy that will take you out of depression. You also surround yourself with beautiful things like nature, sun, forest and do not spend time in the dark. Before you go to bed you will say some positive affirmation/cognitive thoughts such as:

"I wake up early tomorrow and feel good"

"I wake up early tomorrow and feel terrific"

"I wake up tomorrow in the morning and feel happy"

"I wake up tomorrow in the morning and feel wonderful"

You should be able to say it a few times. Also note you are not the depression it comes and goes and you are here. You can say some partial detaching thoughts: 'I have depression but I am not the depression' 'I have depression but the depression is not me' And again say it a few times. And you keep it at a distance. You will need to be patient and you will get over depression and conquer it and be knowledgeable in dealing with depression.