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I had very bad depression and anxiety for a while, it was the result of a combination of factors including physical injury and trauma, but brought a flood of historical events and circumstances to the fore as well that combined to create a very difficult state of mind.

The only advice that I could give to anyone suffering depression is that you have to do something, anything, to take your mind somewhere else and to build up emotional fortitude again. And exercise is the obvious candidate.  You just have to force yourself to do all the things you can't face and slowly normality will return. If suffering from a physical injury or health problem the exercise part can be very difficult of course - you have to accept the new situation and reset your standards and benchmark yourself against the new situation and discover new paths.

I'd also recommend really understanding what it is that makes you happy. (not what you think you want, or what you think you need to do for others, or what you are doing to win respect from others, but to understand your own emotional needs and to find ways to address them.).

Sun, exercise, good supportive, understanding, listening friends.

I didn't use anti-depressants though many people I spoke to said I should use them (Dr's, friends etc.).    I've had mixed views on them from different people that have been on them - some very positive about them, some very negative about them. I've also had friends that have gone down a path thats led to suicide and I was worried that anti-depressants may have been a compounding factor in that process.  In hindsight I might have considered using them but I'm not sure - for me getting out of it on my own was important and I have a level of skepticism in relation to the medical and psychological professions (and some of my experiences have justified this skepticism). I preferred to trust my own judgement unaffected by medication.  I did use sleeping pills to get a full nights sleep though didn't want to become dependant on them or to avoid the situation by sleeping all of the time so I used them sparingly.  Also one night I had a very strange episode on the sleeping tablets where I was sort of in a sleep walking type of state where I was up and talking and doing things but not properly awake which really put me off them.

Everyone I've met that has suffered from real depression has always said the same thing - they didn't realise how bad it could be until they got hit by it themselves.

I think listening, without offering advice or judgement, just listening and understanding, is one of the best ways to provide support.  Also encouraging activity - any sort of activity - even if its just going for a walk or a drive etc.