What is clinical depression like? As humans, we try to understand somebody based upon our own experiences. We can try to emphasize with someone struggling with the illness that is depression by basing it upon own experiences with depression, like the death of a loved one.
The truth is that even a depression caused by the death of someone close to us, which I have experienced, is as different from what I call clinical depression, the disease, as night and day. It is a different reality with different rules.
I try to articulate that in my book.
I also look at how people perceive the disease of depression. I had insights into it when I broke my ankle. Having a broken ankle is an acceptable reason to not do anything, have everybody do for you because you are unable. Without the physical cast, the visible sign that you are unable to do anything, it is perceived much differently.
You are welcome to walk in my shoes for a while. Or hop through some chapters.