It depends on the person and why they are depressed. For some people, it's better to just listen to whatever they have to say. For others, maybe medication. Maybe some people actually want advice. My mom got over her clinical depression after my brother got a dog. The dog helped a lot, so now the dog gets spoiled and doesn't know how to listen.
This thread turned into a therapy session? I'm not surprised... Oh how desensitized I've become.
Anyway, for depression and pretty much any mental and emotional issues, I think it's up to the person, but if it's serious (suicide, self-harm, etc.), then people need to intervene immediately. Funny, I was just re-watching Michael J. Fox's scene in Scrubs.
Everyone one has burdens, but everyone has to learn to own up to them. Someone depressed shouldn't try to do everything themselves and they shouldn't be dependent on others to help them. It's a 50/50 thing. You shouldn't take on their problems and try to fix them; they shouldn't try to fix them by themselves. Both of you need to work it out.
Me, I'm pretty much burnt out everyday. I don't know why and it doesn't help that I feel like a nervous wreck everyday for no logical reason. I can't figure it out and I don't know why I'm like this. All I know is that I am like this. It's annoying especially during presentations where I don't want to interrupt or during exams. So, what? Anxiety? Neurobiological disconnect? Body responds constantly in a "fight or flight" mode while my consciousness is wondering what the hell is going on. Almost a constant vigilance or paranoia. Add depression; zero motivation, emptiness, and sluggishness.
I keep people at arm's length now. I can't/won't let myself fall in love. I freak out at the notion of presentations and speeches even though before this happened, I could wing a presentation and not give a damn. I don't laugh or rather, I just ignore everything because I'm freaking out. I can't keep eye contact. I prefer to be invisible. I hate crowds. I feel a need to have escape routes; I don't like tight spaces.
There are days I just want to scream. There are days I want to punch a wall until my fists bleed and I break the wall. There are days I want to run. Where? I don't know. I just want to get away from everything.
But, it like what J.D. said: "Still it's not that daunting if you look around and see what others have to deal with." There are guys out there with burned bodies, without arms and/or legs, are blind, have PSTD, suffer from schizophrenia, are dyslexic, are allergic, have addictions, are terminally ill, have cancer, are going through remission, aren't allowed to express themselves, live under dictatorships, lost many loved ones, killed someone by accident, have anterograde amnesia, are ostracized because of their faith, orientation, race, nationality, and some, well, they never even got a chance to live.
Everyone has their own burdens, and I'm not going to be one to dump them on someone else.