Here are my views on depression:
I've been depressed for roughly the past year of my life. I've attempted suicide several times, but it's honestly much harder than it seems. In the moment when you're about to end your life, you catch yourself and realize what you're doing and how it will affect others.
Suicide, however, is most certainly not selfish. A suicidal person does not consciously think about how they will hurt others. Many suicidal people, actually, believe that nobody will care. They simply believe that there is no way out of the endless pit of sadness they've been engulfed in, and so they decide to end the suffering.
As for depression in a whole, I can describe it fairly well with a simple analogy my (now deceased) friend told me while we were walking along a beach last year: "Imagine being stuck in the middle of that lake. Everything is fine, you're still afloat, and you can see the sky and the clouds perfectly clear. You can hear birds chirping, and everything is perfect. Suddenly, something pulls you under the water. At the point, you can still see the light from above and you can vaguely see the beauty of nature, but it's slightly obstructed by the murky water above you. As the force pulls you further down, you can see less of the light. You begin to realize that there is a problem. You try to swim back up, but the force keeps pulling you down. Eventually, you can barely see any light at all. You realize that all attempts to save yourself are hopeless. You begin to realize that there is no escape, and you begin to lose an image of the beauty of life. Finally the light is gone. You decide that living like this with no escape is pointless, and you end it." (Sorry for the long quote.)
After my friend had killed himself, I thought about what he had told me many times. I eventually realized, when I experienced similar issues, that there is a way to see the light once more. Although you may be deep underwater, you can still imagine being happy above water. Find things that you enjoy and stick to them. Someone will notice the state you're in and they will rescue you. There is always an end to depression, but it is never permanent.
Both of my parents had been diagnosed with severe depression, and they had also been in my same situation with similar frames of mind. They still, to this day, take quite a bit of medication for it, but there was a happy ending for them. Both of my parents are extremely happy with their lives, which is a miracle compared to what they used to be. After I told them my situation, they assigned an appointment for me to visit a counselor. Although depressed people occasionally like to bottle up and not tell anyone, there's also a little voice in their head telling themselves to spread the word.
I remember roughly a year ago when my girlfriend was severely depressed. As much as I hated to admit it, I thought she was doing it for attention. I figured that depression was an excuse for being carried through rough situations throughout life, and I frowned upon it. It wasn't until it hit me when I realize what she was going through. I realized that there was an urge to talk about it with others as well, no matter how much I didn't want to. It's an endless cycle of misunderstanding.
I've also witnessed death on two occasions. One was suicide, and the other was a murder. As for the suicide, I noticed a certain look of regret on the boy's face when he pulled the trigger. I realized that in his last moments, he had regretted his decision. The other death I witnessed is unimportant for this topic, but it did get me thinking quite negatively, and in a darker fashion.
People who are depressed see no hope for themselves in the future. They see no point in doing well in school, because they know they will only lead to failure. They do poorly in their work because they assume that their effort will get them nowhere. They kill themselves because they assume it will make everyone else happy. What these people don't realize is that they are wrong. No matter who you are or what you have done, you are worth it. I guarantee that there is one person who would never forgive themselves if you committed suicide. One person who might take their life as well. One person who would cry every night for the next year because of what you've done.
Although you may not see it this way, people care about you. People want you 5 experience new things throughout your life, and you're unable to do that being dead. A suggestion for suicidal people is to set a goal for yourself in the future. Whatever that goal is, work to accomplish it, and let nothing get in your way. Especially not suicide.
You've got this. Go live life.
Sorry. I just felt like I needed to post this.
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I hope it's not too late :-; People, suiciding is permanent, please don't do it! People love you and you ar the meaning of someone, your friends are always there, stand up and believe that you shouldn't be depressed, bullied or abused, ignore what(s) happened and have a great life! You only have 1! Please 
