I have several methods for slinking past the ugly beast that comes knocking. One is to have a character to retreat in - for me it's a 1920's writer. I do the whole thing - write while imagining myself in a crummy Paris apartment with a bad draft from all the old German bullet holes along one side of the room. Then I think to my heroes: Fitzgerald, Kafka, Bryant, Reed, Hemingway, Bukowski and when I think about how they suffered depression, I sometimes feel better.
But not always, that's for damn sure.
Sometimes I drink too much. I just finished a six day binge on Saturday. That worked up until Friday when I was going to off myself, again.
Vices work: Watch too much tv, movies, overindulge in good food, have sex/masturbate.
The best way though, so they say anyhow is to talk to somebody or go exercise.
Over all, depression is a monster that is coming from inside you, and it wants to kill you. Do anything you can to not listen to that voice.
:hug:
Best
james.