If professional medical advice is not a feasible option, a support group of individuals with similar issues would be a good place to start... as Brooke suggested.
Originally Posted by GT1369
I got the impression that the "depression" was not related to a physiological condition or illness, but perhaps some life circumstances that had burdened him with a lot of negative thoughts. Additionally, physicians/shrinks have a tendency to "resolve" psychological issues by writing prescriptions and IMO that just is a band-aid or replacement for the underlying issue or issues that are generating those "feelings."
At the same time "group" therapy (even a "support group") has to be a guided experience with an end goal of "graduating" to a self-reliant status so the individual can cope with the normal day-in-and-day-out frustrations and setbacks that generate "depressing" or "negative" thoughts. Being around folks who are struggling, if not drowning, themselves can be counterproductive, if not further deepen the "depression."
So selecting a balance and members of the "support" group can be critical and require a level of skill and attention that someone already struggling with depression is not qualified to accomplish. I'm not a "Bible thumper," but religious groups can be uplifting and positive, while at the same time economically feasible, so long as there isn't an "upsell" to join the church or make commitments to a particular religious belief with which one is not comfortable.
Krystal Alert: The above is not humor!