Hi nohorn - yes, I've been through it, and out the other side, and am well now - but you have to want to do it (which it sounds as if you do) and you have to seek medical help. I had hypnotherapy for anxiety and depression - which combined made life very hard indeed - the treatment lasted several years overall but gradually I was able to take back my life. Go seek help.
I wouldn't say depression is "rampant" but there is a lot of it about, and until you have a clinical diagnosis, the way to treat your particularly experience of it won't be clear. I know it's easier said than done, but appreciate the small things which you can appreciate - being alive, the sun being out, a friend, being able to see or hear...and take it slowly, one step - even a small one - at a time.
We may indeed be in control of our own destinies but that doesn't mean we have to do it alone, we all need help along the way. Go see your GP.