Hmm. I think that there are chemicals that are out of balance which causes the depressive symptoms. Social interactions and self interaction could help restore the chemicals to make you feel good. I would say that sometimes it is not a choice and other times it is. How to distinquish would be to know if some interaction or thought helped to manifest the feeling. Mental illness is real just like diabetes, high cholesterol or cancer. Can we cope with it? Yes! Do we have to let it define us? No! We know it is there and we take the neccessary medicines and treat ourselves well. Self forgiveness is huge and self love is just as important.

I don’t think having depression and anxiety is a choice. But how we choose to handle it is up to us. To take medication, get therapy. That said, there are times when making that choice on our own is impossible ( when you’re down deep in the black hole).
Like you I wrestle with inertia and fatigue. And I need at least 10 hours of sleep a night.
I’m in an outpatient hospital program and that’s what gets me out of bed.

Thank you Jobi ..it even helps to know how hard it can be to overcome the inertia. I'm getting better at congratulating myself on every small step forward!

I'm in the same. Its either sleep for hours and still fill tired or no sleep for days on end and just cry because I don't know what to do. Can't work, losing everything and just want to give up some days!

Me three