I have someone close to a family member who suffers from depression/anxiety.

On the face of it, this person has their own home, a job, a loving partner, a family. Pretty much all anyone needs from life. To someone like me, the instinctive response is "What have they got to be unhappy about?" But I do recognise that it is a genuine and very real illness. I am naturally a bit of a control freak and would love to be able to help/resolve their issues, but it's so frustrating not knowing what to do or say to help.

Sludgey boy, you are of course an absolute scoundrel but you're OUR scoundrel and I'm so sorry to hear how down you've been. You highlight another big issue, people can come across in such a way that others don't see their hidden demons.

Kudos to you for sharing some of what you've been going through, as I said earlier, I don't know what to say or do to help, but if there is anything, then let us know.