> A severely depressed friend needs professional assistance from a psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker or another medical professional.
This is an example of a troubling pattern often seen when talking about "depression". Depressed mood can be a symptom of numerous medical conditions. That means you need to write down all observed symptoms and see a doctor to diagnose or rule out those conditions. It's a bad idea to jump straight to psychology or psychiatry just because your most distressing symptoms are psychological. It's an especially bad idea to get committed to a psychiatric hospital with an undiagnosed chronic condition that psychiatrists don't specialize in treating.
This is an example of a troubling pattern often seen when talking about "depression". Depressed mood can be a symptom of numerous medical conditions. That means you need to write down all observed symptoms and see a doctor to diagnose or rule out those conditions. It's a bad idea to jump straight to psychology or psychiatry just because your most distressing symptoms are psychological. It's an especially bad idea to get committed to a psychiatric hospital with an undiagnosed chronic condition that psychiatrists don't specialize in treating.