It's nearly impossible to take this sort of thing into your own hands and fix it, especially if you don't have the certification to treat mental disorders like depression. The most you can do is be very supportive. There will be some days when your girlfriend will be at her absolute worst, and it will be very hard to make her feel any better. Just try to stay with her when she is not doing well. It is likely that she will stay home from work or school when she is having a depressive episode, so stay home with her or visit her if you can. That doesn't mean that you are chained to her until she no longer has depression, but as long as you love her, treat her with as much sensitivity as you can. I understand that is hard to not become frustrated sometimes; you may just wish your girlfriend was "normal", but please don't take it out on her. As much as it is to see your loved one struggle in this way, it's even harder for her. Always keep that in mind when so you don't say something that could upset her, because one insensitive comment could make her world crumble, especially coming from someone she loves very much. But just because she suffers from depression doesn't mean she isn't like other girls. You have to look beyond her imperfections and see herself before her disorders. You have to definitely be more cautious of what you say to her, but don't let that make you feel like you are handling an emotional "bomb" that could be set off with one wrong move. She is your girlfriend, not a mental disorder. Treat her like any other loved one. When she has low self-esteem, give her compliments. If she says things like, "I'm not really perfect" or "I'm not [insert compliment]!", tell her, "You may not be perfect, but you're just what I want." As for her self-harm and suicidal thoughts, advise her to seek professional help. In the case that she refuses to get help, try to get her to look forward to the little things to keep her from committing suicide, like the start or end of a tv season, the release of a book or game, even a sunny day. Don't feel offended by this, but don't make her look forward to your future together, as much as it seems to be helpful. You shouldn't make such promises to your girlfriend when she is in a fragile state like this because of the possibility of things not working out for whatever reason. A girlfriend without depression would feel extremely sad when you broke a promise like this, but she would eventually have to move on. A girlfriend with depression may not even be able to recover from that one day because she may go as far as to kill herself out of the sadness of such a broken promise. I know that it is very upsetting to imagine, but you must keep in perspective to realize you and your girlfriend could break up, whether it is because of one losing interest, or things just can't work out. It could save your girlfriend from hurting much more than she already would. You can't really do much else since it won't be the same as getting her to see a therapist or psychologist. It's very good of you to be so concerned for your girlfriend. Best wishes for the both of you.