I too, used semi-colon like what you've described above. On the other hand, depression is not just a "made-up" illness. I suffered depression for years. I have written an article about this I think a month ago. Anyway, depression is not a "cry for help" or a "cry for attention". To me, it is a cry of pain, a pain that people cannot cope with, they may not understand it and it is an extremely personal and private emotion that sometimes friends or family never even find out about until years later and it is too late to help that person.