kawaiiloli wrote...
How do you deal with depression?
Try to do things that will keep your mind off the subject matters that are related to your depression. And with "things", I'm referring to activities that will keep you actively preoccupied. Hobbies, trips, Facebook surfing... whatever might keep you from being depressed, go do it. Or alternatively, do things that will let you safely vent out what's keeping you depressed. And keeping a positive outlook as much as you could can help you deal with it.
But keep a realistic tab on things you do or else you're just deluding yourself.
kawaiiloli wrote...
What's a good way to stave it off?
Varies for different people... different strokes for different folks. But one thing I'd like to advise you, you'll have a hard time staving off your depression off if you're listening to mellow, mushy, sad songs, e.g. Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven"... or even if you're within earshot of somebody playing mellow, mushy, sad songs.
Hope you get out of that depression soon.