There is a scale.  I would call it either a depression level scale,

Or conversely

A mental clarity scale

Depending on my mental clarity would determine what my interests were.  For example, anything over 20% depression and my sexual drive disappeared completely. 

In your case, passion.  I think any depressed person wants to feel anything good.  The problem is that a fully depressed person will not be able to feel joy or things that a normal person would feel.  How do I explain…..

The best way to explain is that a depressed mind is incapable of feeling joy or happiness.  This is not a choice, but a chemical imbalance in the brain.  This chemical imbalance also incites:

1.    Irritability

2.    Anger

3.    Feelings of apathy

4.    The inability to accept criticism

5.    Irrational behaviors

6.    Loss of interest in things they were happily involved with before (for me it was baseball)

7.    Tremendous amount of shame

8.    Overwhelming feeling of worthlessness.

The scale is in the bottom of my first post of this thread. 

In my depression I just wanted to stop crying.  Stop the pain.  I was not suicidal, but the thought of not waking up was always present.  I think she is looking for more than passion.  She is looking to feel good again.  Unfortunately Depression will prevent her mind from feeling anything good.  So the straight answer to your question.  “I would have loved to have felt passion again.”  It took me almost 5 years to realize this.  I hope she finds her way out sooner than that.  She has to figure this out herself. 

If you suggest anything to her, remember #4:  inability to accept criticism, she will snap back thinking you are insinuating that she is a bad person.  Just be careful.  The best action is ‘No action.’  You have to let her fall so she can learn to pick herself up.

I hope this was helpful.

 

-WW