Can't defend myself.

[Neil Templar]

If what you're doing is consistently not working, perhaps it's time for a different approach? (in life as well as dream-states)
I've found that facing the fearful thing has usually made it less scary, and often allowed me to get to a point where it actually becomes something cute and loveable. (Most of your fears are generated by your subconscious, so they're part of you. When it comes down to it, every part of yourself is love(able), right?)

Oh and I'd stop owning "your" depression.
Every time you use the phrase "my" depression, you're re-enforcing it within every cell of your being. Try to work on using different language when discussing it.
You're simply in a state of depression. You don't own it, it's not yours. It's a temporary state.

Unless you want to keep it? Because that's what you're telling your subconscious and your physical being every time you say that.

You may find by making this subtle change in the way you verbalise and communicate inwardly about depression, that it has less of a hold over you, and that will translate into your dreamworld...which will in turn have a knock-on effect in your waking mind, when you remember having a more positive outcome in your dreaming...
You see what i'm saying? You've already acknowledged the link between your dreaming and your waking conscious/mental state.
Well that works both ways. You can make changes in both states, dreaming and awake, that'll benefit you immensely in the other, simply by trying a different approach to engaging with whatever you're having difficulty with at the time.

I hope this is helpful, and not too intrusive? You didn't ask about depression, at least not directly, but it felt like that was at the core of the subject, or at least relevant enough to go into... (sometimes I can't stop the stream of consciousness until it's all out. Apologies if this isn't the response you were looking for.)

[PleaseJustListen]

Thank you. All of what you said, Neil, has been noted and I will try to follow through with what you have suggested. Thank you for your input, it was not "too intrusive" or anything of the like.