To cope, I try to get do something I enjoy, like sewing. For me it is a craft/ skill that I am good at and a creative outlet. It seems to balance out the bad stuff.
I am trying to get diagnosed since last October, when I got very sick. Illness is very scary.
I will try to think of more answers to help you when I am less tired.

I hope others help and you get to feeling better,

I've been suffering with back pain for over a year. I'm on FMLA now. It's hard when you have depression and a physical condition combined.

I haven't seen a therapist in a while but decided to go back.

I focus my mind on what I love..writing, drawing art journaling, reading, and teaching myself web development.

Go back to a passion you had and revive it. I bet it will help a lot.

It is hard to say what "causes" depression. I believe that there are genetic parts and situational. (I could chat for hours on this topic!) Given your rather new medical diagnosis, I believe that a big part of your depression right now is situational in that you are dealing with that diagnosis.

My suggestion would be to educate yourself A LOT about what your lupus like condition entails. What the short term and long term prognosis are, what treatment options you have, and how you can recognize flareups, and how you can minimize flareups.

I see that you have joined the Lupus support group here, that is a good move! If you don't get the support you want here then by all means look for more support from other sources. (Not saying leave DS by any means!) I've found that meeting in real life with others who are dealing with the same issues I am can be a very rewarding experience.

Sooo, once again welcome to DS!

Gentle hugs

I'd say giving yourself grieving time is important: I had to cry a lot, so I had to learn to give myself time/space to cry. Going to bed early, that sort of thing.

It's finite, which means that once you're all cried out, you're back up and away again. "Better out than in" as they say over here.