Survivors of depression, how did “getting better” feel?

After too long a struggle, today my partner finally conceded to get help at an inpatient behavioral site. One long wait at the ER and an ambulance ride later, here I am fantasizing what beating depression might feel like for her. I fully understand it’s not a quick magical cure-all and I’m tempering my expectations. But I want to start thinking positively and hear how others climbed out of it. Not really what you did, but how you felt throughout the process.