Hello , I am new to this forum and I would like to thank anyone in advance for the support.

So. A good friend of mine a 22 y/o male is struggling with depression or so I truly think he is. Long story short. We’ve known eachother for almost four years and we dated in the past. However it did not work out due many circumstances on both sides. Mainly family issues and anxiety. He went into depression last year and blocked me/ghosted me during the whole said year without a word or warning. A year later he came back with a long apology via facebook message , he thought I hated him and he had major issues in his current living situation back then. Mainly his family. So he came back to me. And I let him back in. He displayed a strong eagerness to see me and talk to me , I was very happy to see him happy. I helped him moved out , he helped with other things. And all was well. We both have romantic interest for eachother again but this has been on a limbo for some time now. I am okay with it for the most part. We had an amazing time last november. We exchanged xmas gifts , laughed , got intimate and so on. During the holidays , I noticed he got a little more quiet. At first I was just assuming he was busy with his family and and friends. Until he messaged me some not so great news about his mother , who was put on life support due to severe alcohol abuse. Her pancreas basically shut down. He was devastated. I let him know I was there and if he needed anything I would be there for him. He thanked me. We talked on and off during that time. But it was still a bit more quiet. We had a couple phone calls. I wanted to check on him and make sure he was okay. And things seemed fine. But as time went on , he went more and more quiet. Sometimes ignoring me. Not responding to my calls anymore. So I became quiet back out of anxiety. Assuming he wants some space. He told me he got the job he applied for and I was super excited about the news and very happy for him ! Because I knew money was a big preocupation currently. But he told me the news in a rather , unenthusiastic way ? He didn’t seem to excited about it. I can understand the stress of a new job. And it’s going to be his first also. I asked him if he was nervous about it and exclaimed that it was not and showed some elevated confidence about it. It seemed off to me. And he’s being snarky and snappy towards me , discussing things in a more philosophical way rather than in a friendly type of way like usual. I noticed the same exact pattern before he ghosted me :/ and him also being more critiscising towards me. I asked him about it. He told me he was sorry for not being around much and that he doesn’t want to see other people because he is introverted. It’s been two months since I saw him and I miss him. But I respect his choice to not want to. Now I am shying away from him because of all this. I love him very much. But at the same time I feel hopeless. I do not want to add extra stress or pain if that’s what he is feeling. Should I give him space until he comes back around or try to talk to him , other advice ? Is it truly introversion or depression ? Or does he want to get rid of me slowly ? I just want the best for this loved one. Thank you very much in advance.