Is it normal that i created an “imaginary friend” to help me handle my depression?

I never had many friends as a kid, I also didn’t feel like I could get a lot of support for my mental health at home. So I created a character in my mind that would be my friend and help me through my depressive episodes. His name was André and he was like an older brother to me, constantly telling me not to harm myself, joking with me, spending time with me when no one else would. We would have entire conversations in my head, he was a fully developed character that I could relate to because he had his own struggles. It actually helped to interact with him because I would promise to stop my self-destructive behavior if he would stop his. I knew he wasn’t real, obviously, but it still felt nice having someone who “cared” about me and that I could make those sorts of plans with.

I know that it’s normal for little children to have “imaginary friends”, but is it normal for someone in their teens or to that extent?