Depression Says You Are Worthless

"Some years ago, a man called Gerald, who had fallen into a deep depression, came to see me for help. I still remember him so clearly, as he sat slumped in the chair, telling me that he had never done anything remotely of use to anyone in his life. Gerald, it turned out, had worked for 20 years "on the ground" for a humanitarian organisation, doing much, at his own personal risk, to improve life for people struggling to survive in war-torn countries."

"Depression robs us of many essential needs, including a sense of status. The human givens approach is based on the powerful understanding that we all have needs, physical and emotional, that must be adequately fulfilled for us to live mentally healthy lives. We readily recognise that we have a need for air, water, sustenance, and shelter, but less obvious are needs such as those for security, autonomy, attention, connection, achievement, status, and meaning, which, decades of research have shown, are equally crucial for well-being."

Gerald experienced deep depression and believed he had never done anything useful despite decades of humanitarian, youth, family, and caregiving work. Depression deceives people into feeling useless and meaningless, causing withdrawal from enjoyable and new activities. Depression undermines fulfillment of essential physical and emotional needs, including status, security, autonomy, attention, connection, achievement, and meaning. The human givens approach emphasizes that these needs must be adequately met for mental health. Restoring acknowledgement and respectful recognition of meaningful actions and encouraging outward focus toward others help counter depression's self-belittling and promote reengagement.

Read at Psychology Today