A thousand reasons to prove I'm worthless

People who go through times of depression have an amazing creative ability when it comes to finding reasons to prove they are worthless, incapable and generally bad people. It doesn't matter how many reasons one can find to show them it's not all black and white, they will find counterarguments and discard most positive statements immediately as being exceptions.

1. Break it down

The first step to change such thoughts, sometimes, is to break them down into more specific ideas. What exactly makes me worthless? Not having a job? Not having a life partner? Not being able to care for my children the way I would want to?

2. Analyze it

How realistic are my thoughts? Does not having a job really mean I'm worthless? Do I know of any other people I appreciate who have been in my situation? How did they deal with it? What could I do to change my situation in this regard? Which of these possibilities depend on me, and which depend on others? Make a list, and be specific.

3. Do it

Take the possibilities identified in step 2 and start doing those that depend exclusively on you: do internet research, write your resume, check the paper for job openings, ask friends, etc. Remember, it's normal to feel like you're lacking energy and motivation, but that's all part of the big picture of depression. Don't overdo it: take the items one at a time, and make sure you acknowledge and reward yourself for doing them.


It's time to make friends with yourself.