When you are depressed, one of the biggest, boldfaced lies that you could fall prey to is that you are unlovable.

Depression lies to you: “Nobody will ever want you, so why even bother to try?”

If you are finding yourself buying into this lie, reject it!

Just because you are struggling with depression doesn’t mean that you are not capable of giving and receiving love. You are a human being who is just as deserving as anyone else of love and acceptance.

However, depression can make that hard to believe. Why?

Why Do We Believe When Depression Lies to Us?

When you have depression you inadvertently get sucked into a negative feedback loop that reinforces your existing unfavorable beliefs. For example, if you find yourself alone on a Saturday night with no plans, that can reinforce your existing belief that nobody wants to be with you.

Over time, similar experiences reinforce this narrative that depression has helped you create for yourself and even exacerbate your depression symptoms.

Thus, the way you end up looking at yourself and the world becomes more solidified in negativity and unhappiness. It takes a lot of work to break that narrative and create a new perspective. Yet, it’s possible.

Rejecting the Old Narrative and Creating a New Story

To reject the narrative of these depression lies that have been built up over time, you need to create a new narrative. A simple way to start is by reminding yourself that you are worthy.

You could reinforce the positive by telling yourself, for example:

• “I am a good person and have value.”
• “There are people who love and care about me.”
• “It’s okay to make mistakes. They don’t have to define me.”
• “There’s more to me than depression.”
• “I can make a meaningful contribution to this world.”
• “I am capable.”

Keeping these reminders in mind will help as you begin to create a new story for yourself. One that counters the instances when depression lies to you.

Tangible Things You Can Do to Reject Depression’s Lies

Aside from reminding yourself of your worth, there are several other practical things that you can do to reject the lies depression want to tell you.

For example:

• Take care of yourself by doing the little things that make life easier. For instance, daily grooming yourself and putting on fresh clothes or brushing your hair. You’ll find this can make a huge difference in battling depression.
• Get involved in something that you enjoy and find meaningful. For example, volunteering at a local food pantry, mentoring someone, or being active with your house of worship. You’ll find giving back feels good and helps you to build community with others.
• Connect with other people who accept you and are positive. If someone reaches out wanting to spend time with you, accept their offer. Often those with depression are suspicious of such offers and will instead retreat into isolation. You must fight that tendency.

Yes, it can be intimidating or even scary to do these things if you are struggling with depression. That’s why it can be helpful to begin with just trying one thing at a time.

Be patient and forgive yourself if you have trouble at first. And resist the temptation to give up and retreat back into old habits. Remember that you are capable and can do this!

What to Do If You Are Still Struggling with Depression

People who believe when depression lies to them are often stuck struggling with their depression for a long time. Years or even decades may pass with no relief in sight. However, you don’t have to believe these boldfaced lies. Instead, use the above-mentioned tips to start rewriting your narrative.

But if you still have trouble with rejecting the narrative depression tries to persuade you to believe, consider getting help from a qualified therapist.

A therapist will be able to help encourage and support you as you push-back, reject these depression lies, and create a new story for yourself. Plus, they will remind you that you are valuable, capable, and have the ability to make this work.

Please contact me if you would like help with your struggle or read more about how I approach depression treatment by clicking HERE.