Georg has worked in mechanical engineering quality assurance for over 25 years—a profession that demands absolute precision. The stakes are high, the workplace culture can be rough, and the pressure is intense. While his daily work usually brought him joy, it also took a heavy toll. This made the opportunity to break away from his familiar surroundings and recharge his batteries all the more valuable. Inspired by his church community, he decided to join a four-week humanitarian aid mission in Sierra Leone. There, in the fall of 2023, Georg successfully trained 20 young men in a metal workshop. In his free time, he helped treat their medical ailments, prayed with them, and played Frisbee and table tennis. On their final day, they danced together. Georg was completely in his element. Even today, he speaks of his time in West Africa with immense enthusiasm.But his return to Germany didn't go as planned. Having landed just on Sunday, Georg was back at his workstation by 6:00 AM on Monday morning—a complete culture shock after his voluntary work.

Just one week later, a deep sense of unease began to settle in:

“I’d had that kind of feeling a few times before—a sort of crisis mode, where all hope for life just slips away.”

This was not Georg’s first depressive episode. He had experienced similar crises in the past, triggered by stressful life events, but this time it was far more intense. Joy, motivation, and hope vanished in an instant.

Georg looks back and describes his state of mind at the time:

“I had to force myself to eat anything at all. I would put it off until I just couldn't stand the hunger anymore. That’s how depressed I was.”

Whenever his siblings called, Georg would shut them out, pretending he was too busy with work. He always found an excuse to avoid seeing anyone in his social circle. It was like a downward spiral that kept pulling him deeper.

His thoughts grew darker and darker:

“I could only see a bleak future ahead. I even started questioning my past, including the aid mission. I questioned my kids, my siblings, my parents—all my relationships, all my friendships. Yes, it was terrible.”

Despite everything, Georg tried to keep functioning and showed up to work every single day. He wanted to avoid going on sick leave for his mental health at all costs. Of course, his blank stare and withdrawn behavior didn't go unnoticed. His colleagues asked him about it, but Georg deflected every time. He retreated further and further into his shell, avoiding both casual and professional conversations. The moment he got home, he wouldn't move from the couch, refused to see anyone, and didn't leave the house. For 14 months.

Like many others going through this, Georg refused to admit to himself for a long time that he was suffering from depression. Two months went by while he drifted further and further into a dark place. Speaking to anyone about his mental health was out of the question—he was too afraid of showing weakness.

“I’m a man, I can handle this,” he thought. It’s a mindset still deeply rooted in societal gender roles, making the way out of depression all the more difficult for many men.

And it wasn't just Georg who dismissed the severity of his illness. Some of the people around him also reacted with a lack of understanding: “Pull yourself together,” “You’ll get over it,” “It can’t be that bad.” All well-meaning advice, but none of it offered any real help to Georg at that moment. The problem is often not just the illness itself, but how the people around you react to it. It only makes it harder to reach out for support and speak openly about what you are going through.

Whether it was Christmas or birthday parties, Georg noticed that even family gatherings—which had always brought him so much joy—were becoming too much to handle. This was ultimately the turning point, the moment he realized he truly needed professional support. Following his father’s advice, Georg visited his general practitioner, who prescribed him deprexis, a digital therapy program. From day one, Georg used the digital therapy diligently, fully committing himself to every exercise.

It didn't take long for him to see results: within the very first few weeks, the program helped him recognize and break free from his negative downward spirals. deprexis reminded him to start going for walks again, to adopt new perspectives, to delegate responsibility, and to reach out to the people close to him. One particular thought from deprexis stuck with him: “I am good and worthy of love—just the way I am.”

For Georg, deprexis was more than just digital support during dark times; it was a bridge back to his Christian faith, his inner strength, and his joy for life.

Today, Georg goes for regular walks again. Out into the vineyards, across sprawling meadows, and past golden wheat fields. Cycling and swimming have also found their way back into his daily routine—small but deeply meaningful rituals. Within just a few minutes, the stress of the day feels like it has been blown away. And something else has changed: his perspective on work, on stress, and on what truly matters. He is trying more and more to let go of his perfectionism and high expectations of himself.

He took a whole new perspective away from deprexis: “I now imagine my work like a movie in a theater. I’m just sitting in the audience, watching. If it gets to be too much, I mentally leave the room. And it actually works.”

Georg has come a long way, a path full of highs, lows, setbacks, and successes. And he knows exactly how hard it is to admit to yourself that you need help. What does he wish for today? That he had understood sooner how vital it is to listen to your own feelings and take action before the downward spiral spins out of control. No suffering is too small to reach out for support.

That is why today, he doesn't hesitate to recommend help to others: “If I know that someone close to me is going through a crisis, I would always recommend deprexis.”

For him, it was a turning point because it allowed him to understand himself, explore new paths, and fight his way back into life step by step. Georg’s story shows just how paralyzing depression can be. Even if you seem to be functioning on the outside in your daily life, it is so important to break the silence and take your own well-being seriously.