Depression affects millions of people worldwide and has a profound impact on a person's inner thought life. The agonizing thoughts that accompany this illness can significantly impair everyday life.

How people feel and behave in any given situation is significantly influenced by their thoughts. Particularly in complex social situations, differing evaluations have a major impact on emotional and behavioral responses. So-called automatic thoughts, which are heavily shaped by past experiences, play a uniquely prominent role here.

Rapid, evaluative thoughts are referred to as automatic thoughts. They are not the result of a long, deliberate thinking process; instead, they occur automatically. Sometimes, you might not even be consciously aware of these thoughts at first—you may only notice the subsequent emotional reaction and change in behavior.

The first step is learning to recognize these automatic thoughts. Whenever you notice a sudden shift in your feelings or behavior, you can ask yourself: "What was just running through my mind?" Try to gather and note these thoughts initially. You will quickly notice that certain patterns reappear consistently. In the context of depression, these automatic thoughts frequently revolve around negative evaluations of oneself, the environment, or the future. The long-term goal is to question these problematic thoughts and develop alternative, more balanced perspectives.

• Absolute demands: must, ought to, should have, could have, should...
• Catastrophizing: awful, terrible, the absolute worst...
• Generalizations (Time): never, never again, always, completely...
• Generalizations (People): no one, nobody, everyone, everybody...

Depression-fueled thoughts are frequently based on conclusions shaped by systematic errors in thinking, commonly known as cognitive distortions.

• Black-and-White Thinking (All-or-Nothing): "Either I pass this exam with an A, or I am a complete failure."
• Catastrophizing: "If I don't get this job, I will never get another chance and will end up homeless."
• Disqualifying the Positive: "Yes, I got a good grade, but that was just luck. I'm actually not that good at this."
• Emotional Reasoning: "I feel guilty, so I must have done something terrible."
• Labeling: "I made a mistake. I am such a loser."
• Mental Filtering (Selective Perception): "Even though I received many compliments, I can only think about that one negative remark."
• Mind Reading: "He didn't say hello to me; he must hate me."
• Personalization: "My colleague didn't greet me today. I must have done something to upset them."
• "Should" Statements (Inappropriate Imperatives): "I must always be perfect and I should never make mistakes."
• Magnification and Minimization: "This tiny mistake ruined everything. Now all is lost."
• Overgeneralization: "Every time I try something, I fail. I just can't do anything right."
• Jumping to Conclusions (Hasty Generalization): "I'm in a bad mood today, which means the entire day is going to be terrible."

In individuals with depression, negative core beliefs often play a central role. These deeply ingrained assumptions are frequently highly self-deprecating and heavily critical of one's own worth as a person.

Typical examples include:

• "I am unlovable."
• "I am a failure."
• "I don't belong."
• "I am different from everyone else."
• "I am worthless."
• "Others will always abandon me."
• "I am a burden to others."

Those affected often blame themselves for their problems and experience deep feelings of guilt. The future appears dark and devoid of perspective, which saps the motivation needed for daily activities. A constant inner critic reinforces these negative feelings and further diminishes self-esteem.

Another frequent phenomenon associated with depression is the thought loop (overthinking). This continuous cycling of negative thoughts can be extremely distressing, pulling those affected into a downward spiral of despair. It is often described as persistent rumination or chronic worrying, and it frequently leads to severe sleep disturbances.

Psychotherapy plays a crucial role in the treatment of depression. Various forms of therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), focus on identifying and altering negative thought patterns. A range of different therapeutic approaches can be utilized for this purpose:

This approach helps individuals recognize irrational or distorted thoughts and replace them with more realistic, balanced perspectives. Various exercises can be used to practice and reinforce these new, helpful thoughts so that, ideally, they eventually become "automatically accessible" over time.

Mindfulness practices help individuals observe their thoughts without judgment, fostering a detached, less distressing perspective. In contrast to directly changing burdensome thought patterns, the goal here is to strip these thoughts of their weight and significance by adopting a different attitude toward them.

Depressive thoughts are an agonizing component of depression, but there are ways to confront and overcome them. Professional help through psychotherapy and medical care is vital. With the right support and strategies, those affected can learn to recognize and manage negative thoughts, ultimately regaining hope and a clearer perspective for the future.

Digital programs like deprexis can provide valuable complementary support. This early-stage, personalized assistance can be accessed 24/7 to target and help relieve depressive symptoms. To guide you step-by-step toward better self-care, deprexis offers a tailored program featuring various exercises to cope with depression.

In Germany, deprexis is available completely free of charge via prescription, with the full costs covered by your health insurance company. This means your doctor or psychotherapist can prescribe deprexis, and you will receive an activation code for the program. Once you have the code, you can easily redeem it on the website and get started with deprexis immediately.