You didn't ask for advice, but I'm going to give you some. See a counselor (aka a therapist). Depression is treatable, but you need to get help. The world needs a "you" that is in the right headspace.
Yes, twice or three times depending on how you would count occupational therapists/group therapy. For many hours. Enough that learning that professional training is much less important than the therapeutic relationship was not a surprise.
In plain language it is vastly more important that you vibe with the person you spend hours talking with about your problems than that they have training.
> In plain language it is vastly more important that you vibe with the person you spend hours talking with about your problems than that they have training.
Telling someone who's already at the stage of self harm to just get out and meet some people is not helpful at all. You can't just "get over" a depression, it's an actual sickness.
Now, I see where you're coming from; if you feel that you're a bit less happy without meeting people, suggesting to go out is perfectly reasonable. But from what the OP described, they definitely need professional help (and money is also a really bad reason to ignore severe health problems).
It was not suggested that he get drugs, i.e. go to a psychiatrist. That’s very likely to be immediately helpful. Therapists are crap shoots. Going out and meeting people is something this person could go out and do right now, that they have identified as the root of their problem. The analogy is by no means perfect but we’re talking “Oh, you have scurvy, why don’t you eat five oranges.” levels of direct cause and effect relationship here.
There are interventions that reliably have large positive effects on depression for many people. Exercise, sleep deprivation, ketamine. Therapy is great if you find a therapist who vibes with you but it’s the vibes that do it, not the therapy. That’s what the therapeutic relationship is about.
If you’re depressed and can manage to try something that might work immediately you should. Therapy is not that.
> Client perception: that the client perceives, to at least a minimal degree, the therapist's unconditional positive regard and empathic understanding.
Forcing everyone to be in the office because you are having a hard time having a social experience is definitely a personal problem.
I would recommend social clubs.
Or, opt for a company that’s on-site. I’ve always been pro-choice in this regard. The problem is that companies have to be all or nothing, you can’t 50/50 remote work between people.
Some kind of hybrid is also good. Come in for a few hours or a couple days a week. All the benefits of both approaches.
