5 Things to Do If You Are Feeling Worthless

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesCopingHow to Get HelpNext in Small Ways to Feel Better When You’re Depressed GuideWhat to Do If You Feel Anxious Right Now

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Table of Contents

Causes

Coping

How to Get Help

Next in Small Ways to Feel Better When You’re Depressed Guide

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Feelings of worthlessness often involve a sense of insignificance in oneself and are strongly linked to hopelessness and self-blame.

Such feelings are often a common symptom of depression, but can also arise due to things such as lowself-esteem, neglect, abuse, trauma, or difficult situations that pose a threat to a person’s sense of self.

Feeling worthless can create significant distress and make it difficult to function normally in daily life. You might find it difficult to feel motivated to pursue your goals when you feel that nothing you do is right or that none of your efforts will make a difference. Because of this, it is important to find ways to manage these difficult feelings and seek help when needed.

Causes of Worthlessness

Childhood Trauma

The Best Online Trauma Therapy, Tried and Tested

Seeing Negative Events as Your Fault

You may attribute negative events to your own actions or characteristics. People who are prone to attributing negative events to internal causes may be more likely to experiencesymptoms of depression, including worthlessness.

Past Criticism

Difficulty Handling Stress

You might be having trouble coping with stress. Both acute andchronic stresscan take a toll on a person’s perceptions of themselves. You might feel worthless after experience a serious setback such as financial problems, divorce, or job loss.

Sign of a Mental Health Condition

What You Can Do If You’re Feeling Worthless

If you are experiencing feelings of worthlessness, there are small, actionable steps you can take that may help you start to feel better. Here are some ideas that can help.

Speak Kindly to Yourself

People who feel worthless often engage innegative thinkingand self-talk. It may be challenging at first, but focus on treating yourself with kindness. When you notice negative self-talk, look for ways that you can reframe those thoughts in a more positive or realistic way. Instead of thinking “I hate myself” or “I’ll never be able to do it,” for example, you might say, “I can do small things each day to improve.”

Pay Attention to When Worthlessness Strikes

Sometimes these negative feelings arise in response to certain situations, thoughts, experiences, or even people. Start noticing when these feelings emerge, what is happening when they occur, and what type of thoughts might be contributing. This is one way to help combat the negativeruminationthat might be fueling feelings of inadequacy.

Press Play for Advice On Coping With Self Pity

Keep a Gratitude Journal

Worthlessness can creep in when you find yourself comparing your own life unfavorably to the lives of others. Rather than falling into the trap of only looking at the ways in which it seems you are lacking, consider keeping agratitude journalwhere you spend a little time each day thinking about the things you are grateful for. Refocusing your thoughts in this way can help protect you from the negative effects of comparison and envy.

Do Something for Someone Else

Sometimes when you are feeling worthless, focusing your attention on something other than yourself can help. Research has shown that engaging inprosocial activitieslike volunteering for your community or helping someone else in need can have a positive effect on a person’s happiness and well-being. Helping others can also help you feel a greater sense of connection and purpose.

Try a Mental Health App

There are a number of different mobile apps devoted to improving mental health. Some apps may provide tools such aspositive affirmations,mindfulnesstraining, or exercises rooted incognitive-behavioral therapy(CBT) that are designed to help you identify and change patterns of negative thinking.

The Best Mental Health Apps, Tried and Tested

How to Get Help If You’re Feeling Worthless

It’s important to remember that feeling worthless can also be a sign of an underlying mental health condition. If such feelings are persistent, distressing, or make it difficult to cope with everyday tasks, talk to your primary care provider or contact a mental health professional.

Your primary care provider may ask you about your feelings and other symptoms you have been experiencing. They may also ask you to fill out a questionnaire to screen for symptoms of depression or anxiety. You may also have a physical exam and lab tests to rule out medical conditions that might contribute to symptoms of depression.

You might also want to consider trying online therapy. Research suggests that online therapy can be as effective as traditional face-to-face treatment. Online therapy presents an accessible and often affordable way of getting help for mental health concerns. Services that provide online therapy can vary in terms of what they offer, their price, and how therapy sessions are conducted. In many cases, options include online chat, video conferencing, email, and phone options.

Get Help NowWe’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain. Find out which option is the best for you.

Get Help Now

We’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain. Find out which option is the best for you.

How to Cope When You’re Feeling Lost

A Word From Verywell

While everyone might feel worthless once in a while, it can become a serious problem if such feelings are chronic and pervasive. Fortunately, there are steps you can take that may help you feel better.

Professional help is also available, including face-to-facepsychotherapy, medications, or a combination of the two. Depression can grow worse over time, so talking to your primary care provider now about your feelings of worthlessness may ensure that you get treatment before your symptoms get worse.

If you or a loved one are struggling with depression, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with depression, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

What to Do If You Feel Anxious Right Now

4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harrison P, Lawrence AJ, Wang S, et al.The psychopathology of worthlessness in depression.Front Psychiatry. 2022;0. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.818542Klumparendt A, Nelson J, Barenbrügge J, Ehring T.Associations between childhood maltreatment and adult depression: a mediation analysis.BMC Psychiatry. 2019;19(1):36. doi:10.1186/s12888-019-2016-8Zahn R, Lythe KE, Gethin JA, et al.The role of self-blame and worthlessness in the psychopathology of major depressive disorder.J Affect Disord. 2015;186:337-341. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2015.08.001Yeung JWK, Zhang Z, Kim TY.Volunteering and health benefits in general adults: cumulative effects and forms[published correction appears in BMC Public Health. 2017 Sep 22;17 (1):736].BMC Public Health. 2017;18(1):8. doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4561-8

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harrison P, Lawrence AJ, Wang S, et al.The psychopathology of worthlessness in depression.Front Psychiatry. 2022;0. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.818542Klumparendt A, Nelson J, Barenbrügge J, Ehring T.Associations between childhood maltreatment and adult depression: a mediation analysis.BMC Psychiatry. 2019;19(1):36. doi:10.1186/s12888-019-2016-8Zahn R, Lythe KE, Gethin JA, et al.The role of self-blame and worthlessness in the psychopathology of major depressive disorder.J Affect Disord. 2015;186:337-341. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2015.08.001Yeung JWK, Zhang Z, Kim TY.Volunteering and health benefits in general adults: cumulative effects and forms[published correction appears in BMC Public Health. 2017 Sep 22;17 (1):736].BMC Public Health. 2017;18(1):8. doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4561-8

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Harrison P, Lawrence AJ, Wang S, et al.The psychopathology of worthlessness in depression.Front Psychiatry. 2022;0. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.818542Klumparendt A, Nelson J, Barenbrügge J, Ehring T.Associations between childhood maltreatment and adult depression: a mediation analysis.BMC Psychiatry. 2019;19(1):36. doi:10.1186/s12888-019-2016-8Zahn R, Lythe KE, Gethin JA, et al.The role of self-blame and worthlessness in the psychopathology of major depressive disorder.J Affect Disord. 2015;186:337-341. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2015.08.001Yeung JWK, Zhang Z, Kim TY.Volunteering and health benefits in general adults: cumulative effects and forms[published correction appears in BMC Public Health. 2017 Sep 22;17 (1):736].BMC Public Health. 2017;18(1):8. doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4561-8

Harrison P, Lawrence AJ, Wang S, et al.The psychopathology of worthlessness in depression.Front Psychiatry. 2022;0. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.818542

Klumparendt A, Nelson J, Barenbrügge J, Ehring T.Associations between childhood maltreatment and adult depression: a mediation analysis.BMC Psychiatry. 2019;19(1):36. doi:10.1186/s12888-019-2016-8

Zahn R, Lythe KE, Gethin JA, et al.The role of self-blame and worthlessness in the psychopathology of major depressive disorder.J Affect Disord. 2015;186:337-341. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2015.08.001

Yeung JWK, Zhang Z, Kim TY.Volunteering and health benefits in general adults: cumulative effects and forms[published correction appears in BMC Public Health. 2017 Sep 22;17 (1):736].BMC Public Health. 2017;18(1):8. doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4561-8

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