Some years ago, a man called Gerald, who had fallen into a deep depression, came to see me for help. I still remember him so clearly, as he sat slumped in the chair, telling me that he had never done anything remotely of use to anyone in his life.

Gerald, it turned out, had worked for 20 years "on the ground" for a humanitarian organisation, doing much, at his own personal risk, to improve life for people struggling to survive in war-torn countries. When he retired from this demanding work in his mid-50s, he took up a role in youth work.

He and his wife had also brought up three children, who had all gone on to follow their ambitions. And they had cared for his mother when she became unable to live by herself because of dementia.

Now, however, he spent his days sitting morosely at home, dwelling on his perceived failings, no longer engaging in activities he used to enjoy or pursuing new ones.

As I tell my clients, depression lies. When it is at its most entrenched, it can deceive us into thinking we are useless and that our lives have been meaningless—and, clearly, in the case of Gerald, nothing could have been further from the truth.

Depression robs us of many essential needs, including a sense of status. The human givens approach is based on the powerful understanding that we all have needs, physical and emotional, that must be........

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