I was talking with a guy who shares an interest in Mod style who had suffered from depression over the years. I suggested that fastidiousness in dress was probably helpful and he replied that it wasn't something he'd considered.
The conversation moved on quickly to happier topics, but the thought stayed with me. Smart dressing and taking a general pride in one's appearance, and therefore oneself, should be very therapeutic for sufferers of depression I would have thought. In my experience (of living with someone suffering from depression not as a sufferer personally) that kind of purpose and motivation is something that a sufferer of depression struggles to find. And I believe that, even if it begins artificially or under suggestion, finding that it in a pride in your appearance could be a great aid to the healing process.
