For a Scifi series I’m working on there is a villainous organization
Titled: Depression Industrial Complex (aka #DIC and their minion #GloomBot).
Motto: “Depressed people are easier to dominate and highly profitable”
Top 10 Tactics of DICs & GloomBots:
1. Justifying Control Over Choices: Claiming that a depressed individual is incapable of making their own decisions, thus justifying the control over their life choices. “It would be dangerous for you to make your own decisions … “ #GloomBot
2. Limiting Social Interactions: Asserting that social interactions are too stressful or harmful for a depressed person as a means to isolate them from friends and family. “The world is dangerous. Let us protect you …” #GloomBot
3. Discrediting Opinions and Feelings: Using a person’s depression as a reason to discredit their opinions and feelings, suggesting they are always clouded by their mental state. “You’re just depressed you don’t really want to quit your job … “#GloomBot
4. Encouraging Dependency: Convincing a depressed individual that they are unable to cope without the manipulator’s help, fostering a harmful dependency. “I know you can’t make it without me. I’m here for you whenever you need anything, just ask …. “ #GloomBot
5. Withholding Support as Leverage: Using access to emotional support or mental health resources as leverage to control or manipulate the individual. “I just can’t help you any more if you don’t listen to me …. “ #GloomBot
6. Financial Exploitation: Taking advantage of a person’s depressive state to manipulate them into financial decisions that benefit the manipulator. “Wow you are lucky! I think we can find the perfect ‘job/donor’ for you … “ #GloomBot
7. Instilling Guilt and Obligation: Making the individual feel guilty for their condition, suggesting that they owe the manipulator for their patience or support. “I did so much for you, I’ve always been there for you and now you don’t listen to me?!” #GloomBot
8. Overstating the Condition: Exaggerating the severity of the person’s depression to others to gain sympathy or justify controlling behaviors. “You are really too depressed to even be making a decision right now, I think you need to see a specialist.” #GloomBot
9. Limiting Access to Treatment: Controlling or limiting the individual’s access to effective treatment as a means to maintain their depressed state and dependence. “It is illegal to exchange services with each other unless you pay for it in dollars! … with tax.” #GloomBot
10. Gaslighting: Making the depressed individual doubt their own experiences and perceptions, weakening their sense of self and reality. “You’re just depressed and in a bad mood, I never dominated you.” #GloomBot
DIC and GloomBots are especially interested in maintaining power and profiting off your labor and inability to raise up.
* Note this is entirely fictional and there are no industrial groups dedicated to and profiting from spreading depression.
Any ideas?