The paper, based on the theoretical analysis of the problem and a review of the pertinent literature, focusses on the following questions: (1) Which behaviour patterns can be understood as self-healing attempts in depressive disorders? (2) Are there any scientific findings with regard to the efficacy of such self-healing attempts? (3) In which phase of a depression are such attempts being applied? (4) Are self-healing techniques teachable and learnable? The label ‘depressive disorders’ covers not only brief and mild affective disturbances but also persistent severe depressions. In recent years, psychiatry has been taking renewed interest in concepts of autonomy [3] and autoprotective efforts of the mentally ill. Our own relevant studies (Boeker, Brenner et al.) about schizophrenia [4, 5] and psychotherapeutic experience gained during the recovery of a depressive patient [6] have induced me to look for such self-help phenomena in depressives, too. Up to now, this subject still lacks sufficient data that has been systematically verified. The following text compiles some personal considerations and findings from specific literature, classified by a small number of aspects.