Only those deprived of freedom have the barest inkling of what it really is.
Madness string 111962
I've been on anti-depressants for the last few years and while they help, it's not in a happy way. They simply remove the dark thoughts and replace them with dead ones.
He did the right thing by asking for assistance. Sometimes the hive mind has knowledge that the individual will miss on their own. Common sense only becomes so when it's shared and accessible.