Misery: the battle between integrity and despair

Pain can be protective - staying in a depressed place can be a form of avoidance. Her inner critic serves her. "I don't have to take any action because I'm worthless". And there's another benefit to her - she may feel that she stays alive in her kids' minds if they relish her suffering, at least somebody has her in mind even in a negative way, and in that sense, she's not completely forgotten. Rita seems to see the crisis. She has been in the midst of the battle between what Erik Erikson called integrity and despair.