Depression and low mood

What if I am still doing everything I am supposed to?

Then you are one of the people most likely to go years without saying anything. The work gets done, the family gets fed, and the flatness gets filed under tired.

You do not have to fall apart to qualify for help. Going through the motions of a life you cannot feel is reason enough.

Where do we start when nothing sounds appealing?

Small and concrete. Waiting to feel motivated is a losing strategy, because with low mood the feeling tends to follow the action rather than lead it. So we pick things that are genuinely achievable this week, not the version of your life you wish you were living.

One walk. One text back. One meal that is not eaten standing up. It sounds slight, and it is how the floor stops dropping.

What about the way I talk to myself?

We look at it, plainly. Low mood is a persuasive narrator, and it edits the evidence. We practise noticing the sentence, checking it against what actually happened, and choosing what to do next regardless of whether it has been agreed with.

Two things are true: you are doing the best you can right now, and you can build something better than this. Holding both is the whole idea.

What if it gets dark?

Say so. In the room, plainly, and I will not flinch or rush. Making that sayable is part of what therapy is for.

Between sessions, if you are in danger, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Veterans can call 988 and press 1. If someone is at immediate risk, call 911.

Ready when you are.

Therapy starts with a conversation. Send a short message and tell me what is going on, in your own words. We meet in person in Omaha, and online across Nebraska and Rhode Island.