I'm depressed and overwhelmed. I need help. Chronic, No,

Apologies, truest apologies. It is never my intent to make anyone feel a certain way. My position here at Just Answers is to provide consultation. I was asking from an inquiry standpoint and did not want to waste any of your time. I value each individual's time here. I will opt out so another expert can assist you.

I am glad you are seeing a nurse practitioner for help with medication. Medication can be crucial for treating depression, but to be honest, medication is one part of a two-pronged approach that needs to be taken to treat depression. Therapy is extremely important here, and often a lot of psychiatrists and nurse practitioners simply are not trained in therapy, to know how/when to refer to therapy, and what kind of therapy to suggest.

Behavioral Activation is a type of therapy that has a lot of elements to it, and it falls under the umbrella of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT asserts that there is a direct connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and CBT is often used to identify unhelpful automatic thoughts about one's self or situation, that lead to behaviors which unfortunately keep people in negative situations, or make things worse. Behavioral Activation focuses more on the behavior side of things, since our behaviors affect our thoughts as well. While therapy is something that needs to be done with a clinical therapist, with whom you can meet for sessions on a recurring basis, you may be able to start using some of the CBT and behavior activation principles on your own. The most simple idea is breaking all tasks and goals down into the most small and achievable part, and giving yourself credit for even the smallest of achievements. When feeling overwhelmed, the last thing you want to do is think about all of the things you have to get done. You may want to pick the easiest thing on your list, and then see how you can break that down into smaller, easily achievable parts. For example, if you need to go shopping, then the first step may be getting dressed. Don't focus on any of the other aspects other than getting dressed, and once you've done that, then take a second to acknowledge this accomplishment. The next step may be getting into a car, and then getting to the store. Simply getting there is more than half of the battle for a lot of folks, and once you are there, the shopping may come naturally. It is also helpful to try to replace any negative/anxiety provoking thoughts you may have about shopping, with less intensive thoughts. For example, if you are worried you may forget something, then remind yourself that you can always go back. If you are worried about crowds, there is a lot that can be done with CBT to help alleviate that worry, but for now maybe just try to remind yourself that the other people out in public are not there to worry about you, and probably have their own crowd anxieties they are dealing with. Always remind yourself that you are safe, and able to take care of yourself, every step along the way.

I am sorry to send so much text on one simple example. I respect that this particular example may not even apply to you at all, but try to think of the basic concepts I described here, and apply them to a situation that does apply to you.

I am glad this was helpful to you! Those small steps are a very small part of what CBT is, and CBT is something that is done with a therapist, in an office or an online therapy setting. I hope this conversation has pointed you in the direction of recovering from depression, and I strongly recommend that you seek therapy to continue helping you through it.