Depression & mental health, explained clearly
Depression, understood. Your next step, made clear.
Plain-language guides to depression and related mental health conditions, and private tools that help you prepare for an appointment, keep track of how you feel, and take one small step at a time.
Need help right now? In the U.S., call or text 988 — see urgent help options.
You are not imagining it
Depression can change how you feel, think, sleep, eat and get through an ordinary day. It is a common and treatable health condition — not a weakness, and not something you have to explain away on your own.
Three ways in
Start where you are
Our guides are still in review. Meanwhile, these tools can help:
Signature tool
Find My Next Step
Arrive with a question. Leave with a useful next step. Choose what you want to do — not a diagnosis — and get ready-to-use questions, trustworthy resources and one practical action you choose yourself.
Choose a goal to begin
- I want to understand what I am feeling
- I want to speak with a professional
- I want to prepare to discuss my treatment
- I want to support someone close to me
- I need urgent help
1 / 4
Choose what you want to do
Five clear goals. No symptom checklist, no score.
2 / 4
Pick the questions you want to ask
Ready-made questions you can keep, drop or edit.
3 / 4
See trustworthy resources
Official services and guides, with the country named.
4 / 4
Choose one small, practical action
You choose the step. Print it or save it as text.
Signature experience
Small Steps Garden
A small step in your life. A little growth in your garden.
A calm, optional game: choose a manageable activity for the time and energy you have, try it away from the screen, and add something to your garden for taking part — whatever happened.
Inspired by a general idea used in some therapies (noticing links between activities and mood). This game has not been clinically tested and is not a treatment.
Make it smaller
When a step feels too big, make it smaller. Choosing a smaller step still counts.
- Tidy the room
- Tidy one surface
- Put one item in its place
No streaks to lose. Your garden never wilts while you are away.
Visit the gardenPrivate tools
Practical tools that stay on your device
No account. No tracking of what you type. Use them, print them, download them — or close the tab and they are gone.
Appointment Preparation Builder
Organize what you want to say and ask, then print or save a clear summary.
Open tool →Private Mood Journal
Note your mood, energy and sleep in your own words, with optional saving on this device.
Open tool →Support Conversation Planner
Find words to check in, offer help or encourage professional support — edit and copy them.
Open tool →What you type stays in this browser tab. It is not sent to our servers, advertisers or analytics.
How we work
Honest about what is reviewed — and what is not yet
Every guide moves through the same steps. We only call something "medically reviewed" when a qualified person has actually reviewed that version.
- Draft
- Editorial review
- Clinical review
- Approved
- Published
Current status: Our medical guides are still in review. They will appear here once a qualified reviewer has approved them.
Read our editorial policyStart with one small step.
You do not have to work everything out today. Choose one next step — reading, preparing, reaching out, or a small action in your day.
If you are thinking about suicide or are in crisis, help is available now: urgent help.