I’ve been under significant financial stress. My family has also been hit by a couple of major health crises. I’m in the midst of some serious ambiguous grief, mourning my mother, whose dementia has taken a sudden turn for the worse over the past couple of months. And I’ve been trying to pick up the pieces when my dad hasn’t been able to manage on his own (although I live abroad, so that comes with its own challenges).

In short, I haven’t been at my best—I’m emotional, withdrawn, and quite tired. A couple of friends and family members have urged me to try antidepressants, but I’m wary of their side effects and the challenges of getting off of them, and it also seems strange to me to “treat” what seems like a fairly normal response to a challenging season of life with pharmaceuticals.

But it’s true that my outlook is heavy, and I’m having a hard time pursuing my goals or looking optimistically toward the future. They think I’m standing in my own way, when an antidepresant would make a world of difference. Do you? How do you work with clients when they’re trudging through dark and dense seasons of life?

Read more in the Quarterlifer.