Interview Transcript

Elena, thank you for coming in. I know it took some courage to schedule this. Can you walk me through what brought you here today?

I... yeah. I've been putting it off for months actually. My sister finally convinced me. I was laid off about a year and a half ago and I thought I'd bounce back quickly — I always have before. But something broke this time. I can't explain it.

When you say something broke, what does that feel like day to day?

Like I'm underwater. Everything takes so much effort. Getting dressed. Answering emails. I used to run marketing campaigns for a 200-person company and now I can't reply to a text message without agonizing over it for an hour. And the worry — it's constant. I wake up at 3 AM with my chest tight, running through everything that could go wrong.

That sounds exhausting. How has this affected your relationships?

I've pulled away from everyone. My friends stopped inviting me places because I always cancel. My mom calls every day and I let it go to voicemail. I feel guilty about it but the thought of talking to anyone is just... overwhelming. Even my sister — the one who got me here — I know she's worried but I can't reassure her when I can't reassure myself.