While your advice isn't wrong, if I were in your shoes, I would be very careful about dispensing it. Read over this paragraph: My thoughts are descending into

While your advice isn't wrong, if I were in your shoes, I would be very careful about dispensing it. Read over this paragraph: My thoughts are descending into the darkest reaches. Death doesn't seem so bad anymore. Then I don't have to think about all this. When a person is in a state like this, his/her brain has difficulty processing things in his/her usual way. Consequently, he/she could easily read your questions and conclude, "I haven't accomplished anything today. I'm an idiot and a complete failure." If you have to preach the positive, try to frame it in terms of gratitude. Accomplishments are very dangerous, particularly if you're dealing with someone who could be in the throes of a major depression.