mental health resources

The Dopamine Shop believes wholly in the power of a cute little thing.

A tee with concerning accuracy.
A pair of socks that says, “Yes, my brain is a group project and no one is leading.”
A tiny treat because today was a lot and, frankly, society has given us very few reasonable alternatives.

We love that. We built an entire shop around that.

But we are also going to say the quiet part out loud:

A cute thing can help your day.

It cannot be your entire mental health plan.

(Annoying, but true.)

The Dopamine Shop exists for the overthinkers, the anxious little task avoiders, the ADHD side-quest professionals, the emotionally crispy caregivers, the burnout collectors, the people who are technically functioning but only because the calendar app, caffeine, and fear of disappointing people have formed an unstable coalition.

We see you. And sometimes, you need more than a fun little purchase.

Sometimes, you need actual support.

This page is for that.

If You Are Not Safe Right Now

If you are in immediate danger, feel like you may hurt yourself, or feel like you may hurt someone else, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

If you are in the United States and you are experiencing emotional distress, suicidal thoughts, a mental health crisis, or a brain spiral that has fully left the group chat, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

You do not need to decide whether you are “bad enough” to reach out.

That is not a test you have to pass.

If things feel unsafe, unbearable, or too heavy to carry alone, please contact crisis support now.

MORE RESOURCES

  • Text Support

    Sometimes calling someone is simply too much.

    This is not a personal failure. This is a nervous system with preferences.

    If you are in the United States and texting feels more possible, text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.

    Free, confidential, 24/7 text support for emotional distress, overwhelm, anxiety, depression, crisis moments, and the general experience of being a person with a brain.

  • Pregnancy + Postpartum Support

    Pregnancy and postpartum can be beautiful, magical, sacred, and also extremely rude.

    You can love your baby and still feel like your body and brain have been replaced by experimental software. You can be grateful and still be furious. You can be a good parent and still need help.

    PSI HelpLine:
    Call 1-800-944-4773
    Text HELP to 800-944-4773
    Text en Español: 971-203-7773

    For 24/7 maternal mental health support in the U.S., call or text 833-852-6262.

  • Not Sure Where to Start?

    If you are not in immediate crisis but you are increasingly suspicious that “just keep going” is not a sustainable wellness strategy, you may want more support.

    NAMI HelpLine:
    Call 800-950-6264
    Text NAMI to 62640
    Available Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET

    For immediate crisis support, call or text 988.

Support is not only for rock bottom.

Needing help does not mean you are bad at being alive.

It means you have been carrying a lot, probably for longer than you realized. It means the things that used to work may not be working anymore. It means your brain and body are asking for more care, not more shame.

Being alive gets difficult. For everyone. Even the people who look like they are doing it effortlessly with clean kitchens, matching socks, and suspiciously calm nervous systems.

You do not have to earn support by falling apart first.

You are allowed to need help now.

Signs You Might Need More Support Than Retail THERAPY

We say this with love and the confidence of people who have absolutely also ignored our own warning signs: you do not have to wait until you are actively falling apart.

you are feeling overwhelmed most of the time

you are crying more than usual

you are not crying at all but in a way that feels suspicious

you are snapping at people you love

you are avoiding basic tasks until they become larger angrier tasks

you are feeling numb or detached

you are having panic attacks

you are lying awake conducting a full federal investigation into every choice you have ever made

you are using shopping/scrolling/working/perfectionism/substances/food/coffee as your primary operating system

you are having intrusive thoughts that scare you

you are thinking about hurting yourself

or you are wondering how much longer you can keep pretending you are fine.

FINDING A THERAPIST

Finding a therapist can feel harder than it should.

This is especially rude because the whole reason you are looking for one is that things already feel hard.

You may search a directory, open eight tabs, read the phrase “safe space” too many times, panic slightly, close your laptop, and decide maybe you are healed enough.

Respectfully, maybe not, babe.

When looking for a therapist, consider whether they specialize in what you are dealing with, accept your insurance or offer private pay options, provide virtual or in-person sessions, understand your specific challenges and what you're looking to accomplish, and feel affirming of your identity, family, body, culture, neurotype, and lived experience.

Also: do you feel like you could be honest with them without immediately trying to become the most likable client they have ever had?

That last one matters.

Therapy fit matters. You are allowed to ask questions. You are allowed to try someone and realize they are not your person. You are allowed to want a therapist who does not make you feel like you need to perform wellness while actively seeking help for not being well.

A tiny grounding thing

Put both feet on the floor.

Unclench your jaw.

Lower your shoulders.

Stop holding your breath like your inbox depends on it.

Take a slow breath in.

Let it out longer than you took it in.

Name five things you can see.
Name four things you can feel.
Name three things you can hear.
Name two things you can smell.
Name one thing you can taste.

No need to fix your entire life in the next thirty seconds.

Just come back to the room.

That is enough for this moment.

A necessary disclaimer

The Dopamine Shop is not a mental health provider.

Our products are not medical treatment.

Our shirts cannot diagnose you, even when they are alarmingly specific.

Our socks do not provide crisis intervention, though we respect their confidence.

Nothing on this page is a substitute for therapy, medical care, emergency services, crisis support, medication management, or advice from a licensed professional.

We are simply saying:

Please do not suffer alone because you think you are supposed to be able to handle everything.

Please do not wait until things are unbearable before asking for help.

Please do not assume that being capable, organized, employed, high-achieving, emotionally insightful, or good at making jokes means you are not allowed to need support.

You are allowed to need support.

You are allowed to buy the cute thing and make the appointment.

You are allowed to laugh and also not be okay.

You are allowed to be a full person, which is inconvenient, but apparently the assignment.

We are rooting for you.