The Doctor is In
Dreary, Down, and Depressed? Thomas Ian Nicholas has some words of wisdom for you

Do you have days when your mood drops like a falling star, when all you can see are clouds and not their silver linings? We've often writeen about 14-year-old Thomas' happy-go-lucky attitude, which is why we thought he might be just the person to answer questions on how to deal with those grumpy moments. [just a note: Remember, Thom is just a regular teenager dispensing advice. In other words, he's not a doctor in real life; he just plays one in magazines.]

How should you deal with bad moods?
Thomas suggests following his own personal philosophy. "Things will get better. It's the law of nature. Things can't stay bad forever. Things happen for a reason. You can't control all of those things, but they happen for a reason. If you can deal with that, you become a stronger person."

What causes bad moods?
Although there are obviously many reasons why people get bummed out, Thomas thought of one rather unusual cause: TV. Many TV shows, he says, seem to do nothing but talk about gloom and doom, "and so you think that's all there is in the world. There's more positive stuff going on, but they don't [talk about] it, because that's not what makes the news. So I think about the good stuff. ANd if you think abou the good instead of the bad, you'll feel a lot better about yourself." Of course, Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric might disagree. Where to go when bad moods happen to strike:
"I like to be myself. I enjoy my privacy. You know, to think about things."
Thomas knows there are times when things are just too rough to handle alone. In those cases, he has one person with whom he can always discuss ways to tackle his problems. "I'm really open with my mom, and I can talk to her about about anything. And she can give me great advice."

Has Thomas ever had the blues?
Sure. Everyone has. In fact, shortly before he won the role of Calvin in the future film A Kid in King Arthur's Court, Thomas told us he was bumme that it had been so long since he had been in a movie. But he was not at all dismal about it. "I don't get jobs because other ones are waiting for me," he said.
Fortunately, Thomas hadn't wasted time being majorly depressed. And now his mood, which was high to begin with, has shot way up into the sky. Like any rising star.