When you go through something tough in life, or when you’re just feeling down, it can be hard to know whether the way you’re feeling is normal, or if you could benefit from seeing a professional. Here are five occasions when getting professional help is a really good idea:

If it’s affecting your daily life
If you just can’t concentrate any more, don’t want to socialise or you just can’t seem to muster up motivation for anything, then perhaps talking to a professional could help you get back on track.

You’ve tried everything else
If you’ve tried all the usual things such as talking to a friend, exercising or meditation, but nothing seems to have changed, then it’s a totally valid reason to go to see a therapist.

You can’t talk to your family anymore
It’s great to be able to talk to your family and friends, but if things are really bad, and you feel like you can’t tell them anymore, then you need to see someone whose job it is to listen, and who isn’t emotionally involved. The difference this makes is immense.

You start abusing some kind of substance
Whether it’s food or alcohol, or something entirely different, the minute you start abusing something is the minute you know it’s time to see a professional. Becoming dependent on something like this isn’t healthy, for your body or your mind.

People are starting to notice
If your friends have mentioned that you haven’t been yourself lately, then you know it’s gotten to a stage where you can’t hide it anymore. This is proof of the extent of your stress, so you should definitely seek out a good therapist.

Remember, the sooner you get help, the sooner you’ll feel like yourself again.