When to Seek Help

People seek counselling for all sorts of reasons. You don’t have to be “crazy” to get counselling and certainly it doesn’t mean you are “crazy” if you do get counselling. Just because someone is in counselling doesnt mean they have a diagnosable mental illness; it could just mean they are seeking help for a mental health concern. If someone does have a diagnosable mental illness, it does not mean that they are bad, or incompentant, mentally impaired or incapable. It is simply an illness they should seek treatment for, just any other illness.

You’ve lost someone or something important to you
Feeling sad, angry, or otherwise “not yourself”
Abusing drugs, alcohol, food, or sex to cope
Something traumatic has happened
You can’t do the things you like to do
Marked changes in personality, eating or sleeping patterns
An inability to cope with problems or daily activities
Feeling of disconnection or withdrawal from normal activities
Unusual or “magical” thinking
Excessive anxiety
Prolonged sadness, depression or apathy
Thoughts or statements about suicide or harming others
Extreme mood swings
Excessive anger, hostility or violent behaviour