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When should you seek professional mental-health help? A calm guide
People delay help because they're unsure they "qualify". Four signals and three myths to make the call with less second-guessing.
You don't need to be "sick enough"
The most common myth: only the "really ill" deserve a therapist or counsellor. The truth runs the other way — the bar for seeking help is not severity but whether the struggle is affecting the life you want. The WHO defines mental health as "a state of well-being", not merely the absence of illness.
Counselling works for milder struggles too: a rough adjustment period, repeating relationship patterns, a low mood you can't name. Getting help early usually means shorter interventions and better outcomes — like catching a small problem at a check-up instead of a crisis.
Four signals worth taking seriously
1) Time: marked low mood, anxiety or insomnia lasting over two weeks without easing as circumstances improve. 2) Function: a clear drop in work, study, relationships or self-care that you yourself have noticed. 3) Body: physical symptoms with no medical explanation (chronic insomnia, appetite swings, chronic pain, palpitations). 4) Thoughts: "what's the point" ideas or thoughts of self-harm — this one warrants reaching out immediately, at any intensity.
Any single signal justifies a professional assessment; two or more make the case stronger. You don't need all four, and you don't need to diagnose yourself first.
Three myths that keep people waiting
Myth one: "my problems aren't big enough" — suffering isn't comparable and doesn't need to be. Myth two: "seeing a professional means I failed" — it's treating your life as worth maintaining, like seeing a dentist for a toothache. Myth three: "therapy means digging into my deepest trauma" — you set the pace with your therapist, and a first session is mostly assessment and direction.
If you're still unsure, start with the lowest-cost step: complete a PHQ-9 and GAD-7, and use the results as the opening of a conversation with a professional. A scale won't decide for you, but it makes the next step concrete.
① 时间：明显的情绪低落、焦虑或失眠持续两周以上，且没有随环境改善而缓解。② 功能：工作学习、人际关系或自我照顾的水平明显下滑，且你自己清楚感觉到了。③ 躯体：出现查不出器质性原因的身体症状（长期失眠、食欲剧变、慢性疼痛、心悸）。④ 念头：出现「活着没意思」或伤害自己的想法——这一条任何程度都应立即求助。
All scales on this site are widely used self-report instruments for self-understanding and screening only — they cannot replace a professional diagnosis. If you need help, please consult a doctor or therapist.