Here are a few signs it might be a good time to call a counselor:

• Persistent poor mood causing you to not feel like yourself, i.e. snapping at people easily or not enjoying things you used to.

• Poor sleep, change of eating habits, or recurring minor illness.

• Using drugs, food, or alcohol to cope with your feelings or avoid your problems.

• Getting negative feedback at work about job performance.

• A recurring problem in a relationship or general dissatisfaction over a long period.

• Feeling disconnected from people and things you typically enjoy in your life or wishing you were not alive.

• Friends or family tell you they are worried about you or they don’t know how to help you.

• You don’t know what to do and what you have been doing is not working.

• You saw or experienced a trauma that you just can’t seem to shake.

• Feeling persistent worry, keyed up, fear, or stress that limits you from doing things in life.

Ultimately you have to be the one to decide to seek help for you or your child. It can take courage to ask for help, but don’t wait until you are in crisis. Recovery or making progress on a problem will be easier the sooner it is addressed.