I need help

It's sometimes hard to know who and when to consult, but simply feeling the need to meet a professional is the best indicator of the legitimacy of this step. Seeing a “shrink” will always help us to grow stronger so as to overcome the different trials and tribulations we're going through, whatever they are.

How to know if what you're experiencing is just a bad patch or if it's something more serious.

The first thing to do is to assess the impact of the feelings of malaise on your life. Can you still carry out everyday jobs (washing, cooking, taking care of children, going to work, etc.)? The greater the impact on life, the more essential it is to seek help quickly.

As well as the intensity, it's the duration that should worry us. A slight but prolonged impact would warrant a consultation. After a week, it might be a good idea to seek professional advice; after a month, you really ought to see a professional.

Who to go to?

Any professional will be able to put us in touch with the moste appropriate person if they can't address our needs. The most important thing is to take the first step, whether the person we get in touch with is a psychiatrist or a psychologist.

However, if your problems are making everyday life difficult, it would be a good idea to consult a psychiatrist first so that you can go back to your activities with the help of treatment or, on the contrary, get time off work if necessary. Secondly, this same professional may suggest psychotherapy as well, either with him/her or with one of his/her psychologist colleagues.

Conversely, you can decide to see a psychologist at any time simply because you feel the need to do so.