The following are some of the symptoms that usually signal the
need for professional counseling. Only a trained professional can
diagnose and determine the treatment needed.
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Crippling or excessive
anxieties (phobias, fears, panic attacks) |
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Marked personality change |
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Prolonged depression and
apathy (a sense of hopelessness, loss of pleasure in life,
helplessness, confusion, or constant frustration) |
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Wide mood swings (extreme
highs and lows) |
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Excessive anger or hostility;
destructive, abusive, or violent behavior |
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Abuse of drugs or alcohol |
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Marked changes in eating or
sleeping patterns |
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Thinking or talking about
suicide |
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A feeling that you’ve lost
control of your life |
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Inability to cope with
problems or daily activities, such as school, job, or
personal needs |
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Sexual problems or abuse |
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Preoccupation with physical
illness |
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Strange or grandiose ideas |
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Problems on the job |
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Overall decline in job
performance |
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Difficulty interacting with
other people (friends, significant other, parents, children,
and co-workers) |
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Post-traumatic stress disorder |
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Denial of obvious problems;
strong resistance to receiving help |
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Seeing or hearing things that
aren’t actually present |
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Suspiciousness or paranoia |
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Extreme jealousy |
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Difficulty with authority |
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Social withdrawal and
isolation |
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Inability to cope with the
loss of a loved one |
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Problems with the law |
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Compulsive behaviors (i.e.,
spending, gambling, overeating) |
