Feeling ANXIETY is oftentimes a normal and healthy emotion, however, when a person feels excessive nervousness, fear, apprehension, or worry that makes it difficult to function in daily life, chances are this type of anxiety needs professional help to better cope and manage. 

Feeling DEPRESSED is a normal part of life and is the appropriate emotion to feel in expected situations, however, when a person feels excessive sadness, darkness, helplessness, or loss of hope, that makes it difficult to function in daily life, chances are this type of depression needs professional help to better cope and manage. 

Feeling STRESS is a normal part of life and is the appropriate emotion to feel in expected situations, however, when a person feels excessively overwhelmed or stressed to the point that it is difficult to function in daily life, chances are this type of stress needs professional help to better cope and manage.

Experiencing GRIEF when someone dies, moves away, or ends communication can be painful and difficult to manage. When a person is grieving a loss in a way that makes it difficult to function in daily life, chances are this type of grief needs professional help to better cope and manage. 

Feeling MOODY is a normal part of life -especially when hormones, lack of sleep, poor diet, or other factors are taken into consideration, however, when a person feels excessive irritation or uncontrollable and extreme changes in mood that makes it difficult to function in daily life, chances are this type of moodiness needs professional help to better cope and manage.

Feeling ANGER is not always a bad thing, especially when it’s in response to an expected situation (like finding your car damaged in a parking lot by a driver who did not leave their insurance information). Many times, anger is not the issue, but how we respond (what we do) when angry. When a person feels excessive frustration, irritation, or aggression in unexpected situations that makes it difficult to function in daily life, chances are this type of anger needs professional help to better cope and manage.

Feeling HYPERACTIVE can be normal and appropriate at certain times (like while playing sports, or cheering at an event), however, when a person feels excessive energy, difficulty sitting still, focusing, or following directions that makes it difficult to function in daily life, chances are this type of hyperactivity needs professional help to better cope and manage.

Feeling IMPULSIVE can be problematic if one is finding it difficult to consider consequences or avoid poor decisions in the moment. When a person finds this type of behavior pattern is making it difficult to function in daily life, chances are this impulsivity would benefit from professional help to better cope and manage.

Experiencing TRAUMA, a deeply distressing or disturbing experience, can be life changing. When a person begins to think about the trauma excessively, fear or avoid social situations for concerns of what “might happen,” or finds it difficult to manage or function in daily life, chances are this type of trauma needs professional help to better cope and manage.

FRUSTRATION TOLERANCE is a person’s ability to deal with situations, people, or experiences they do not like, find uncomfortable, irritating, or challenging. It is unrealistic to expect a life without stress, frustration, or discomfort. When a person finds it difficult to function in daily life when things do not go their way, chances are their ability to tolerate frustration would benefit from professional help.

PEER RELATIONSHIPS are a necessary and healthy part of life, despite one’s age or culture. Healthy people tend to have healthy relationships with other healthy people. When a person is experiencing challenges with peer relationships that make it difficult to function in daily life, they may benefit from professional help to better process, understand, and improve their peer relationships.

FAMILY CONFLICT can sometimes be normal and healthy (such as getting in trouble with a parent or having a disagreement with a sibling), however, when family members are experiencing danger, concern, or otherwise unhealthy feelings, emotions, or thoughts due to a conflict with a relative that makes it difficult to function in daily life, they may benefit from professional help to better process, understand, and improve or resolve conflicts with relatives.

COPING SKILLS are necessary for healthy living. It is unrealistic to expect a life without problems, stress, frustration, or discomfort. When a person finds it difficult to function in daily life when faced with unavoidable and expected problems in life,  chances are they would benefit from professional help to improve and develop healthy coping skills.

THINKING ERRORs or cognitive distortions are faulty thoughts that are self-defeating and do not match up with reality. Many times we don't realize when we are expressing or experiencing a thinking error. 

Have you ever talked to someone who rationalized something in a way that made you raise an eyebrow, or someone who held strong beliefs that seem skewed or off? Chances are one of you were experiencing a thinking error. 

Learning about the top 12 most common thinking errors, may help you be more aware of faulty thoughts, think about things differently, make better choices, receive corrective feedback more easily, and acknowledge faults more humbly.

When a person has a tendency to display inappropriate behavior or feelings in response to expected situations or has a mostly consistent mood of unhappiness that makes it difficult to function in daily life, chances are professional help will improve how they think, feel, and behave at home, work, or school.

Personality makes one person different from another -our way of thinking, feeling and behaving. Our personality is shaped by our experiences, environment, and family or cultural characteristics. Our personality is not fully developed until we have completed adolescence (after age 18). When a person experiences a pattern of thinking, feeling and behaving that differs from the expected cultural norms making it difficult to function in daily life, they may need professional help.