Explore

When self-help isn’t enough

Signs it is time to talk to someone about your mental or physical health, who you can talk to, and how to start the conversation. Education, not diagnosis.

Free — no account needed to read

Learning and practice can support your wellbeing. They don’t replace a professional who can assess what’s going on and offer treatment. Knowing when to reach out is a skill too.

Three different situations

Everyday wellbeing: Ups and downs that come and go: a stressful week, a bad night’s sleep, a low day after bad news, trouble focusing when tired. Learning and practice here are made for this.
Something that may be a condition: When low mood, worry, sleep problems or other difficulties last for weeks, keep coming back, or start to shape your days. Self-help can still help — alongside a professional’s view, not instead of it.
Needs professional support now: When things are severe, getting worse quickly, or you are having thoughts of harming yourself or feel unsafe. This is the time to contact a professional, a helpline or emergency services — today.

Signs it’s time to talk to someone

Any one of these is enough of a reason. You don’t need to be sure it’s serious.

Symptoms like low mood, worry, panic or sleep problems have lasted around two weeks or more.
They are getting in the way of school, work, relationships or looking after yourself.
Things are getting worse, not better, even though you are trying.
You are using alcohol, drugs, gambling, food or your phone to cope and it is taking over.
You are having thoughts of harming yourself, or feel that life isn’t worth living.
You have physical symptoms — chest pain, fainting, big changes in weight or appetite, exhaustion — that haven’t been checked.

Who you can talk to

A doctor or general practitioner: Often the best first step: they can check for physical causes and connect you to other help.
A mental-health professional: Psychologists, counsellors, therapists and psychiatrists — the right one depends on what is going on and what is available where you live.
A helpline: Free, confidential and often available at any hour. findahelpline.com shows the right lines for your country.
If you are young: A parent or guardian, a school or college counsellor, a teacher you trust, or another adult you feel safe with. You don’t have to handle it alone.
At work or university: Many workplaces and universities have confidential support or counselling services.

How to start the conversation

The first sentence is usually the hardest. Something simple works.

“I haven’t been feeling like myself for a few weeks. I’m [sleeping badly / worrying all the time / feeling low most days], and it’s starting to affect [work / school / my relationships]. I’d like some help working out what’s going on.”

What My Full Journey is — and isn’t

It is a place to learn about health and practise skills that support wellbeing. It does not diagnose, it cannot tell you what condition you might have, and it never advises on medication. Your AI companion can talk things through and help you prepare for a conversation, but it is not a therapist and it can’t reach emergency services for you.