Since we all have problems, it's sometimes difficult to know when professional help should be looked for. Two general guidelines are key to answering the "when" question:

If the intensity of our feelings is so great that we seem overwhelmed and unable to function adequately, we probably need help.

For example, some people fall into depressions which lead to a withdrawal from normal living—they can't sleep (or sleep too much), lose their appetites (or stuff themselves compulsively), are no longer interested in social activities, don't want to talk and are more miserable than being just "down in the dumps" would explain.

If the duration of our unwanted feelings is unacceptably long, we probably need help.

For example, it is certainly normal and healthy to grieve when a loved one leaves us (death, divorce, etc.). However, if grief lasts too long (perhaps for years) and robs us of the life we should be living, immersing us in despondency that's unending, we need help.