Mental health professionals don’t just treat illnesses, they work with us to protect and improve our emotional health. Sometimes that does mean treating a condition like depression or an anxiety disorder, but other times it just means helping us get back on track and come up with a plan to improve the way we feel.

Whether we’re struggling with sadness, stress, loneliness, anxiety or anger — when emotions start interfering with our lives, it just makes sense to talk with someone and get our emotional health checked out the same way we would if we were experiencing physical pain.

It’s not unusual for us to feel like treatment won’t work or that a stranger won’t be able to understand our problems. Many of us have felt that and gone on to learn that speaking to a counselor does help, that we aren’t alone in our struggles, and that we can improve the way we feel and our quality of life.

Taking that first step and talking about the our feelings can be hard.  But nothing is harder than holding it all in and struggling in silence. Visit our Find Help Now page for resources that will help you find support on your campus or in your community. If you don’t know where to start, ask a friend or family member to help out. Or call 1-800-273-TALK for confidential guidance on getting help and feeling better.

Check out the Videos page for the real stories of people who have reached out for help and taken control of their emotional health.