SHORT ANSWER
Seek help if symptoms last more than two weeks, interfere with school, work or relationships, or there are any thoughts of self-harm — in the last case urgent help is needed now, not "wait and see".
Why is that?
Why exactly two weeks: short-term reactions to stress (loss of a close person, a quarrel, exams) are a normal part of life. In diagnosing mental states, the two-week benchmark helps distinguish an ordinary reaction from a condition that needs treatment: if low mood or anxiety persists longer and does not pass on its own, it is already a reason for a conversation with a specialist.
Why "interference with life" matters: diagnosis considers not only whether symptoms are present but how much they interfere — school, work, relationships, daily functioning. A person may feel "not right" while still coping; help is still appropriate if the state weighs on them and lasts.
Why early contact matters: most conditions respond better to help at early stages. Weeks of waiting usually do not pass "for free" — they entrench symptoms (avoidance, insomnia, isolation) and complicate treatment.
Red flags where you cannot wait: thoughts of self-harm or that life is unbearable; sharp deterioration over days; inability to do basic things (eat, sleep, get to work); using substances "to stop feeling". In these cases — emergency services or the nearest receiving unit.
WHAT TO DO
- Decide who to contact: a primary care doctor, psychiatrist, psychotherapist or clinical psychologist — any of them can be your first point of entry.
- Formulate briefly: what is happening, how long, what interferes. That is enough for a first contact.
- If safety is at risk, do not delay: emergency services handle such situations too.