You're reading a psychiatrist's website. That's a reasonable thing to be doing.

I can't switch my brain off at night.

I hear this often. Do you also experience any of these?

• Lying awake going over the day, or tomorrow
• Waking at 3 or 4 a.m. and not getting back to sleep
• A racing heart or tight chest for no clear reason
• Worrying about things before they happen
• Feeling tired but wired through the day

Everything's fine on paper and I don't feel anything.

I hear this often. Do you also experience any of these?

• Things you used to enjoy feel flat
• Sleeping much more, or much less, than usual
• Finding it hard to get out of bed or start the day
• Eating more or less than you used to
• Going through the motions with people you love

I keep snapping at the people I love.

I hear this often. Do you also experience any of these?

• A short fuse over small things
• Feeling exhausted even after a day off
• Dreading work, or the day ahead
• Headaches, a clenched jaw or a stiff neck
• Pulling away from friends and family

Some weeks I'm unstoppable. Then I crash.

I hear this often. Do you also experience any of these?

• Needing very little sleep and not feeling tired
• Racing thoughts, talking fast, many plans at once
• Spending or taking risks you later regret
• Weeks of low mood that follow
• People around you noticing the change before you do

Since the baby, I don't recognise myself.

I hear this often. Do you also experience any of these?

• Feeling low, tearful or numb most days
• Constant worry about the baby's safety
• Frightening thoughts that won't go away
• Not sleeping even when the baby sleeps
• Feeling cut off from your baby, or from yourself

My mother is forgetting things and we're scared.

I hear this often. Have you also noticed any of these?

• Asking the same questions again and again
• Getting lost in familiar places
• Trouble with money, bills or medicines
• Changes in mood or personality
• Misplacing things and blaming others

The same thing keeps going wrong in every relationship.

I hear this often. Do you also experience any of these?

• Relationships that swing between very close and very distant
• A strong fear of being left
• Moods that shift quickly with what's happening around you
• Acting on impulse, then regretting it
• Not being sure who you really are

We're worried about our child.

I hear this often. Have you also noticed any of these?

• Big changes in mood, sleep or appetite
• Falling behind at school, or refusing to go
• Trouble sitting still or paying attention, well beyond their age
• Anger or tantrums that feel out of proportion
• Pulling away from friends, or living on a screen

Someone at home isn't themselves, and it's frightening.

I hear this often. Have you also noticed any of these?

• Hearing or seeing things others can't
• Believing people are watching them or plotting against them
• Talking or laughing to themselves
• Speech that's hard to follow
• Stopping eating, washing or sleeping properly

If they won't come in yet, you can come first and talk it through.

I've tried to cut down on drinking, and I can't.

I hear this often. Do you also experience any of these?

• Needing more to get the same effect
• Feeling shaky, sweaty or restless without it
• Hiding how much you use
• Promises to yourself or your family that don't hold
• The same pattern with pills, cannabis or other drugs

I know it makes no sense, but I have to check again.

I hear this often. Do you also experience any of these?

• Checking locks, the gas or switches over and over
• Washing your hands until they're sore
• Unwanted thoughts that upset you and won't leave
• Needing things done in an exact way or order
• Losing hours of the day to it

I'm not sure this is bad enough to see someone.

It's a fair question. It's worth coming in if:

• It's been going on for more than two weeks
• It's getting in the way of work, study or family
• Someone close to you has mentioned it
• You've been leaning on alcohol, pills or your phone to cope
• You'd simply like someone to talk it through with

If any of these sound like you, it's reason enough. That's what the first visit is for.