Stress is not an illness. It is a normal response to load: it helps you gather yourself before an exam or a deadline, and it passes when the situation changes. The question is not whether you have stress, but whether you recover from it.
Signs worth watching: sleep does not return to normal for weeks; you wake up already tired; small things irritate you more than usual; interest in what used to bring joy fades; concentration becomes difficult; headaches or heaviness in the body appear without a clear cause.
One sign stands apart — avoidance. When someone stops calling friends, postpones conversations and replaces "now" with "later", it is often not laziness but an attempt to reduce a load that has become too heavy.
Talking to a specialist does not require a "serious enough reason". It is enough that the state you are in gets in the way of living. A psychologist does not diagnose or prescribe — a doctor does that — but the conversation itself helps break the situation into parts.
A useful question for tonight. What has changed in my sleep, appetite or mood over the past month?
When help is urgent. If thoughts of harming yourself appear, do not stay alone with them: call someone close to you or the emergency service on 112. If life is at risk, call 103.