Yogesh Gupta
Unlike some popular myths, you don’t need to be crazy, desperate, or break down to seek therapy. Likewise, you also don’t need to talk to a mental health specialist for every minor inconvenience you encounter, especially if you have support from friends and family. So, at what point could you possibly think that it’s time you should see a therapist?
There is a point in everyone’s life where they can benefit from therapy. Some people appear with apparent signs of mental health issues that demand immediate attention. Still, most of the time, people feel blue and cannot figure out the actual reason. So, they march on, try making themselves busy in their life until they realize that they can’t manage these signs and symptoms alone. If you feel that you’re at a similar point in your life, listed below are six signs that you need to see a mental health specialist.
Feeling sad, enraged, or not yourself
Intense sadness, rage, or hopelessness are possible signs of a psychological problem that can get better with proper and timely treatment. If you begin losing interest in fun activities, stop going out with friends or family, or feel dull all the time, you need to talk to someone to help you out before it gets worse. In addition, random and uncontrolled bursts of anger also warrant attention. It is a common sign of the beginning of a much serious problem. In such situations, seeking clinical mental health counseling can help you identify and cope with your concerns and bring you back to your routine. Mental health experts will help you speak up without fear of being judged and suggest a future course of action to help you manage your emotions.
Abusing drugs, alcohol, or sex to cope
Most people choose substance abuse and sexual promiscuity to divert their attention from stress, anxiety, and other forms of trauma. However, these addictions are temporary solutions and merely make matters worse over time. When you are under immense mental stress, you turn towards things that can help you relax and numb to cope with your issues. That’s the reason why people use drugs and sex as coping mechanisms. If the frequency of indulging in such activities increases in your routine, reach out to a therapist ASAP. Addiction exposes you to the risk of developing other chronic conditions that will only make the mental healing process harder for you.
Recurring traumatic experiences
If past traumatic experiences such as physical or sexual abuse keep haunting you, consult a mental health specialist immediately. The sooner you do this, the faster you will be able to develop a proper coping mechanism. Often people are reluctant to share such experiences. However, employing a technique as simple as talk therapy has several benefits. It will help you explore your painful experiences with a professional who can hear you out and suggest ways to deal with these issues. All these conversations are confidential, and you do not have to worry about being judged or feeling embarrassed. After hearing about your trauma, your therapist will help you develop ways to avoid events and situations that trigger your trauma. Also, they can tell you new techniques to break the connections associated with these memories and set you on the path to recovery.
You lose interest in things you like to do
Have you noticed any unusual behavior in you, or do you not like doing things you always enjoyed doing? This is one of the telltale signs of the beginning of depression. The good part is that seeing a therapist can help you quickly bounce back while it’s not too late. Social anxiety and low self-esteem can be two probably cause of losing interest in personal activities. Speaking to a therapist will help you overcome such issues.
Bad work or school performance
Psychological issues also often lead to underperformance at work or school. If you’re experiencing any mental health issues, you are likely to lose attention, memory, focus, and energy. This loss ultimately leads to apathy, which extracts the joy from your work. You will lack interest in your career and make many errors that will result in poor work and academic productivity. It will be risky for yourself as well as for others. For instance, if you are a medical health professional, law enforcement officer, or operate machinery, lack of focus can cause severe damage to others. Seeking timely medical assistance will help you improve your behavior and adopt more effective stress management methods such as relaxation to address underperformance issues.
You are feeling changes in your sleep or appetite
Mental illnesses can powerfully impact your sleep and appetite. However, these signs vary among people and depend on the specific mental health conditions they’re experiencing. The hormonal imbalance can cause patients suffering from anxiety disorder to eat more and sleep for fewer hours. In contrast, individuals suffering from depression can sleep for longer hours. Either way, a change in your eating and sleeping necessitates a visit to a mental health specialist. If the signs are extreme, you might have to take medication to manage them.
Conclusion
Although some severe mental health conditions may require more care and intensive treatment, most people can get help by seeing a therapist. This helps them manage typical signs and symptoms. This article mentioned a few signs that indicate an impending mental health problem. These signs include a change in your emotions, sleep pattern or eating habits, frequent flashbacks to past trauma, a loss of interest in hobbies, underperformance at school or work, etc. If you experience any of these, it’s time to book an appointment with mental health counselor/therapist.
