When it comes to questions of self-care and health, a lot of people don’t like the idea of seeking help for many reasons. Often, they’re afraid of what they might learn. That can certainly be the case for our mental health, as well. Although the stigma has largely been lifted over the past few decades, there are still concerns about mental health that can make us delay taking the approach that we need. Here, we’re going to look at how you can recognize when it’s time to get the help that you need, and the options available to help you do it.
Everyone gets stressed at some point or another. The experience of getting stressed, alone, is not something to be overly worried about. Stress is a natural reaction to being put in stressful situations, whether they are demanding, frightening, draining, or otherwise. Usually, however, taking a moment to calm down or having a mental health break should be enough to help you get things back to an even keel, especially if the source of stress is already gone. If there is no remaining source of stress to concern yourself with, however, and you’re still feeling those same symptoms, then it might be a case of anxiety or a stress disorder that is worth taking the time to treat. There are several effective meditations for stress disorders available.
There are various different ways that mental illness can make us feel. However, not everyone’s experience of mental illness is going to be the same as someone else’s. For instance, for some people, depression can make them feel very worried, sad, or down, but for others, it can feel like an absence of feelings, just low and tired energy that’s with them through the day. Some people can find that they get angry or irritated a lot more easily than usual. Others find that their moods swing from high to low. Any of these mental changes are likely to be the signs of mood disorders, meaning that they can be treated.
Insomnia and other issues with sleep can happen for a wide variety of reasons. Taking actions to improve your bed, how you sleep physically, and your sleep environment can help. However, if that doesn’t do the trick and you’re experiencing any of the other signs above, then it could be a sign that there is something worth addressing in your mental health. Anxiety and stress are often tied to sleeplessness, as the stress hormone cortisol makes it difficult to get to sleep as we might feel extra alert and tense, but poor sleep also makes it harder for the body to regulate cortisol, creating something of a self-fulfilling loop. Treating stress can help you sleep better at night.
Big changes in appetite and, as a result, your weight, could be an indication that there have been changes to your mental health. Of course, there are plenty of non-mental health reasons that our weight and eating habits can fluctuate, from habit to health changes, with issues like hyperthyroidism being more common in women. If there is no discernable physical cause, then it might be your mental health that is at the cause. Stress eating is not just a stereotype, it is a very widely recognized phenomenon. Eating is one of the many stress-coping mechanisms that we might develop when we’re having a hard time, lately, and it can lead to serious health consequences if allowed to get out of control.
Eating is not the only coping mechanism we can use to deal with stress, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. There are others that are significantly more harmful, both to us and those around us. Addiction is perhaps the most dangerous of all. Recreational or medical use of alcohol or other controlled substances can lead to a dependency developing, and the ensuing addiction can have life-changing effects. If you’re worried that you might be showing the signs of a growing addiction, then finding a rehab center near you to help you get off of it might be the best first step to take. Ongoing treatment such as with a dual-diagnosis service is likely to help more in the long term, but immediate options to help cut you off can stop addiction’s influence from growing even stronger in your life.
Another coping mechanism often used to get some relief from overbearing emotions is self-harm. Any form of causing yourself pain on purpose counts as self-harm, it’s not just cutting, as some people might think. Self-harm is not necessarily a mental health condition in and of itself, but it could be an indicator of deeper issues that you may need to develop better-coping mechanisms to handle. It’s often done to stimulate endorphins, which can create a rush that can distract from other, more painful, or traumatic emotions and thoughts. However, self-harm is dangerous, not just for the potential of unforeseen health consequences, but because it can get in the way of healthier coping mechanisms that can improve your mental well-being.
There is often confusion between self-harm and the desire to do serious, lasting damage to oneself, such as with suicidal ideation. In most cases, self-harm is a form of coping mechanism and, while serious and worth addressing, it is not quite the same level of mental health crisis as suicidal thoughts. Suicidal thoughts can range from the occasional moment of simply wondering what it would be like, to thinking out how you might carry out those plans. No matter what kind of suicidal ideation you’re dealing with, it’s a serious matter, and worth calling the right hotline to get directions on how to get the help that you need, and to reach out for real support.
As mentioned, your mental health can influence your physical health, such as through how you sleep and how you eat. Similarly, the fatigue and low energy that can come from issues like depression are another example. But there are many well beyond this. Physical side effects such as sweating, changes in your heart rate, dizziness, issues with digestion, and headaches can all be tied to mental health. Stress can even cause and exacerbate musculoskeletal issues, such as a sore back. If you can’t find a physical cause for issues your body is dealing with, then you should not dismiss the possibility that your mental health might be a contributing factor, as well.
Trauma is often underestimated in just how far-reaching an effect it can have on our lives and mental health. Traumatic events that happened years ago can suddenly feel as if they are happening to you, right now. While some people do move past their trauma, others can feel stuck in it, like they are reliving it, or have images and memories of it branded in their brains. It is often trauma that can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms. Instead, consider seeking professional help, finding someone to talk to, and getting an official diagnosis of PTSD, so that you can begin to take steps to address it completely.
There are a lot of reasons that our standards of self-care can drop, over time. However, any major changes in behavior, linked to any of the other symptoms above, can be a sign of a need for some deeper level of help. If you’re not showering, brushing your teeth, or taking care of yourself as you used to, if you’re not cleaning your home and the spaces you spend time in, or if you’re skipping doctor’s visits even when they used to be routine, then it might be due to a decrease in mental health. Issues like depression and anxiety can create a sort of mental barrier that makes you unwilling or even afraid to address the daily needs of life, which can lead to the deterioration of your physical condition, as well.
Isolation is a modern health crisis and, ironically, you’re not the only one experiencing it. Modern life has made it harder to find community, and these feelings of isolation and loneliness are not only difficult to go through, but they can have long-lasting impacts on our mental health and even our cognitive health, with known links between loneliness in old age, and dementia. Finding hobby groups and other people to start hanging out with can greatly help, but it’s worth noting that isolation is also often a symptom of issues such as depression, and that further help may be needed with it.
Dealing with issues of mental health requires tact, so it’s understandable if you want to wait to make sure that you find the right help. The tips above should help you do that.
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