When You Might Need Mental Health Help

Your mental health is critical for your overall well-being. Knowing the signs of mental health issues allows you to take action early and prevent severe problems by seeking intervention. Mental health help is only a call away.

The Signs That Your Mental Health Is Declining

You may have noticed little signs and worried about your mental health. People experience the ups and downs of life and may go through small bouts of feeling blue, anxious, unable to focus, or waking up in the middle of the night. Typically, these are temporary issues resulting from stress or major life events.

However, when the symptoms last more than two weeks and interfere with your daily activities and relationships, you may need mental health help. The following is a list of signs that your mental health may be declining and you need help.

Feeling Numb, Empty, or Persistently Sad for More Than Two Weeks

Feeling persistent sadness, emptiness, numbness, or hopelessness for more than two weeks could be a sign of depression. It feels like a dark cloud settles over you and makes you believe that it will never go away, but depression is treatable.

Feeling Anxious or Having Panic Attacks

Stress and anxiety go hand in hand. Anxious thoughts, even subconscious ones, can lead to panic attacks. Panic attacks come on suddenly, and can feel like a heart attack to some. The symptoms of a panic attack include shortness of breath, chest tightness, trouble swallowing, numbness or tingling in the arms and hands, and feelings of dread or doom.

Experiencing Mood Swings

An increased prevalence of mood swings and irritability could mean that something is wrong. Often, hormone fluctuations can influence mood changes, but several mental conditions are marked by sudden outbursts, trouble controlling anger, and severe mood swings.

Trouble Concentrating on Tasks

If you have noticed an increased frequency of being unable to concentrate on tasks or focus at work, you might need to seek mental health help. Although stress and hormones can trigger brain fog, trouble concentrating can affect work and relationships. Being unable to focus, combined with other symptoms, is a hallmark of certain mental conditions.

Sleeping Excessively or Experiencing Insomnia

Sleeping too much or too little, waking up in the middle of the night unable to fall back to sleep, or trouble falling asleep at all could signal a mental health decline. Sleep is essential for brain recovery and repair. Sleeping excessively or suffering from insomnia can worsen anxiety and depression symptoms.

Withdrawing From Friends and Pleasurable Activities

Withdrawing from social interactions, friends, and losing interest in pleasurable activities is common with many mental conditions. It feels like it takes too much effort to socialize, or like you are pretending by wearing a smile. Often, this is seen in depression and requires mental health help.

Feeling Confused or Forgetful

Cognitive issues are often common in mental health decline. Feeling confused or forgetful can be scary. Leaving things where they don’t belong, losing important items, and not knowing why you came into a room or where you are while driving can create panic. Consult with your physician and work with a counselor if you feel that confusion has escalated.

Changes in Appetite

Changes in appetite or rapid weight gain or loss could indicate that something is wrong. Mental conditions can create an imbalance in the levels of the hunger hormones ghrelin and leptin. Disordered eating patterns can also develop. The top two eating disorders, anorexia nervosa and bulimia, can be fatal if left untreated.

Neglecting Appearance and Personal Hygiene

Not feeling like showering or bathing, grooming oneself, or caring for the body and clothes because it feels like it takes too much effort is a sign of depression and other mental conditions. Seek help if you are neglecting your appearance and personal hygiene or neglecting the needs of your children.

Experiencing Delusions or Hallucinations

Several mental conditions are known for their moderate to severe symptoms. Experiencing delusions or hallucinations at any time warrants a call to a counselor. Losing touch with reality leads to issues at work, home, and in your relationships. Early detection, intervention, and treatment can help manage symptoms.

Having Suicidal Ideations

Intrusive thoughts, self-harm, and suicidal ideation require immediate help. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, seek mental health help right away.

Mental Health Help

Mental health help is accessible to everyone. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with a Christian counselor. Early intervention and treatment can alleviate symptoms and help you gain control, breaking free from mental disorders while drawing closer to God. Your counselor will use evidence-based methods combined with Biblical principles for a more profound healing. Call us today for an assessment.