May is Mental Health Awareness month..
...and a great time to ask yourself: am I taking care of my mental health? And truly, any month and any day is a good day to take care of your mental health. Chances are that most of us could improve the way that we’re caring for ourselves and others. As critical as this may be to our holistic well-being, there are several reasons why many choose to sweep this matter under the rug. In my studies of mental health over many years, some perspectives shared with me where, “I don’t really need help, I’m just going through some things…” or, “It’s nothing I want to talk about right now”, or “I’m just feeling a little down today, ‘it’ will go away”! Sadly, most times, these offered responses are inaccurate, and those uttering them may be choosing to be misleading - which can be dangerous!
As a former counselor and college administrator who served in student services, I must warn you about not addressing mental health conditions in a timely manner. Left unaddressed, symptoms of poor mental health can show up as an unexplained physical ailment.
The common ones are:
Persistent stomach pain
Back pain
Headaches
I want to also caution you against self-diagnosing based on this notion. It is important to note that temporary bouts of these conditions may be caused for other medical factors, but it is in your best interest to acknowledge that you’re experiencing them. Without delay, your second step would be to discuss them with your primary care physician allowing them to rule out any psychological causes for experiencing them.
In addition to these and many other physical symptoms, The Mayo Clinic points out these other signs that may indicate you’re having a mental health crisis (retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org )
- You have been feeling “down” for some time
- You’re feeling confused in your thought processes
- You’re not able to focus nor maintain concentration on a task
- You’re experiencing excessive feelings of fears or worries
- You’re experiencing extreme mood changes
- You’re experiencing extreme feelings of varying situational guilt
- There has been a significant change in your sex drive
- You’re withdrawing from friends and activities
- You’re feeling significantly more tired than usual
- Not been feeling very energetic, for an extended period of time
- Having problems sleeping
- Feeling detached from day-to-day living
- Feeling very paranoid about the intentions of typically trusted persons
- Abusing or self-medicating with drugs or alcohol
- You’re having outbursts of anger that seem to come from nowhere
- You’re feeling hostile and argumentative toward friends and loved ones that quickly escalates to physical violence
- You’ve experienced suicidal ideation – thinking frequently about the possibility of committing suicide, possibly also progressing to researching, planning and rehearsing
If you’ve ever experienced any of these symptoms or behaviors please know that you deserve to be well, and you're not alone in your journey to get well. You deserve to be happy. You have many options to receive the help that you need. You will benefit from discussing any related, current or past experiences with your primary care physician, who can in turn, connect you to a psychologist or therapist.
If you know someone who is displaying any of the above signs mentioned here, or has experienced any of these behaviors, please feel encouraged to approach them respectfully and compassionately. Encourage them to seek the assistance they need as soon as possible. You could be saving a life.
There are numerous regional and national resources to help you or a loved one navigate available options as you begin the healing process.
Note a few national resources:
1. SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration) National
Helpline - https://www.samhsa.gov
2. Mayo Clinic - https://www.mayoclinic.org
3. NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
Helpline - https://www.nami.org/help
4. Anxiety and Depression Association of America - https://www.adaa.org
5. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. 800-273-TALK (8255), contact
the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741
Choose wellness. Choose happiness. Choose life.
Coach Mandy S.
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