Home » 4 Signs That You Should Seek Professional Therapy From a Psychiatrist

Everybody has good and bad days. Life can present people with uncertainties and stress, which can motivate people to seek help. However, individuals are sometimes unclear as to when they should seek help from a psychiatrist or therapist. But there are signs that can help them make this choice.

When individuals are struggling, good therapy is extremely helpful. The simple ability to share thoughts and feelings in a trusting, safe and non-judgmental setting is beneficial. This act is often empowering and can create positive changes in a person’s life.

However, knowing when to get help is a challenge. But there are some signs the individuals should watch for and recognize. The information below is far from final and is only intended as a general guide to help point people in the right direction.

4 Signs That It May Be Time for Help:

[1] Feeling Off or Not Good on the Inside:

When people experience a mood change that last longer than two weeks, they should consider speaking with a therapist. This new mood shift can create an abrupt change in a person’s behavior. Feelings of sadness or anxiousness can dominate an individual’s thought patterns. These dramatic shifts in mood can also quickly impact long-term relationships.

People’s long-term relationships are influenced by their emotional state. When people feel bad or just “off” over a long enough period-of-time, there personal relationships will likely suffer. They may feel disconnected, isolated or angry at the world around them. These are all behaviors and feelings that connect to the second sign – work.

[2] Difficulties at Work:

Another sign of behavioral health issues is the occurrence of negative events at work. In this case, undiagnosed mental health issues start to interfere with a person’s day-to-day work activities. Signs include difficulty concentrating, trouble managing one’s emotions and a decline in work productivity. Feeling burned out at work is a major symptom of emotion distress which means people have a hard time functioning.

When these behaviors occur at work, people will experience difficulty in operating at normal capacity. Day-to-day work tasks become a challenge, which in the long run puts a person’s career in jeopardy. Unwelcomed thoughts and mental confusion can hurt work relationships and performance, but these are signs of an untreated mental illness.

[3] Abrupt Changes in Body Weight:

Experiencing a sudden and unexplained change in one’s body weight or general health could be a sign that something is wrong. For example, uncontrolled anxiety and stress can generate emotional eating behaviors. Eating excessive amounts of food can provide some temporary relief from emotional stress. In other situations, people may not feel hungry and will actually lose a substantial amount of weight.

Rapid changes in a person’s body weight is not healthy. Overall changes in a person’s physical health could be a sign of a deeper problem. This could be a symptom for mental health conditions such as depression or addiction. Other symptoms may include appearing agitated or have sore hands (OCD).

[4] Irregular Sleep Patterns and Insomnia:

Disrupted sleep or changes in sleep patterns are something that should not be ignored. When people suffer from insomnia and fail to get enough sleep, they will feel exhausted during the day. Feeling tired and having low energy will only compound any pre-existing mental health conditions. Inversely, people may sleep for too many hours and yet still feel exhausted.

In either situation, this is a sign of a more serious health condition. Occurrences like insomnia are sometimes connected to an illness or life event. This type of disrupted sleep is short-term in nature. However, periods of insomnia that last over three weeks are a sign that people should likely seek professional help.

Overcoming the Hesitancy to Seek Treatment:

Another crucial step for people is having the ability to overcome any negative preconceived notions about mental health treatments. There is still some hesitance to seek professional counseling from trained mental health professionals. Due to this fact, it is sometimes difficult for some people to even share their health concerns with friends and family.

People may wait and see if they feel better on their own. This is an understandable approach, but if the previously mentioned signs last for more than two weeks; individuals should seek help from a behavioral health professional.

News stories and social media updates often carry stories of celebrities and their personal struggles with mental health. People should find comfort in the fact that even the wealthy and famous struggle with behavioral health conditions. Celebrities may seem larger than life, but they often have the same problems that regular people face.

Yet even with famous people sharing their mental health struggles, some people still will not seek treatment. Research has found that out of the 60 million people identified as having a mental health disorder, only about 40 percent of this group sought professional help. This resistance to seek mental health treatment is even more profound for older adults and senior citizens.

Individuals need to realize that professional therapists are tremendously helpful for people struggling with negative feelings such as grief, anxiety, loneliness, etc. A good behavioral health professional can help individuals gain perceptive on their personal struggles.

About Our Center:

Emerald Psychiatry & TMS Center provides experienced and caring behavioral health services in Ohio. Their practice treats a wide variety of conditions ranging from depression and anxiety disorders to substance use issues and PTSD. For more information about their center’s behavioral health services and treatment options, reach out to them.

Email them or call them direct at (614) 580-6917.

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Contributor:  ABCS RCM