From time to time, we all face challenges in our life, and sometimes they can lead to an imbalance in our mental health. It's very important to address the symptoms as soon as they arise, in order to regain control of our life.
Experiencing one or more of the following feelings or behaviours can be an early warning sign of an issue:
- Eating or sleeping too much or too little.
- Pulling away from people and usual activities.
- Having low or no energy.
- Feeling numb or like nothing matters.
- Having unexplained aches and pains.
- Feeling helpless or hopeless.
- Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual.
- Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared.
- Yelling or fighting with family and friends.
- Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships.
- Having persistent thoughts and memories you can't get out of your head.
- Hearing voices or believing things that are not true.
- Thinking of harming yourself or others.
- Inability to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work or school.
About 1 in 4 adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time. Although this is a common struggle, very few people feel comfortable to open up and share their feelings. In reality, we all have days when we feel overwhelmed, misunderstood or mentally exhausted.
If you, or someone you know is experiencing one or more symptoms from the list above, you need to remember that there is always help that you can access.
We can always seek help from our GP, family or close friends. Many times, just talking about our feelings will be enough to bring us back on track. Neglecting the early signs of mental health disorders can lead to greater struggles in time.