With mental health being so diverse, it can be difficult to know when we may need to get help. It’s easy to determine going to the doctor is necessary with an illness or issues, but many times detecting mental health issues or emotional issues can be much more difficult. Emotional issues typically occur over time. Since you can’t see an emotional issue, many have the belief they will “tough it out” until the situation gets better. It would be a good plan if it worked, but often people get used to living their lives with their mental and emotional health causing ongoing issues in their daily life.
Ongoing feelings of unhappiness, lack of energy, lack of motivation, consistent anger or sadness are just a few examples of issues people may face when they do not work on improving their mental and emotional health. Most people would not skip going to doctor to get a broken arm treated, but many people skip going to a counselor to address their emotional and mental health issues.
The more we study and understand people, the more we are coming to understand that healing is available to those with mental and emotional needs. A large piece in helping people achieve a more satisfying life for themselves is to work on improving or healing these situations.
It is not always about the situation you are in, but how you feel in it. If the below list fits your situation, seeking a counselor would be a good next step.
When should I consider seeing a counselor?
- If you have been experiencing unhappiness in your life for several months.
- If you have ongoing feelings of sadness, anger, being upset, agitation, helplessness, or fear for several months.
- If you have had low energy or motivation for several months.
- If stress and feelings of being overwhelmed have persisted for several months and they are not decreasing.
- If you feel you are not able to overcome some of the challenges in your life.
- If your memory or attention has been causing noticeable impacts on your day-to-day life.
- If you are experiencing ongoing issues with substances, gambling, sex, or any other type of addiction.
- If someone close to you has passed and grieving has lasted more than a few months.
- If there is ongoing or increasing conflict in your family.
- If you have ongoing negative thoughts about yourself or continually “put yourself down”.
This list is by no means a complete, but is does include common situations. Seeking a counselor typically is after an individual has been experiencing one of these items for several months. Especially if it is causing daily life disruptions or has negatively impacted overall life satisfaction. If you feel any of these apply to you, it would be a good idea to start seeing a counselor even if it is only for a “check up”. Overall, how you feel about your life and your happiness are extremely important to your health and life long happiness.