10 Signs You May Need To Seek Mental Help

The month of May we recognize Mental Health Awareness. There's a low percentage of people who actually prioritize their mental health. I know in the black community, seeing a therapist and disclosing personal problems is not something that is practiced. Instead we hide and cover up when there is a problem to keep family business in the family. By suppressing mental illness, I think some may think their problems will eventually go away, dismissing a need for help. There is also the stigma which I think is universal, that people perceive a person in therapy for mental illness as a character or personality weakness, indicating someone is mentally incompetent or maybe even dangerous to be around. A person who is mentally ill is also stigmatized my mental illness and may have a fear of being diagnosed with a severe mental disorder that they don't want to acknowledge and accept. As a result of societal stigmas and mental illness insecurities such as these, people aren't getting the help they need to ensure their mental health needs are being met, and to prioritize their overall well being.

Here is a list of ten situations when a person may need to seek help.

1. When you have experienced a trauma. If you have been abused, or were raised in a household where abuse was an every day occurrence, the effects of that abuse are long term and become permeated throughout your entire being. These lasting effects present as trauma and if not dealt with it can be a detriment to your overall well-being and diminishes your quality of life.

2. When you have experienced a loss. Loss is a subjective experience. We might lose a job, a relationship, an opportunity; What the loss means to the idividual is defined by what the loss was attached to. Losing a job may be attached to your financial peace and getting out of debt. Loss of a relationship could be attached to feeling lonely, marital goals, or maybe having a family. Death of a loved one is always hard to accept when the person filled a significant role in your life. Whatever your loss, if the loss is profound and affects your ability to move forward and rise above your loss, you should talk with a therapist or psychologist to help process your feelings and gain understanding for why this loss has impacted your life.

3. When you have a stressful job. I've worked in a law office as a paralegal so I know what it means to have a stressful job. Working as an attorney means having to confront the legal trouble their client has experienced. Family law I think is the worst, because your cases involve people getting divorced, child custody cases, life changes that can be devastating. The client depends on the attorney to fix their legal problems and ensure they prevail. It is imperative that you release the stress from the daily pressure. Attorneys I've worked with usually take up a hobby such as golf, or training for marathons. In the words of Taylor Swift, you've got to "shake it off".

4. When you notice something about yourself that isn't right. You know when something is not right. Maybe you're having trouble sleeping, or maybe your moods have fluctuated or become extreme. You might find it hard to get out of bed every day or you're finding it to be a challenge performing daily activities such as showering, getting dressed, or caring for your children. Your mental health is the essence of your overall well being and is directly correlated to your physical health. Don't ignore your mental health. Find out what is causing your concerns and get help before the problem intensifies.

5. When you are related to or in a relationship with someone who is mentally ill. If you are in a relationship with someone who is mentally ill you should talk to a professional for guidance on how to interact with someone who is mentally ill to protect yourself and to learn how to be supportive to someone who is struggling with mental illness.

6. When you struggle performing daily activities such as showering, dressing, going to work, or caring for your children. When doing basic daily activities become challenging and struggling with these daily activities is prolonged for more than a few days. It's normal to have bad days, and to lack motivation at times, but you always want to monitor yourself and make sure that you're not falling into depression.

7. When you've been in an abusive relationship. The end of an abusive relationship leaves you as a shell of your former self. The abuser takes so much away from your self-esteem, your personality, and a relationship with an abuser is exhausting. You may need therapy to help you erase the damage of the abuser who devalued you and separated you from the things you enjoy, the things that make you who you are. Talking with a therapist will help you regain your sense of self. egardless of whether the abuse is physical or verbal, they both hurt the same. Verbal abuse tends to hurt more and leaves invisible scars that require more mental and emotional healing that is only achieved over time.

8. When you have been in a relationship with a narcissist. Having a narcissist in your life is one of the worst things that could ever happen to you. Narcissist relationships are very complicated and their actions towards you can be diabolical, causing you to lose your self-worth, your identity, and can isolate you from others, including yourself. Narcissists lack empathy, are unable to love authentically, and are not likely going to change. This is why narcissist experts say going no contact is the best way to find resolution in a narcissist relationship, unless kids or family are involved. If going no contact with the narcissist means going no contact with the family, it may be necessary to do so, but a difficult decision to make as well as maintain but it is imperative that you put your mental health and well-being before your family. If you're co-parenting with a narcissist, boundaries still must be set, when going no contact is not an option. It is also recommended that when seeking a therapist for narcissist abuse, you should seek someone who specializes in narcissist abuse and understands narcissist personality disorder and that a narcissist relationship must be treated unlike any other relationship.

9. When you are elderly living alone feeling lonely. This could be a difficult time in an elderly person's life. When your spouse, siblings and friends have died and you're living alone, this could leave an elderly person to feel lonely, empty, and even unloved. We can't forget about the elderly. We're all going to be elderly one day, if God blesses us with life long enough to see it.

10. When you are elderly and fear dying. When an elderly person has lived a full life and are no longer able to do the things they used to do, this doesn't mean they are ready to die. Fear of death is a real fear. A fear that I've had myself and I'm in my fifties. This is when a person needs someone to talk to about their fears so they can receive comfort. Make sure your elderly are being cared for. When we observe National Take A Loved One To The Doctor Day, (third Tuesday in September) not only think of a person's physical health, but also take them to a doctor for their mental and emotional health. Having good mental health coorelates to having good physical health, which can improve a person's whole well-being.