Back to Blog Posts
Despite the surrounding stigmas, seeking professional help does not mean you are mentally incapable or insufficient. The truth is, most people can benefit from seeking professional help at some point in their lives. At the same time, you don't necessarily need to seek professional help for every little struggle life throws your way, especially if you have a healthy support system of family and friends. So, how do you know when you need to seek professional help? Sometimes the signs are apparent, and sometimes you might feel emotionally off and unable to understand why. If you have been ignoring these emotions and trying to endure them, know that you can be creating a more severe problem.
What is Depression?
Depression is a common and serious mental health disorder that negatively affects how you feel, how you think, and how you act. Luckily, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. It can lead to various emotional and physical problems and can decrease your ability to function at work and home.
While you may spot the signs of depression, it can be challenging to know when you need professional help. Fortunately, there are specific signs to help you know if professional services are right for you.
Not Feeling Yourself
A strong emotional sense of sadness, anger, or hopelessness can be signs of an underlying mental health issue. If you have taken to damaging habits such as over-sleeping, eating, or withdrawing from friends and family, you will benefit from reaching out to talk with someone. You might start by reaching out to your support group and expressing how you feel. Sometimes your support group can help you work through whatever you are feeling.
Knowing that there are people who care and support you can not only be comforting but reassuring, and this alone could help you overcome how you are feeling. However, if your emotions are escalating, and you're questioning your self-worth and having thoughts of death or suicide, then this is a sure sign that you need to seek professional help.
Indulging in Negative Behaviors
Self-medicating can become a prevalent problem when using harmful coping mechanisms to combat stress, anxiety, and depression. You might not even notice a budding addiction such as online shopping, gambling, over-eating, or drinking or using drugs. However, this is where you need to be honest with yourself and determine how you control your behaviors. Not managing your impulses can create negative consequences such as perpetuating any underlying disease, disorder, or illness. If you already struggle to control your addictive behaviors, you know that self-medicating is not an option. You need to seek professional help if you are succumbing to these impulses.
You Have Recently Lost Someone Important
While it is never an easy part of life, sometimes we have to say goodbye to a loved one. Especially while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a collective experience of loss worldwide, so whether you lost someone personally or not, you can still be affected by the collective grief. While not everyone needs counseling to cope, there is also no shame in reaching out to a professional to talk about how such loss has impacted your life. If you find it difficult to endure alone and feel as if grief has taken over your overall health and wellbeing, then seeking professional help is the right step for you.
Your grief may also be attached to trauma from the present or past. If you have a history of abuse, neglect, and trauma that you have not fully dealt with, these stored memories and feelings can perpetuate feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression. Sometimes you might not even realize that a traumatic event can affect you so many years later. It not only can affect you but be the motivating factor for your harmful behaviors or any mental health disorders. Talking with a professional to help guide your thoughts can work wonders in helping you find ways to cope and, in some cases, resolve and overcome your trauma.
You Don't Like Doing Things You Enjoy
One of the most significant telltale signs that you should seek professional help is when you lose the ambition to do the things you love. Sometimes painful emotions can keep you from experiencing or wanting to experience joy. However, these feelings will harm your health. Try to look at your day-to-day and determine if you have lost the ambition to participate in activities you enjoy. Of course, there are days when you feel tired and don't want to join in things; however, if this has been persistent over time, then it is a red flag - talking with a professional to find out why is essential to understanding your situation.
Listen to your emotions and monitor your behavior to understand whether you should seek professional help. If you decide to seek help, know that you might not need it for a lifetime; however, it is a vital tool to have, especially if you are trying to sustain recovery. It is always better to pursue professional help than endure how you feel on your own. At START UP Recovery, we provide a comfortable and safe setting to express your thoughts and feelings with others that share your experiences. With us, you'll work on ways that promote personal understanding, inner growth, and potential to achieve your greatest successes. Our professional care team offers a diverse and understanding staff that understands that recovery is not just about treatment but about transformation. Your recovery always comes first, and it all begins with reaching out for help. To learn more, call us at START UP Recovery today at (310) 772-3809.