Mental health conditions affect millions of Americans each year. According to the CDC, more than 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience a mental illness every year, and 1 in 25 deal with a severe mental health condition.[1]
When your mental health begins to impact your everyday life negatively, it’s time to start thinking about attending treatment. While outpatient therapy can help you learn to manage your symptoms, sometimes inpatient treatment is necessary. Being aware of the signs that you need professional mental health treatment will help you determine whether it’s time to seek help.
If you have experienced marked changes in your thoughts and moods, are having a hard time coping with everyday situations, or are experiencing extreme feelings, you might require treatment. Even further, symptoms like social isolation, changes in sleeping or eating patterns, and suicidal thoughts or self-harm indicate that you need professional help as soon as possible.
In this article, you will learn:
- 7 signs that you need mental health treatment
- When to seek help for mental health
- How mental health treatment will help you regain control over your life
7 Signs That You Need Professional Mental Health Help
Mental health treatment centers provide care from a variety of professionals, including clinical social workers, nurse practitioners, psychiatric nurses, licensed professional counselors, and more. Your primary care doctor can refer you to a mental health center that suits your specific needs. These programs include various mental health services like individual therapy, group counseling, medication management, and a community of peer support.
If you are struggling to determine whether you need professional mental health care, there are some signs to watch out for. The top seven signs that indicate you need mental health treatment include:
1. Changes in Thoughts or Mood
If you have recently noticed that your thought patterns and moods have changed, you might be struggling with a mental health disorder. For example, early signs of a mental health issue could include feeling worried, afraid, sad, or down.[2] You could also experience feelings of anger, irritation, or extreme mood swings.
In addition, if you are having a hard time organizing your thoughts, thinking about things that are not real, having paranoid ideations, or thinking about harming yourself, you should seek mental health treatment.
2. Having Difficulty Coping
If you are dealing with stress or anxiety that is impacting your ability to cope in your daily life, you should seek mental health treatment. For example, you might become so stressed that you feel like you cannot clean your home, feed yourself, or complete tasks like grocery shopping, caring for your family, or even taking a shower.
When your emotions cause a breakdown in your ability to cope with everyday tasks, receiving mental health care is necessary.
3. Experiencing Extreme Feelings
Different types of mental health conditions may cause varying symptoms. Some illnesses like bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder cause you to experience extreme emotions. If you notice that you are experiencing frequent mood swings that go from depressed moods and low energy to elation, euphoria, or extreme anger, you might need help from a mental health professional.
4. Social Isolation
When you are struggling with a mental health condition, it is common to begin isolating yourself from friends and family members. Isolating from your loved ones can be a sign of severe anxiety, depression, and a host of other mental illnesses. Unfortunately, the longer you remain isolated, the worse your symptoms will become.
Mental health treatment can help you address the root causes of your isolation and provide you with a community where you feel comfortable opening up. You will participate in group therapy sessions that help you learn how to communicate your needs to others and set healthy boundaries.
5. Behavioral Changes
When mental health becomes severe, it can lead to a host of behavioral changes. For example, if you are struggling with depression, you might begin to have a hard time keeping up with personal hygiene. This can look like not having enough energy to take a shower, brush your hair, or care for your teeth.
Other mental health conditions like bipolar disorder can lead to behavioral changes like disrupted patterns of sleeping or eating. During a manic episode, you might not feel a need to sleep and eat less food than you should. Thankfully, mental health programs can prescribe medication and provide therapy that helps you avoid negative behavioral changes.
6. Self-harm or Suicidal Thoughts
If you begin to start harming yourself or thinking about suicide, you should seek mental health treatment as soon as possible. Actions like cutting, burning, or excessive washing are signs that you have a significant mental health problem that needs to be addressed. Additionally, suicidal thoughts can quickly develop into actions, putting your life at risk without treatment.
Over 49,000 people died by suicide in 2022, which is equivalent to one person every 11 minutes.[3] You should never delay getting help when you begin to experience self-harming behaviors or suicidal thoughts.
7. Signs of Psychosis
Psychosis is a mental health issue that causes detachment from reality, delusional thinking, disorganized speech, and hallucinations.[4] It can be extremely dangerous, as many people with psychosis are at risk of harming themselves. If you begin to experience magical thinking, paranoid thoughts, trouble sleeping, and hallucinations, you should seek professional mental health treatment for psychosis.
Find Treatment for Mental Health Today
If you or a loved one is experiencing the signs of a mental health condition, it’s time to seek help. Your health insurance company will cover professional treatment for mental illness, which means concerns about the cost should never prevent you from getting the support you need.
At Agape Behavioral Health, we offer individualized treatment plans that focus on the specific mental health issue you are struggling with. All of the services we offer you will be based on your needs. Contact us today for more information on our mental health treatment center.
References:
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): About Mental Health
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Signs of needing help for mental health, drugs, and alcohol
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Suicide Data and Statistics
- The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Understanding Psychosis
