When it comes to mental health care, seeking professional help doesn’t always mean there’s something wrong with you. Even healthy people need psychological assessment to help them maintain their mental wellbeing. But, what are the signs that you already need to seek professional help?

In this post, you’ll learn the signs that would warrant the help of a mental health expert.

1. Extreme Sadness Or Anger

Uncontrollable sadness or anger can ruin a person’s mental health. These emotional states can be due to a lot of factors, such as financial problems, pressure at work, or relationship issues. These can lead to hopelessness and depression, and, worse, to schizophrenia or death due to suicide. Before your condition escalates, it’s crucial to see a psychologist.

Here are treatments for extreme sadness or anger that a psychologist may recommend to you:

  • Anger Management: A psychologist can help you manage your anger by teaching effective tips and techniques, such as stopping angry thoughts, deep breathing when you feel angry, repeating a calm word, or trying positive self-talk.
  • Group Therapy: This form of psychotherapy involves therapists working with a group of people, which takes place in a mental health clinic, community center, or hospital.
  • Medication: A psychologist can prescribe anti-depressant drugs, like fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), and citalopram (Celexa), to help in managing the depressive signs and symptoms.

2. Engages In Substance Abuse

Alcoholism or drug abuse should prompt you to seek psychological counseling and rehabilitation. Also, sexual deviation or too much sex and overeating can be a manifestation of a major psychological problem.

Compulsive and addictive behavior requires treatment, including the following:

  • Detoxification: Detoxification or detoxication refers to the medicinal or physiological removal of toxic substances or cleansing the blood carried out by the liver. It is done to manage signs and symptoms of substance abuse.
  • In-patient Rehabilitation: Aside from detoxification, treatment for drug abuse also includes anti-depressant medication, group therapy, spiritual counseling, and general counseling.

3. Grieving

Grief is a normal process one goes through if you lose somebody you love. Without a good support system, it’s essential to seek an expert’s help. Don’t hesitate to visit a psychologist so you can be guided accordingly on how to go about the process of each stage of grief.

According to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, there are five stages of grief, including the following:

  • Denial (isolation)
  • Anger (burst of energy and pain)
  • Bargaining (“if only” statements)
  • Depression (sadness and regret)
  • Acceptance

Note: As contrary to what most people know, these stages don’t necessarily mean that you have to undergo each stage in order. While some people seem to get over with grief easily, others burst in tears and choose to be alone most of the time.

4. Loss Of Interest And Self-blame

Like death, breaking up with your boyfriend, divorcing your partner, losing your position in the company, losing a job, or sudden or unexpected financial problems can be a source of major health issues. These problems may cause your mental state to become unstable.

Losses can lead to loss of interest and self-blame. These signs can be accompanied by a constant flow of thoughts, insomnia, intense anger, and depression. There are many types of depression. If you experience extreme sadness, mood swings, loss of appetite or overeating, sleeplessness, and uncontrollable anger for more than two weeks, then there’s a high chance that you have depression.

5. Neglected Grooming And Nutrition

When going through something, you might neglect grooming, preparing meals, or eating nutritious food. That’s why if these actions have been ongoing for more than two weeks, you have to seek professional help because you’re probably suffering from major depression.

The National Institute of Mental Health or NIMH reports that about seven percent of the American adult population has a major depressive disorder.

Here are some of the manifestations of major depression:

  • Weariness: Decreased energy or sleeping problems
  • Weight Loss Or Gain Due To Appetite Changes: Noticeable weight decrease or increase of 10 pounds
  • Worrisome Thoughts: Recurring thoughts of death or suicide
  • Physical Manifestations: Digestive problems or unexplained headache
  • Cognitive Problems: Difficulty concentrating or poor memory
  • Depressed Mood: Irritable or feels sad most of the time

Conclusion

The above signs and symptoms should prompt you to consult a mental health expert immediately. Extreme sadness, stress, and anxiety can lead to depression. Also, losing a loved one or a job or relationship problems can cause negative impacts on your mental health. A psychologist and psychiatrist can evaluate your mental health to ensure that proper treatment will be provided.