Life can be difficult, and we all must get over our little humps now and then. As much as we might like to think otherwise, life’s little bumps aren’t reserved for just a few privileged individuals; they indiscriminately come into—and go out of—all our lives. But if you’ve been faced with a challenge that’s just too tough for too long, a professional therapist’s prompt could be just the thing to help you regain your mental equilibrium and refocus for the next stretch of your personal journey.
Here are some surefire signs that it’s time to go find yourself a clinical psychology practice.
- Persistent Anxiety or Overwhelm
When the burdens of life leave you feeling as if you are at your limit, or when you carry around a tight, anxious energy, it just may be a signal that it’s time to seek professional guidance. Anxiety isn’t a one-size-fits-all kind of deal; it shows up in many shapes and forms. The most common are the persistent worrisome thoughts that won’t let go, full-blown panic attacks, or just a general feeling of being on the edge and not quite right that you can’t seem to shake. Whatever your personal flavour of anxiety, you know it can seriously interfere with the everyday life and tasks you need to get through, from work to home to everything in between. If you’re dealing with life changes that have you feeling as if you’re treading water just to stay afloat—like you’ve moved to a new city, become untethered from a significant relationship, or lost someone close to you—those are things a therapist can help you with, too.
- Persistent Feelings of Sadness or Depression
Always feeling down, feeling hollow, or a loss of enthusiasm for things you used to find exciting—these may be signs of depression. If you’re persistently feeling this way, you are not alone; many people have gone through what you are experiencing. The first step to getting better is to understand that what you’re feeling is a medical problem and that help is available. So, what exactly is this thing called depression? When someone is depressed, their brain isn’t working the way it is supposed to. It’s as if the brain has a flat tire and can’t carry out the essential functions that keep it healthy and operable. And no amount of “thinking positive” is going to fix that flat tire. Hearing this may sound a little gloomy, and it’s certainly not a pep talk. But it is what research over many years has uncovered and confirmed about the biology of depression.
- Low Self-Esteem and Identity Issues
Low self-esteem, identity crises, and felt unworthiness can powerfully damage the well-being of individuals at any stage of life but particularly during formative years. Part of the problem is the lack of recognition that these issues are not merely “bad feelings” but are linked to serious mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. And while improvement in these conditions takes time, there are certainly some good, research-supported ways to foster better mental health. One is seeing a therapist. Better mental health is more likely when individuals work with a professional to better understand the real roots of their low self-esteem, poor self-image, and precarious sense of identity. And if harmful ways of coping are being used, the pro will work with the individual to cease those and to find better alternatives.
- Chronic Stress and Its Impact
Stress affects everyone, but when it becomes chronic and unmanageable, it can seep into every facet of life and bring with it various unwelcome guests, like physical health problems, work performance issues, and deteriorating relationships. If you are buckling under the weight of unmanageable stress despite trying a variety of DIY distress tolerance techniques, your best bet may be to book an appointment with a mental health professional. They can help you unpack and figure out the root causes of your stress and assist you in developing and implementing some new, hopefully more effective, coping mechanisms.
- Persistent Negative or Obsessive Thoughts
When your brain insists on replaying certain negative or “what if” thoughts (or even with good “why” questions) in your mind, it’s not your fault or a sign of weakness and definitely not a reflection of a lack of faith. It’s a pretty good sign that you need some help, and that’s okay.