Most people know the signs of poor mental health, but knowing the signs and doing something about it are two different things. There are lots of things you should do when you notice your mental health deteriorating, but this list is things you shouldn’t be doing…
Ignore The Signs
One of the worse things you can do when you notice your mental health taking a dive is to ignore things. When you get a rash or a bruise, you can hope they will go away with time, but when it comes to mental health it really isn’t that simple and ignoring and waiting for the problems to go away will often lead to things getting much worse.
Panic
While this might seem the opposite of that I have just said, I am talking about full-on panicking and stressing. But having this extreme reaction to the early signs of depression or anxiety will instantly lead to those things becoming more apparent! The key thing is to notice those signs and accept them, rather than letting them control your life.
Keep It To Yourself
Ignoring the signs of poor mental health is one thing, but trying to do it alone is another thing that you really shouldn’t be doing. Even if you don’t have any close friends or family to talk to, you could always use some mental health online resources like 7Cups. If you look hard enough online there is always someone to talk to, especially in Facebook groups.
Self Diagnose and Label
We all know Googling signs of illnesses can result in an echo chamber in which you self-diagnose yourself with an often deadly disease. The same thing happens when you Google the signs of your own mental health problems. It will often lead to you thinking you have bipolar or even psychosis! Don’t label yourself so willingly as it might make you even more depressed and anxious as you read the signs of these labels.
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Self Medicate
When it comes to medication it really is a rocky road with no set path for each person. There is simply no way to self-medicate without it causing more problems than it might solve. Even things like CBT oils have their downsides no matter what people might say. Medication for mental health problems is something only a doctor should be doing no matter how sure you are of the signs you are spotting.
See Therapy As a Last Resort
If you belive therapy is a last resort you might be shooting yourself in the foot. By going to a therapist earlier rather than later could save you time, money and worsening problems with your mental health. Therapy is not for weak people or sad people, it is there for a wide variety of reasons and some people will even go to a therapist when they don’t have mental health problems! These people will often go to keep on top of their mental health before it is broken rather than fixing it afterwards.
Don’t Wallow in Self Pity
This is easier said than done, but it is something you should try not to do. Wallowing in self-pity is sadly one of the first signs of depression, so by trying to pull yourself out of it you might save yourself from further problems down the line. But not being able to pull yourself out doesn’t make you a failure, it just means you need some extra help.
Over Eat-in Compensation
When you are feeling down having some of your favourite foods can often help you feel a little better, but there is a thin line between enjoying the things that make you happy and over-eating. Just keep in mind how you felt the last time you over-ate and it should put you off doing it again.
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Don’t Live in Ignorance
By not knowing the signs of early depression and other mental health problems can cause those things to manifest themselves strong inside of you than people who are more knowledgable to them. This is often because people who know will get help earlier rather than later. Don’t get me wrong. This doesn’t mean you need to become a quality therapist, it just means you need to take note of how you are feeling and how strong those feelings are.
Model Your Situation on Others
When it comes to mental health everyone will react to different things and everyone will show different signs for the same thing. Just because you know a friend who isn’t bothered by exams or a large workload doesn’t mean you can cope with the same things. Things like depression and anxiety manifest themselves in different ways for everyone. The key is knowing those signs and not presuming them worse of them or not overestimating your own strength during stressful situations. You are you and no-one else’s situation and understanding will be quite like yourself. So give yourself a break during times of trouble and let you do you.
