First off it’s very important that if any of these warning signs arise that we tackled any or all of them as quickly as possible. You should see your GP for help in the first instance. Your doctor can run numerous tests to rule out any medical conditions and can refer you to a specialist. You can also at any stage self refer to a private therapist.
It’s Important To Seek Help Sooner Rather Than Later.
If you notice these in a loved one encourage them to see their GP. Unfortunately if they are unreceptive there is little you can do. You can of course phone their doctor and raise your concerns. The doctor will not discuss the patient with you but will take note of your concerns.
Being supportive and an ear to listen is equally important. But you should also watch your own mental and physical health while supporting someone. Especially if they have escalated into more serious conditions such as addictions. Never try to tackle these on your own, you do need professional support.
The warning signs are in no particular order. They may come together or on their own. All of them can become more serious conditions very quickly if left untreated. So getting help as early as possible is extremely important and makes treatment more simple and quicker.
We can all let some of these slip at the beginning, especially if we are under a lot of stress. We might think it’s okay to do so as stress can creep up on us so easily. We usually ignore some of these warning signs until they become a far bigger problem. You would be surprised at how quickly they can escalate and cause more serious difficulties for our mental and physical health.
The 8 Warning Signs.
1. Sleep Issues
Most mental health conditions has sleep problems listed as one of their symptoms. In Ireland sleep issues are one of the largest problems adults have, with around 60% of adults not getting enough sleep. In fact, there are over 80 described sleep disorders and around 1 in 5 road deaths occur due to sleep deprivation (source: RSA). It has been classed as worse than alcohol when it comes to road accidents.
There are multiple reasons for the lack of sleep or sleep problems these include:
- Stress
- Financial pressures
- Overuse of technology
- Pain
- Parenting
- Pregnancy
- Work-related pressures
- College or school pressures
- Disability
- Mental health issues
This long list is not complete by no means. There could be any number of factors which can contribute to any sleep difficulties that might arise for an individual.
The effects of sleep deprivation on the mind and body are well researched and documented. They include higher risks in developing physical and mental health conditions. With enough deprivation of sleep your body, in effect, will enter what is called crisis mode. So it’s survival time as far as messages to the brain goes at this stage.
Other problems that arise for our mental and physical health can include, but not limited to:
- Blood pressure and heart rate increase putting you at greater risk of heart attacks and stroke.
- Endocrine and metabolic rates decline. A whole host of mental and physical issues arise when this happens.
- Higher risk of type 2 diabetes as it increases levels of ghrelin hormone (hunger hormone) so you’ll crave carbs, sugar, etc.
- Stress and anxiety levels increase due to increase in cortisol levels.
- Anger levels increase. So you’ll snap at colleagues, family members, and your children more often and for very little reason.
- Negative moods increase also. So you are more likely to develop depression, etc.
- Mid-afternoon slumps and dips will increase, so you’ll crave caffeine.
- Your concentration level will decrease making you less productive. Even though you’re probably trying to get stuff done and tried forgoing sleep as a result. So you have entered an increasing negative cycle.
- Most people who are sleep deprived usually think that they can catch up on sleep at weekends. This won’t work. Trying to catch up on sleep deprivation isn’t advisable at all. As it won’t reverse the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive functions. In fact, doing this can introduce further problems to your body clock very quickly.
As you can see sleep issues can lead to, or exacerbate, physical and mental health problems. It is therefore important to not to allow any sleep issue worsen but to tackle sleep problems quickly. If you need any help with this please speak to your GP. You can also find some self-help tips on sleep here.
2. Weight Issues
I’m not talking about an eating disorder such as anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder (BED) here. Although these may develop later as a result. We often think of eating disorders as a teen or young adult issue or a female problem. But they can develop at any stage of life, even in later years too and in males.
In this instance I’m taking about any changes in eating habits caused by ongoing stress or as a precursor for developing a mental health condition. Even in the early days of suffering from too much stress our diet will suffer. We have a tendencies to either overeat or not eat enough when our mental health is impacted.
Again weight and dietary intake is highlighted as a symptom to many mental health conditions. Research is backing up what we have know for a long time. That a healthy diet is essential for good mental health. In fact, many conditions may be influenced or worsened by bad nutrition.
The body of evidence is growing showing links between diet and managing, preventing, or contributing to our mental health. Especially with such conditions as stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, Alzheimer’s, and schizophrenia. A healthy diet can aid our mood and feeling of well-being by ensuring we get the required dietary intake we need to keep our bodies, hormones, etc., in balance. A healthy diet can aid recovery. But should also sit beside other therapies and treatments recommended by your doctor or therapist.
3. Substance Abuse Issues
Just with food we can use substances to help us cope in life. We often associate substance abuse with illegal drugs but it also includes alcohol, smoking and caffeine. Of course I’m also not ruling out illegal drugs or presciption drug abuse here either.
If you, or a loved one, are trying to deal with any issues related to drug addiction, prescription or otherwise, please see your GP. Don’t trying to stop taking them on your own. You need professional help here, as withdrawal can be extremely hard on your physical health.
We can often simply not realize that our alcohol, caffeine and cigarette consumption has increased. Particularly in times of high stress in our lives. We increase our intake of coffee or tea by one more cup or have an extra bar of chocolate just to help us stay awake or alert for another few hours in order to get that project finished or get the kids to bed. We enter a vicious cycle of needing to increase these things in order to cope with our rising stress levels. Before we realize it we have a problem.
Becoming aware is the first step to take here. Reducing them or asking for help if necessary is the next important step. There are many factors which can cause us to use substances as coping mechanisms and it is important to get to the root cause. A therapist will help you to do this.
There are many programs that can help you quit smoking. Your doctor can offer guidance on alcohol and dietary intake. They can also refer you to a nutritionist, the community dietician or other specialist of you require it.
4. Change Of Personality
There are a number of things to watch out for here. These include uncharacteristic attitudes, withdrawing from loved ones or friends, excessive or out of character outbursts of fear, crying and anger.
Anxiety, depression and stress problems could first manifest itself with these changes in personality. So being aware is important. Very often we don’t notice these changes ourselves but our loved ones, friends or colleagues do. If you spot this in a loved one seek your GP’s advice immediately.
5. Lack Of Self-care
A lack of basic self-care, i.e. not washing, changing clothes, etc., can be a very obvious sign of mental health problems. These are ones we tend to associate with people who have mental health conditions.
But letting your self-care slide can be also one of the first indicators that you are under too much stress in your life or of a mental illness. Looking after everyone else and not yourself is never good sign. Neither is not looking after yourself at all.
It’s time to re-evaluate what is happening in your life and take corrective steps before it becomes a larger problem leading to mental health issues. If this has become an issue already I’d advise seeing a therapist and your GP immediately.
6. Risky Behaviour
Again we often link this to teens and young adults. But it can happen at any age. We may not even realize that our behaviour has become risky or out of control before there is an issue.
Taking ever increasing risks in, and with, your life could also be a sign of mental health problems. Mental illnesses can make people act in a risky way. This could include:
- Spending too much
- Drinking and taking drugs
- Driving too fast
- Having more sexual partners.
- Self-harm
These are all behaviours that individuals may use to provide temporary relief from intense emotional pain. They need immediate help from a therapist. Or if you are worried about self-harm then please go to A & E.
7. Sense Of Hopelessness
Hopelessness is a powerful emotion which contributes to our low moods. It should never be ignored. If you, or a loved one, suffers from an on ongoing sense of doom or hopelessness then I strongly advise seeing your GP immediately. It is often a sign of depression or other conditions.
Hopelessness can be a reflection of our negative view of the world and of ourselves also. These feelings of negativity and hopelessness will cause an individual to lose interest in activities, people and going to events. This person along with becoming more negative may also feel powerless, lacking in motivation and inspiration, feel abandoned and alone. They will become increasing isolated, anxious and depressed.
Never just brush off a loved one’s comments about feeling hopeless. Sit and talk with them to find out more. Maybe this is just a one off. If that is the case that’s okay. But do monitor them for increased comments or things they might do that shows a lack of interest in things they liked before or leads them to isolate themselves.
Studies are showing that hopelessness is linked to poor mental, emotional and physical health. So if you are starting to feel hopeless or have lost interest in doing what you use to do then it’s time to seek professional help. This is easily and quickly treated and treatment is very effective.
8. Feeling Overwhelmed
Something similar to the above and should never be lightly brushed off. Again watch for this in your friends and loved ones and seek help sooner rather than later.
When we feel emotional overwhelmed it can feel all-consuming. People who face this feel completely overcome by an intense emotion to something in their life that is too challenging to manage and/or overcome. It can become hard to think and act rationally. It may at times feel impossible to function in your day to day life. Our personal and professional lives are affected.
Sometimes it is caused by stress at work and/or home, a traumatic experience or grief. It doesn’t matter what has caused it but it needs to be treated by a therapist and your GP immediately. Your GP will prescribe any medication you might need. A therapist will help you to overcome, talk through and tackle with appropriate treatment the root cause. They will also give you some healthy coping skills so you can function in your day-to-day life.
We Can Still Do Some Self-Help To Help.
Becoming more aware of who we are and what triggers us allows us to monitor our physical and mental health better. This can be easily done with the use of a journal in which we record how we are feeling both emotionally, physically and mentally. We begin to see any patterns and can seek the correct professional help with problems before they become bigger issues.
We can also help ourselves by putting in place:
- A good basic self-care routine
- Use any form of meditation to relax
- Keep up our interests and hobbies
- Staying in touch with positive family and friends
- Making sure we have a healthy diet and exercise routine
If you have noticed any changes in these or your mood recently then please speak to your GP.
Work With Me.
Remember you are allowed to ask for support. No one is an island. If you need extra support then you can also work with me. We all struggle with stress and overwhelm from time to time. If you find this has become a problem for you and you’d like some support then schedule an appointment with me.
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