Anuradha Varanasi
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Dealing with periods of stress, grief, sadness and anger is a part of life and everyone experiences these emotions from time to time. This is why it is difficult to figure out when you re finding it overly challenging and overwhelming to deal with certain life events. This can be a confusing and nerve wracking experience and can also trigger feelings of isolation and loneliness due to depression and anxiety.
Everyone has different coping mechanisms when faced with a stressful life event. It varies from person to person and because of this, not everyone needs to see a psychologist. However, there will be times when one feels they can t handle something on their own and that is when they should approach a psychologist, says Dr Sushma Mehrotra, Clinical Psychologist. She says if you can relate to any one of these points, it is a good idea to approach a mental health professional early on before deep depression or anxiety sets in. Did you know, depression interferes with the brain's emotion processing network?
1. You feel you can t reach out to your friends or family
When people are going through a very rough patch, their first instinct is to reach out to friends and family for social support and comfort. However, if you feel like you have no social support and can t reach out to anyone to talk about what has been bogging you down and you are unable to cope on your own, you should definitely consider seeking therapy. When one feels insufficient to use their inner resources or coping skills and hesitate to talk to their friends or family when faced with a stressful situation, the helplessness resulting from it it can lead to early signs and symptoms of depression, says Dr Mehrotra.
2. You ve been suffering from insomnia and loss of appetite
Mind and body are not two different entities. Body adapts to the internal psychological well-being. When you re emotionally and mentally upset, it will instantly affect your sleeping patterns and body. You will constantly feel tired and fatigued and have trouble sleeping every night. You will notice that you ve either completely lost your appetite or you ve suddenly started binge-eating. Other symptoms could also be an upset stomach without any other underlying health problems.
3. You have lost interest in your work
Your motivation depends on inner self talk. Your interest can change your usual work style. Even if you love your job and previously looked forward to getting your tasks completed on time, you have been getting feedback about a sudden drop in your productivity levels. You ve noticed that you re no longer interested in your work and your efficiency has drastically dropped.
4. You have recurring thoughts or flashbacks of traumatizing memories
Losing your job, going through a break-up or grappling with the pain of a loved one s death might get overwhelming to deal with especially due to the grief, anger and trauma you experience. Sometimes, this can also result in substance abuse like drinking or using recreational drugs to distract themselves from recurring thoughts and flashbacks of traumatizing memories. This only worsens the situation because drugs and alcohol can not result your conflicts, it gives temporary shift and may intensify depression and anxiety, says Dr Mehrotra.
5. You have started withdrawing from social interactions and activities
If you previously enjoyed meeting your friends for a movie or a few drinks after work and now avoid interacting with them, it could be an early sign of depression. This also includes hobbies or activities you previously enjoyed. Constant feelings of anger, distrust and a general lack of interest is a major red flag you shouldn t ignore. If your coping mechanisms like exercising, trying to talk to a friend, meditation or reading up on self-help books aren t working, it is time to seek some professional help.
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