Mental health and mental health awareness are topics that some people find too sensitive to talk about. When you suffer from issues such as depression, anxiety, OCD and other disorders, you often times feel alone and have no one to turn to.
It’s important to understand and be aware of “red-flags” that signal there are deeper and vital issues going on inside yourself or inside those around you. By paying attention and understanding what is happening, you may be able to help someone or even save their life.
While doctors and professionals can tell you the signs, I decided to ask people who have actually struggled with mental health issues within their own lives – or know people who have – what they believe are the most important red-flags to watch for.
1. Feeling completely alone.
“When you feel like you can’t express your feelings to anyone around you because they won’t understand you. You can’t talk to your friends or even call your parents to discuss what’s going on.”
2. Feeling like a bystander to your own life.
“I knew it was time to get outside help when my anxiety got so bad I couldn’t be involved in my own life. My anxiety basically made me feel like I was watching a movie all the time except my movie was my life.”
3. You, or anyone else around you, ever thinks about ending your own life.
“You feel so lonely that you fantasize about ending your own life. You feel like you can’t turn to anyone else, so you think it’s best to give up.”
4. Eating habits are completely all over the place.
“I knew I needed to go to therapy when my emotional and mental state affected my eating habits. One day I would feel normal – eating 3 meals – the next day, I would feel so crappy I didn’t eat at all. My appetite was completely gone.”
5. Very little energy or excitement for life anymore.
“Sometimes, I feel like I have no energy to do anything at all. I’m always tired and feeling as though I am physically sick.”