What are the signs that our mental health is deteriorating? And if these signs exist, when would it be necessary to ask for psychological help from a professional?
The clinical psychologist Pilar Guerra Escudero has noted a significant increase in patients she has in consultation as a result of deteriorated mental health.
This is largely due to the pandemic and subsequent events, but there are also a large number of cases, which originate from harmful interrelationships, whether in the couple, the family, the work environment or groups of friends, he says. .
According to this psychologist specialized in addiction and emotional detoxification, emotional and behavioral disorders, “a high percentage of the population presents symptoms of anxiety, such as sleep disorders, social isolation, fear and depression, as well as post-traumatic stress symptoms. and stress disorder.
In addition to the disorders caused by the pandemic and its derivatives, a good part of the conditions diagnosed in psychology consultations have to do with the behaviors of human beings that cause harm to others, as he points out.
Psychologist Guerra describes “five unequivocal signs” that our emotional well-being is experiencing a deterioration, and that can reveal a certain deterioration in our mental and emotional health:
NEGATIVITY.
“Having a negative attitude and an excessively critical way of proceeding produces tension, emotional agitation and relevant stress. Negative thoughts affect our emotional functioning, and when they are continuous, they can lead to disorders such as depression or anxiety,” says Guerra.
FEARS, WORRY, MOOD CHANGES.
This psychologist explains that feeling unusually confused, forgetful, angry, upset, worried or scared is another sign that our mental health is altered. “Feelings of sadness, discouragement or guilt usually emerge, in addition to pronounced ups and downs and radical changes in mood,” she points out. PROSTONGATION. “Everyone leaves their pending tasks or obligations until later at some point, to dedicate their time to another more pleasant activity or to do nothing, with the excuse that they need to rest a little. Procrastinating (deferring) becomes worrying when it happens daily, at all hours, with any task,” she warns. ISOLATION. Guerra points out that avoiding socializing with others can happen from time to time, but when a person fears socializing excessively and persistently, they may be experiencing a social phobia, which can interfere with their daily activities, their relationships with other people and his work performance, he points out. APATHY. Our level of motivation can vary, but losing enthusiasm for those things we previously enjoyed can cause a lack of interest in the future, according to Guerra. “This feeling of reluctance can make it difficult to carry out activities, both daily and other activities that arise, and lead to a very general indifference,” she says.
This psychologist explains that a person can experience many negative emotions and not suffer from a mental pathology.
However, if someone has detected one or more of the signs described above in themselves, it is advisable to implement preventive measures to prevent these problems from worsening.
The person must be attentive to the evolution of these signals and the way in which day-to-day changes affect their emotional well-being, according to Guerra.
In these cases, it is important that the person does not downplay their mental health, becomes aware of their emotions and goes to a professional who can be the solution, helping them face the situation and accompanying them throughout the process of change that it involves. a psychotherapy, according to Guerra.
OVERCOME INTERNAL RESISTANCE.
“The difficulty in going to psychotherapy, which some people experience, has to do with their own difficulty in recognizing the reasons that make it necessary to go to psychological consultation. This is called resistance,” Guerra explains to EFE.
Resistance comes as a consequence of a tendency of denial, that is, the person shows “a certain hint of prejudice regarding the world of emotions.”
For example, some people who resist going to therapy fear being stigmatized as mentally ill, according to Guerra.
Other people with resistance to psychotherapy treatment consider that “they can get out of their problems on their own, so they do not need a psychologist,” he points out.
“Mental health is a discipline responsible for improving feelings and emotions, behaviors and behaviors, as well as our world of thoughts and ideas, discerning what is rational from what is not,” explains Guerra.
“The psychologist is not a judge, but a professional who facilitates emotional stability and the development of people’s human potential,” he emphasizes.
People who go to therapy and recognize that they need treatment because they feel bad at a certain moment enjoy better mental health than those who have some disturbing symptoms, but do not recognize it, do not go to therapy and also refuse to listen to individuals of similar nature. their surroundings that tell them that they need help, says Guerra.
Maria Jesus Ribas
EFE Reports
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