Everyone experiences periods of stress, sadness, grief and conflict, so when you're feeling off it can be hard to know if it's time to see a professional about the problem. And apparently, those who would benefit from some therapeutic intervention are not seeking it enough: While one in five American adults suffer from some form of mental illness, only about 46-65 percent with moderate-to-severe impairment are in treatment, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
And while identifying and managing diagnosable mental illness is a priority in the psychiatric community, psychological help for those without a clear condition to manage can be just as important. Aside from suffering needlessly, those in distress may actually make the problem worse by avoiding professional help.
Here are a few of the signs you can pick up on that indicated you can benefit from therapy:
Everything you feel is intense - "We all get angry and sad, but how intense and how often? Does it impair or significantly change your ability to function?" asks Alvord.
Feeling overcome with anger or sadness on a regular basis could indicate an underlying issue, but there's another intensity to be on the lookout for: catastrophizing.
You have unexplained and recurrent headaches, stomach-aches or a rundown immune system - "If we're emotionally upset, it can affect our bodies," says Alvord. Research confirms that stress can manifest itself in the form of a wide range of physical ailments, from a chronically upset stomach to headaches, frequent colds or even a diminished sex drive. Reidenberg adds that more unusual complaints like muscle twinges that seem to come out of nowhere (read: not after a big workout) or neck pain can be signs of carried stress or emotional distress.
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Source material from Huffington Post