By: Jessica Taylor, LPC
We all know what severe symptoms of anxiety and depression look like. But did you know that there are early signs you can look out for, which can help you decide when it’s probably time to call a therapist? Have you been wondering if it’s finally time for you to find a therapist? By now, most of us know that you don’t need to be in a moment of crisis to seek out individual therapy. In fact, therapy works best when we are not in crisis. So, if you have been thinking about finding a therapist for anxiety or depression, don’t wait until your symptoms are debilitating. Don’t wait until you no longer feel able to go to work or worse, leave the house.
Although, sometimes it can be difficult to know when it’s time to call a therapist, right? Clients I work with often say things like: “my problems feel silly compared to what other people are going through” or “I just didn’t know how bad it was until it was too late.”
So, if you are starting to feel some things come up, but are unsure of whether you need therapy, here are 15 early signs that it might be time for you to find a therapist.
15 Signs That It’s Time to Find a Therapist
- Feeling more tired than normal, even though you are getting enough sleep.
- Struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep.
- Gaining or losing weight suddenly.
- Overthinking random scenarios that have happened, or you think could
- Feeling more paranoid in general, or in certain situations.
- You have recently experienced something traumatic (even if it seems like it’s not impacting you).
- You have gone through one or multiple big life changes recently.
- Feeling more angry or irritable.
- Spending less time with loved ones.
- Having the desire to spend more time at home than usual.
- Using drugs or alcohol more than you used to.
- Experiencing weird physical symptoms (stomach aches, for example) that are not for reasons of physical health.
- You have stopped doing things that you enjoy, or that you know are good for you.
- Having trouble focusing on work that needs to get done.
- You are experiencing self-defeating thoughts about yourself.
While there are many more “warning signs” which might indicate that it is time to find a therapist, those are 15 of the more common signs for you to consider.
Therapy Can Also Be Helpful for Issues Not Related to Mental Health
In addition to being essential for learning to cope with symptoms of mental illness, what you may or may not know is that therapy is also helpful for matters unrelated to symptoms of mental health. Therapy is also helpful for just normal life stuff.
Need to process a recent move across the country? Therapy can help with that!
Need to process or find tools for coping with a friendship breakup? Therapy can help with that!
Need help deciding whether a relationship is right for you? Therapy can help with that!
Invest in Yourself and Reach Out to a Therapist Today
If you are reading this blog, chances are that you are wondering if therapy is right for you. While those are some signs to consider, you also don’t have to do this alone. Give us a call today and we can help you determine whether therapy is right for you. If you’ve never been to see a therapist and are feeling some anxiety about the unknown, we will also explain everything about the process so that you feel comfortable and excited to get started. Don’t wait, invest in yourself and your future today!