Physical health is given a lot of importance because it is relatively clear how you can take care of it. Eat at regularly scheduled times, exercise when you need to, and go to the doctor for a physical exam at least once per year. However, most people truly don’t know when they can benefit from mental health support. If your mood, general disposition, and demeanor has changed you probably have to wait until someone else tells you to notice the differences for yourself. You won’t know how being depressed, chronically sad, frustrated, or excessively angry will impact you unless you have an online masters in counseling, but there are a few very healthy reasons to address your mental health issues. Here are four reasons and potential benefits to getting counseling when people close to you notice a stark change in mood.
1. Poor Mental Health Can Cause Separation and Divorce
You may not think there’s nothing wrong with isolating yourself, staying on the couch all weekend, and barely interacting with your family, but it is possible that your spouse feels otherwise. When your mood changes and you no longer feel motivated to do fun activities or even have conversations with your family, you no longer are an enjoyable person to be around. It’s one thing to be suffering from mental health issues and working on a solution, but if you pretend that nothing is wrong you may learn that your spouse has been contemplating divorce or separation.
2. Depression Can be a Factor in Abuse
No one is expected to be pleasant, patient, or even moderately nice on a constant basis, but having unresolved mental health problems can cause abusive behaviors to emerge. If you have been getting angry with family and friends for saying that you seem different, a pattern of emotional, mental, and even physical abuse might be rearing its ugly head. If stress at your job has you feeling like your life is no longer satisfying you need to talk to a professional instead of leaving your emotions unresolved. The last thing you want to do is self-medicate with drugs and alcohol or become an abuser.
3. Children Model Their Behavior After Their Parents
Children see their parents interacting with each other and they learn how to address their problems in the way that seems most normal to them. If you want your kids to become ‘take charge’ individuals who are open to completing a masters in counseling online, they have to see you snap out of your funk and become proactive about getting help for your mental health crisis. Even if you think that your children don’t know what’s going on with your mental health, they are still being impacted heavily.
4. Your Co-workers Could be Complaining
If you are grieving, have fallen into a depression, or have mental health issues that have completely changed your mood, people at your job will likely begin to become concerned about you. Co-workers who used to chat during lunch or collaborate on projects and become somber and withdrawn not only attract attention; they can cause alarm. Realize that if your co-workers don’t know what is really going on in your head, they may jump to conclusions. Have a talk with your boss to let them know that you are just dealing with some personal matters.
You can get phone counseling with a specialist a few times a week to aid in finding out why your mental health has suddenly become an issue. In-person counseling can also be highly effective if you go on a regular schedule.
