Mental Health Awareness Week takes place May 15-21, and it’s a good time for all of us to reflect on our mental wellbeing.
Roughly 20% of U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, the National Alliance on Mental Illness reported. One of the most common mental health issues is anxiety.
“Anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems we can face,” the Mental Health Foundation explained. “In a recent mental health survey we carried out around stress, anxiety and hopelessness over personal finances, a quarter of adults said they felt so anxious that it stopped them from doing the things they want to do some or all of the time. Six in ten adults feel this way, at least some of the time. On a positive note, anxiety can be made easier to manage.”
Anxiety is so common, many people aren’t sure when they need to address it with a professional. That’s why it’s so important to recognize when anxiety has become unmanageable, and to seek the help of a therapist.
Do I need therapy?
According to the American Psychological Association, there are two major guidelines that can be helpful when considering if you could benefit from therapy:
- Is anxiety causing you regular distress?
- Is anxiety interfering with some aspect of your daily life?
“Clearly, the decision to enter into therapy is a very personal one. Numerous advances have been made in the treatment of psychological disorders in the past decade and many therapies have been shown scientifically to be helpful,” the APA reported. “As you think about whether therapy might be helpful to you, remember that many psychological problems have been shown to be treatable using short-term therapy approaches.”
Here are some more questions to consider when deciding if therapy is right for you:
- Do you spend time every week thinking about the problem?
- Is the problem embarrassing — to the point that you want to hide it from others?
- Over the past few months, has the problem reduced your quality of life?
- Have you curtailed your work or educational ambitions because of the problem?
- Are you rearranging your lifestyle to accommodate the problem?
Online test, like the Mental Health America’s mental health tests, can help you decide if it’s time to seek help.
“Online screening tools are meant to be a quick snapshot of your mental health,” Mental Health America reported. “If your results indicate you may be experiencing symptoms of a mental illness, consider sharing your results with someone. A mental health provider (such as a doctor or a therapist) can give you a full assessment and talk to you about options for how to feel better.”
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