May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time for open dialogue and reflection about mental health education, advocacy, and treatment. Mental Health is described as emotional, psychological, and social well-being that affects how we think, act, handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. The pandemic, racial trauma, grief, and economic hardship have certainly impacted us in numerous ways. In this time of loss and uncertainty you might wonder, “What constitutes good or normal mental health?” For someone who is suffering emotionally, they might ask, “Do I need help?” 

Mental health is not about consistently being content, calm, and/or productive, for there is no “always” in the human experience. It is important, however, to stay aware of when your times of distress are more pervasive and interfere with your enjoyment of life and the people in it. 

The following offers ways to assess your mental health and provides key indicators of when to seek assistance.

As a general guide, seek professional help when it becomes too difficult or nearly impossible to experience times of contentment or calm.  Please know mental health struggles have nothing to do with your character, willpower, intelligence, strength, or worthiness. It requires courage and strength to seek help and you have the right to access all that is available to feel better.

If you are unsure if you need help, reflect first on the current content and nature of your thoughts, feelings, and actions by answering the following four questions:   

Unless you are grieving a recent loss, if you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you might be struggling with a mental health issue. However, these are only a few of many important indicators. Consider also what is going well in your life. If you struggle to name anything that feels positive or for which you feel gratitude, this could indicate you are in some degree of psychological pain. 

Determining the need for professional mental health assistance is also about knowing yourself well, including your nature and general temperament. Some people report feeling “off” when a few of their most trusted personality traits and ways of approaching life’s challenges are not accessible. If you notice that your usual ways of being you have gone dormant, you might consider seeking support to regain your normal, your nature. 

If you would like to learn how affected you are in a particular area (e.g., signs of depression, anxiety, alcohol use, etc.), we invite you to complete one or more of our brief mental health screenings. In the absence of a screening, consider how often you experience more than one of the following:

These emotions and behaviors are not for you to eliminate; rather, they have meaning and purpose to be discovered.  In terms of the frequency with which you experience them, is it more than typical for you? To that you might say, “Of course I’m more anxious – life has been upended since early 2020.” This is a fair point. To understand just how upended you are, consider these questions:

As you answer these questions, you might wonder why your current coping tools are not helping despite how hard you work at them. Please know you are not alone. Times of stress (like a pandemic) can make our usual coping skills insufficient. While in more typical times meditation, smoothies, and exercise might be enough, they can now feel like a tiny bandage on a gaping wound.  

Please be aware that certain beliefs can get in the way of an accurate self-assessment. For example, making comparisons to those you believe “are suffering more” is not helpful. If that sounds familiar, please know that your unique struggles are valid and should not be minimized; they need care and attention.

 

When you just do not feel like you, and frankly you miss your old self, here are some steps:

1) Talk with someone (friend, family, physician, clergy) who is supportive and compassionate and who can stay present with what you are feeling. 
 

2) Contact CompEAP to receive confidential support from an experienced licensed counselor. We can present options and make recommendations, including counseling. We know that making the first phone call takes courage and we will go at your pace.  
 

3) Determining a diagnosable mental health condition should not be attempted in isolation or via the internet. A licensed professional can assess that with you and discuss care and treatment. Options span a variety of disciplines (western and/or eastern approaches, nutrition, exercise, medication, etc.). CompEAP can connect you to treatment options if you desire. 

Please note:  If you have thoughts about death, ‘not wanting to be here’, or you are actively thinking about suicide, please know that you can recover. Help is available in many forms (e.g., individual and/or group counseling, medication management, an intensive program, etc.). CompEAP can help you determine the best path toward health and wellness.
 
 Asking for help is a skill, and if we have not been taught this skill it can make us feel hesitant or uncomfortable. CompEAP understands this and offers convenient access points: 800-344-1011, info@compeap.com, chat, and online scheduling). A licensed professional will be on the other end offering understanding, kindness, knowledge, and professionalism.  

Explore and honor your process. We are here if you need us, 24/7.