Recognizing the Early Signs of Mental Health Concerns

Taking care of your mental health is as important as looking after your physical well-being.
When we actively take care of our mental health, it seeps into various aspects of our lives, such as our work how we socialize with others and our overall morale. It is important to address our mental health needs and seeing a mental health counselor can be significant in improving your overall wellbeing and lifestyle.

Visiting a therapist for an assessment can be the first step in identifying mental health issues that you may be struggling with and creating a treatment plan to tackle it. If you are feeling hesitant or unsure if it is time to seek some support, here are a few behaviors and feelings you may relate to, that could be impacting your wellbeing.

Stress exists in our lives in various ways. It can be from work, school, or significant life events. It can make us feel as though we have little to no control over a situation and can threaten our sense of self. When stress becomes prolonged and overwhelming, it can lead to lack of sleep, irritability, muscle tension, substance use, and withdrawal from social affairs. Managing stress can be tricky and at times difficult, a mental health therapist can support you in identifying methods to tackle and reduce the stress you are feeling.

Our moods can change throughout the day, which is natural. Our mood can be influenced by many different experiences such as interactions with people we encounter to certain thoughts we have. Extreme mood changes, however, can affect our lives negatively and create dysfunction. If you are experiencing extreme mood changes which are impacting you, booking an appointment for psychotherapy in Dubai can guide you in regulating and handling intense mood changes.

When we feel overwhelmed with intrusive thoughts and stress, we tend to isolate ourselves from family, friends and even shy away from carrying out routine hobbies. Although this can happen unintentionally, humans are social beings who rely on each other for self-actualization and belonging. Isolation from social settings over a long period of time can intensify feelings of anxiety and depression. Seeking support for our mental health can be beneficial as it can be focused on certain behaviors that impact us most, for example therapy for anxiety disorder can be significant in reducing nervousness, feelings of dread or panic.

Other indicators include:
● Significant tiredness, low energy or fatigue
● Changes in mood, appetite, and sleeping habits
● Difficulty concentrating or staying focused
● Excessive anger, hostility, or violence
● Problems with alcohol or drug use
● Trouble understanding and relating to situations and to people
● Sex drive changes
● Suicidal thinking
● Detachment from reality (delusions), paranoia or hallucinations

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above or noticing other signs of declining mental health, you may book an appointment for consultation with one of our specialists. Our experienced professionals will evaluate your current mental state and design a treatment plan that is appropriate for your condition. Human Relations Institute and Clinics are a psychology-based practice based in Dubai, UAE, providing mental health and psychological services to individuals and businesses in the Middle East and abroad.

Psychotherapy treatments to address anxiety and depression

Medication is not enough as a treatment to address anxiety and depression, and although psychotherapy has shown to be effective on its own, studies have proven that clients suffering from severe and complex depression or anxiety that receive a combination of medication and psychotherapy have higher rates of improvement.

Whether it’s your first time seeking mental health counseling services, or you know someone who is suffering from anxiety and depression, it is important to understand that psychotherapy treatments do not always have the same effect on people. There are different kinds of treatment available for various conditions and the person who will undergo treatment must cooperate or work with the specialist.

Here are some common treatments for anxiety and depression:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a type of therapy style that focuses on helping individuals learn to be their own therapists. CBT aims to bring to the clients’ awareness of their negative styles of thinking and unhelpful behavior patterns associated with depression and anxiety, and eventually replace them with more helpful thought patterns and behaviors. Getting such anxiety treatment in Dubai helps to limit the client’s distorted thinking by looking at their problems or issues more objectively.

Interpersonal therapy

Interpersonal therapy or IPT is a short-term treatment that usually involves 12 to 16 one-hour weekly sessions. The therapy focuses on your social roles and relationships. The therapist will work with you to identify interpersonal issues you may have, including conflicts with family or friends, change in social roles, stress from work, unresolved grief, and other issues involving other people in your life. During or after the therapy, you will also learn about healthy ways to express your feelings and improve your communication with others.

Psychodynamic therapy

Psychodynamic therapy is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on the psychological roots of the client’s emotional suffering. It involves self-reflection and self-examination, and the use of the relationship between therapist and patient as a window into problematic relationship patterns in the client’s life.

There are other kinds of treatment that your therapist can recommend to you depending on the severity of your condition. No matter which therapy is chosen, keep in mind that your willingness to get better is also a key factor in your recovery.

Take breaks when everything gets overwhelming and ask your therapist if there are ways on how you can better prepare your mind for the treatment.

If you are experiencing any symptoms of depression and anxiety, especially when you’re surrounded by a lot of people, you may need to talk to your therapist about which treatment is more appropriate for your condition. Human Relations Institute and Clinics are a psychology-based practice based in Dubai, UAE, providing mental health and psychological services to individuals and businesses in the Middle East and abroad.