At a consultation yesterday a patient, putting his request into words, said: "I want everything in my life to be calm." What do you answer to that? Every day brings us both ups and downs, while a flat line on a cardiogram means absolute rest, or, put simply, death.
The question arises: how can you tell what may be counted as normal and what goes beyond those limits? Routine, or the habit of doing something in one and the same way, really does help us. It brings calm and steadiness into our life. These actions help us work more efficiently, without using up all our precious mental resources.
However, just as these actions help us in certain areas of life, so there are moments when they stop being relevant and become outdated. That is it, you are stuck in some rut. And once you are there, it will be hard not only to let go of the old habits that no longer serve you, but simply to notice them.
One of the areas of our life where we can certainly get bogged down is our therapy. This can concern both physical and mental health. We can get used to taking the same medicines, doing the same exercises, coping with the same old symptoms year after year in one and the same way. The most destructive thing here is that our actions seem normal to us, and it may take us far too long to recognise in them the obstacles on the way to calm, health and well-being.
If you have been in psychotherapy for quite some time, perhaps the moment has come to review your strategy and to change your plan of action on the way to mental health!
So let us look at the signs to watch for, so as not to get stuck in a useless routine.
1. No mood at all. Your emotions are "at zero"
Do not get me wrong: you do not have to feel joyful and carefree all the time for psychotherapy to work. At the same time, there is no need to be gloomy and downcast either.
Of course you can wave the symptoms away as an obsession; the main thing is not to forget that the way you feel really can be a reason for concern. Bear in mind that low mood is also a reason for a drop in your energy level.
Knowing this will help you understand that the time has come to ask for extra help.
2. The symptoms have not gone anywhere
There is no perfect treatment strategy, so you should not hold on to one and the same method, especially when it is not working.
If you have been working on one and the same problem for three months or longer and your symptoms have stayed or have not lessened, it is time to review the direction.
This does not at all mean that your symptoms ought to have disappeared completely! Simply be aware that it is important to keep track of how you feel: to watch for any worsening and to note any improvement.
3. Your sleep is disturbed
One sleepless night is not a problem!
But what if you have not been sleeping properly for several weeks?
You need to talk to your therapist or your doctor, and better still to both! Lack of sleep is a sign that something more serious is going on (a manic phase in people with bipolar disorder, for example, or insomnia caused by anxiety or depression), and sleep disturbances also make existing symptoms worse.
That is why it is very important not to hide this problem away in a box. Through the body, lack of sleep is trying to tell you that you have a problem. Do not miss these warning signs.
4. You are eating little or irregularly
Here is another important question. If you really have started eating less, this may be a signal that it is time to change your therapy.
Could it be a flare-up of anxiety or depression? Or the side effects of the medicine you are taking? Or perhaps you have health problems, and the loss of appetite could be explained, for example, by one of the diseases of the digestive system?
Loss of appetite is a symptom we brush aside quickly. But if you ignore this one too, poor nutrition will certainly grow into other problems.
Refusing food will lead not only to exhaustion and fatigue, but will also make worse the symptoms of the depression you are already struggling with.
If you have noticed a drop in appetite, be sure to consult a specialist and ask for their opinion about the next steps or about changes in your therapy.
Do you have questions about your health? Get in touch with a certified, experienced specialist online or by telephone.
5. Your relationships are suffering
Are you quarrelling with your friends? How are things in your marriage? Is the family feud still going on? Sometimes, when we are at odds with everyone, it is not the others who are to blame but we ourselves.
Once, when I had toxic relationships with the people around me, I looked about and found that one after another many good people had disappeared from my circle. Only then did I understand that, together with the friends who had gone, my psychotherapy plan should be shown the door as well.
Do not forget: it is never too late to put something right and to restore old connections.
6. You are crying more than usual
Do you feel more tearful than usual? Is something touching your soul? Are you crying out of sadness or out of helpless anger?
Crying is one way of saying where you are emotionally right now. The evidence is literally running down your face.
Crying can also be a cleansing for the soul, but when you realise that you are crying more than usual, you need to look at what is causing it and why you are not coping with it.
There is nothing shameful in asking for extra support when circumstances change and the level of our mental health simply cannot take the strain. It may be that your therapy needs adjusting now.
7. Something is just not right...
We are all different people, so the signs that our mental state is getting worse will be different too. That is exactly why it is really important to know yourself. Which signs will tell you that your condition is not improving?
Do you spend the whole day without getting out of bed? Are you eating too much? Do you explode at the slightest thing? All this and much else can be an indicator that the time has come to discuss the strategy and the direction of the therapy with your therapist or your doctor. Perhaps you should try something else.
Do not suffer for weeks or months, especially when help is available to you! Medicines and exercises can be adjusted, a schedule changed or even turned upside down. Your mental health is extremely important! Do not push it into the background.
Do not forget that in everyday life health and well-being matter most of all to us. Listen to yourself and to your body; be active when you notice the signals listed above or when something is going wrong.
Your soul, body and mind are sure to thank you for it!
Take care and stay healthy!
Still have questions? Do not put it off, CALL or WRITE right now!
