Do You Have Mental Health Issues: Here Are 10 Ways You Can Carry Out A Self-Assessment

Do you believe you have mental health issues? It may be possible and a self-assessment can be done. Even though it can help you gather enough possible data, you still will need a mental health professional to confirm that your self-assessment is correct.

If you have dealt with what could be mental health issues, Absolute Awakenings can help. You can visit their website for more information at https://absoluteawakenings.com/.

Now, let’s take a look at the 10 ways you can do a self-assessment down below.

1. What have your moods been like?

If you have been paying attention to how you are feeling, try to remember the specific emotions you were dealing with at the time. See if there is a recurring pattern. Also, keep track of how long they last.

Some of these emotions can last days or even weeks. It can be vital information to help rule out any mental health issues you may have. Meanwhile, it can give enough information to a professional to accurately diagnose you.

Moods can play a huge role in almost every mental disorder that exists. It may be a challenge to determine which one. But there are certain kinds of moods that can help you identify what disorder it may be.

2. Consider what your relationships are like

Most mental disorders will affect your relationships with friends, family, and co-workers. You may experience negative moods that may affect them adversely. How you function in these social relationships will be key.

If you are struggling with interpersonal relationships, this can be a sign of a mental health issue. Some of these such as PTSD features the difficulty of maintaining relationships, even with friends or family. This can be due to the fact that you may be reminded of a traumatic event.

3. How stressed am I on a regular basis?

Stress can lead to mental health disorders when it’s not managed well enough. So you want to take into account how well you manage stress. If you are dealing with it on a regular basis, how is it affecting you mentally?

If the answer is much more negative than normal, this can be a huge problem. At the same time, ask yourself if you have considered or have self-medicated using substances such as drugs or alcohol? This is not a good way to medicate since it can lead to abuse or even addiction.

This is how co-occurring disorders tend to develop. Stress can even exacerbate mental health issues that may already exist (but have yet to be officially diagnosed).

4. Have I considered self-harm or suicide?

Self-harm and suicide are two of the most serious events that are linked to mental health issues. If you have entertained the idea of doing either (or have harmed yourself or attempted suicide), that’s when you need to make an appointment with a mental health professional as soon as possible.

Your mental health has gotten to a point where you are in distress. If anything, it may be enough to warrant a professional evaluation. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts and live in the United States, dial 988 as soon as possible.

5. How long have I been experiencing mental health symptoms?

The length of time you have been experiencing certain symptoms with mental health issues is key. If you have been experiencing consistent symptoms for weeks or months, it may be a good time to consider a professional evaluation.

It’s understandable that you have considered the idea. But you might have been afraid to make a decision to get evaluated for whatever reason. And that’s fine, we won’t judge.

Needless to say, the period of time for these mental health symptoms will need to be addressed. Letting a professional know the length of time you have experienced them will help in terms of an accurate diagnosis.

6. Are the strategies I’m using to cope working?

You may have already made a preliminary diagnosis of a mental health issue you may have. For that reason, you’re probably trying different strategies to help you cope with it. These may include but are not limited to healthy activities such as walking, yoga, reading, or regularly exercising.

These are proven to work in your favor and help boost your mood. However, you don’t want to engage in any coping mechanisms that are unhealthy such as the use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or even overeating (among others).

At this point, you can make the determination for yourself. If the healthy strategies are working, you can stick with them. You may need therapy in addition to what you might be doing. If you think that talk therapy should also be part of the plan, consult with a mental health professional.

7. Am I functioning normally at home or work?

If you are not functioning properly at home or at work, something may be wrong. You may notice that you are not as productive as normal. You may not be in the mood to do any work or feel like you’re not being appreciated for your efforts.

It could be normal. But if you are in a consistently bad mood or suffering from poor work quality (when it’s usually normal), you may be dealing with a mental health issue. At that point, you can proceed with a self-assessment starting with your self-observations of how you feel.

8. Are you enjoying the things you love doing?

This is a big key factor in your self-assessment. If you are experiencing anything different than enjoyment while doing something you actually love, that can be a red flag. Typically, this is a major sign in mental health disorders such as depression or anxiety.

You want to do things that make you happy almost automatically. Anything other than that and you’ll know something is off. You may lose interest and quit doing the activities albeit temporarily.

9. Ask other people about yourself

This can be difficult since people may not give you a straight answer. If someone notices that something about you is off, they can either speak up or stay silent for fear they may offend you. It could take you asking them the question of whether or not you may be OK.

Sometimes, an assessment from a friend or family member may give you hints. You might be dealing with a mental health issue and a professional may need to see you regarding a diagnosis and treatment.

10. Don’t leave everything to chance

Once you have confirmed that you are dealing with a mental health issue, make sure you document what you can. This way, you can present this to your medical doctor and mental health professional whenever an official diagnosis is done.

Don’t leave everything to chance if things are getting worse. If you are improving your mental health using healthy coping strategies, see if additional talk therapy is necessary. Don’t take any chances and never let your mental health worsen.