10 Signs You’re Not “Just Stressed”; Get Help Through Counseling

Back-to-back family frictions on top of simultaneous deadlines at work? One can feel the heaviness of a demanding life. While it is not uncommon to feel frustrated by life’s compounding issues, it can escalate to more than ‘stress’ if you avoid brushing off the constant feeling of “tired” or “burned out.”

When was the last time you were entirely free from stress? no bills to worry about, no errands or chores to bleed your time on, the least amount of health issues, and not a care in the world. Probably while you were a student or even before that era. With adulting, life keeps getting increasingly demanding, busier, and often complex. At some point, the mental and emotional load can take a toll. And it’s only you who can tell whether these external factors are giving you stress or if there's some deeper issue waiting to arise. You might need to pay attention to the signs that show you need therapy.

When Stress Becomes a Sign of Something Bigger

Chronic or prolonged worry or staying in stressful or disturbing situations for a long while, can take a heavy toll on your mental health. Find out if your mental well-being will be restored just with time and deliberate efforts of destressing, or if some medical intervention will be necessary to get better.

If you notice severe loss of sleep, are unable to feel the emotion to the right intensity, or your daily life is getting affected due to the stress, worry, or any other intense negative feeling, you would benefit from working with a mental health professional. Often, appetite also becomes unpredictably low or high during these rough times. But that’s not all. Here are the signs you should pay attention to for something more than stress, like Anxiety Disorder or MDD (Major Depressive Disorder). Book Mental Health Therapy, in case you or your loved one needs help. Contact us at Mental Health Northwest to find your way back to balance.

More Than a Bad Week: 10 Signs It's Time to Talk to a Counselor

1. Feeling Hopeless

Even when there is no significant stressor currently present, some people may struggle to feel happy. Depression or anxiety can cause an individual to find life and daily routines meaningless, making them feel hopeless about life.

2. Feeling Empty, like Something is Missing Inside You

Imagine you’re at a party, good music, good food, your beloved friends, and you’re wearing your perfect outfit, but you don’t feel the joy that comes naturally with this circumstance. IF you feel the lack of emotion, or a feeling of emptiness, you may be struggling from other mental health disorders.

3. Being Restless, Agitated, and Irritable

Irritability is a noticeable and sometimes frequent symptom of mental disorders, especially for patients who have yet to seek medical help.

4. Eating More or Less than Usual

Increased sugar cravings and binge eating, causing carbon load, can be a result of chronic stress affecting your body in a very negative way. On the other hand, an aversion to food and decreased appetite also ring an alarm for worsening mental well-being.

5. Sleeping More or Less than Usual

Sleeplessness itself can be very troublesome to deal with. It takes your body’s ability to heal and function away. Maintaining at least 8-9 hours of sleep per day is mandatory to maintain good health. However, anxiety and depression can disturb the natural sleep cycles you have.

Sleep depends upon multiple hormones such as Melatonin, serotonin, and so on. Lack of these two causes a disturbed emotional state and poor sleep. Mental disorders affect these hormones heavily, which adversely affects your sleep schedule. Too much sleep is also a common symptom. As a form of disconnection with life and increased fatigue.

6. Deteriorating Physical Health

Frequent body aches and weakness are signs of spiraling mental health as well. The body stores tension in muscles of the shoulder, abdomen, neck, and back. This causes body aches and a constant state of tiredness.

7. Relationships Getting Affected

Low mood and disinterest in fun activities can limit your social interaction. Avoidance can cause distance between family and friends and ultimately make relationships deteriorate if not addressed.

8. Frequent Emotional Outbursts

Managing emotional responses becomes more difficult. Challenging circumstances can influence logical thinking, making mental strength become compromised.

9. Increased irritability

Irritability can be one of the earliest and most telling warning signs that your mental well-being is starting to slip. It’s like your mind’s fire alarm that is loud, disruptive, and impossible to ignore.

10. Thoughts of Suicide

Suicidal thoughts are a reality for extreme case scenarios. It can occur in those who have not been able to find the right treatment despite the presence of symptoms for a long time. Seeking help can prevent this level of deterioration. It takes quite a commitment to take care of one’s own mental well-being, inner peace, and sense of calm, but Mental Health Northwest is here to help walk you through it.

How counseling for stress and anxiety can help

Access to a safe space: A counselor offers a confidential, non-judgmental space to talk and process emotions.

Develop healthy coping strategies: Therapy can teach practical techniques like CBT for anxiety and mindfulness to manage stress responses.

Learn to set boundaries: Counseling can empower readers to say "no" and manage expectations.

FAQs

How do I know if I’m “just stressed” or if I should see a therapist?

Persistent and chronic worry, often without a clear reason, combined with sleeplessness, is one classic symptom. Being jittery or restless is also a sign that you need professional help from a therapist.

What kinds of counseling help with stress, anxiety, and burnout?

Talk therapies like CBT, Mindfulness-Based Therapies, Psychodynamic Therapy, and Solution-Focused Counseling help with stress, anxiety, and burnout; however, no one solution fits all.

Can I do therapy online for stress and anxiety?

Yes, the online therapy option is always available on Mental Health NW. It is as effective as in-person; we provide in-person mental health therapy in Lake Oswego, OR.

When should I seek urgent help instead of waiting for therapy?

If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, it is critical you call 911 or go to your local emergency room.