Maybe you’re like this: I believe in health and wellness… for other people. When it comes to managing stress, solutions often seem most obvious from the outside. If your friend explains their struggles, you might say, “You need to sleep more.
Focus on mindfulness. Put down your phone, read a book. And for god’s sake, consider getting some help. It’s ok not to be ok.” When it comes to your own stress?
Well, it’s that classic twentieth-century white-knuckle approach that surely sent many people to unnaturally early graves. It’s ok to need help, but hard to seek it. In this article, we take a look at how to determine when you need a little extra support.
1. Your Emotional Baseline Has Changed
Everyone has moments of acute stress. However, when your common experience—the way you feel when you are eating breakfast or unwinding the day, as examples—shifts in a noticeably uncomfortable direction, that’s a sign that something needs to change.
Common Signs of Emotional Decline
- Activities you once enjoyed now feel like obligations or provide little pleasure.
- Your sleep patterns have changed significantly (either sleeping too much or too little).
- You find yourself withdrawing from social interactions you previously welcomed.
- You experience persistent feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or hopelessness.
- Physical symptoms like headaches, digestive issues, or muscle tension occur regularly.
You don’t have to be on the brink of clinical collapse to need help. Once life starts feeling hard, you need to get yourself back on track. The sooner, the better.
2. Your Stress Does Not Have a Clear Source:
Acute stress is not good. However, it can be managed. For example, if you are moving or involved in a big project at work, these are difficult situations that will presumably get better the moment the source is resolved.
Other acute forms of stress could have longer-term ramifications. For example, taking care of a terminally ill loved one. The short-term stress is managing their condition. Longer-term anguish may follow as you mourn their eventual loss.
Why Temporary Stress May Still Require Support
To that end, it’s important to view wellness as a spectrum. At what stage you decide it is time to bring in professional help is entirely discretionary.
Even short-term stressors can warrant professional support, as therapy during these periods can equip you with coping mechanisms that serve you throughout life. Seeking help during a temporary crisis isn’t just about surviving the immediate situation—it’s an investment in developing resilience for future challenges.
3. Physical Symptoms:
It’s worth keeping in mind that physical symptoms can have an intangible source. Stress, we should always remember, is a chemical reaction. A twitching muscle, chronic headaches, digestive discomfort are all possible indications that something bigger is going on.
When the Body Speaks for the Mind
Granted, if there is a clear physical source of this experience, then sure. Look into that first. However, if there is no obvious reason behind these experiences, consider stress a possibility.
Keep in mind that your nervous system does not know the difference between a physical or emotional threat. Either way, it’s pumping your body full of cortisol and adrenaline, both powerful chemicals that can change the way you feel in a pretty dramatic way.
This physiological response evolved to protect us from immediate dangers, but in modern life, it’s often activated by psychological stressors that don’t require fighting or fleeing.
4. Wondering If You Need Help? That’s a Sign Too
If you’re reading this, it means you are wondering if you need help. The simple fact that the thought crossed your mind is a pretty good indication that you should act on it.
What to Do If Therapy Feels Inaccessible
Granted, not everyone has the same ability to take advantage of mental health services. It is cost-prohibitive, and even people with the income may live in regions where the number of options are very limited.
To make mental health care more affordable, look into community health centers that offer sliding-scale fees based on income, or explore online therapy platforms that cost significantly less than traditional services.
Many therapists offer reduced rates for those in financial need, and some employers provide Employee Assistance Programs offering free initial sessions.
University psychology departments often provide low-cost therapy with supervised graduate students.
Act Before It Gets Worse
Here’s the bottom line—you feel bad for a reason. It won’t change on its own. Instead of waiting for your circumstances to radically shift, seek a solution that gives you the tools you need to live a happy life.
5. It’s Ok to Not Be Ok
That’s the bottom line. There are situations in life where you just want to act like everything is ok for a little while longer.
Don’t Wait for a Crisis
Who hasn’t kept driving in a car that’s making a strange sound? I bet there’s a stick stuck in the undercarriage, you think to yourself. Of course, you never get on your knees to check. To do so would be to shatter the illusion and step into a new reality—one with a four-figure car repair bill hovering over your head.
And sure. Sometimes it really is just a stick. But why risk it? Often enough, something feels wrong because it really is. You can live with it and risk worsening the problem, or you can be proactive.
Help Is Available and Acceptable
It’s never been more socially acceptable to get help. If you need assistance dealing with your mental health, don’t wait. There are so many options available. Find the one you’re most comfortable with and give it a try.
Conclusion:
Taking a drug test during your period is completely possible and won’t interfere with the results. The key is maintaining cleanliness and minimizing contamination in the urine sample. Using a tampon or menstrual cup, wiping the area properly, and informing the technician ensures accuracy and avoids unnecessary complications. If you have any concerns, don’t hesitate to speak with the lab staff — they’re trained to handle such situations professionally and discreetly
Disclaimer: The content on Wellness Derive is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a healthcare provider for medical concerns.
