What any individual defines as their lowest emotional point can change from person to person. It’s often associated with some fundamental change in life. For some, it might be grieving a loss. For others, it might be finding themselves struggling with substance abuse. Whatever that point is, it’s important to know that there is a path up from it, that many people in all manner of circumstances have taken before. Here are a few tips on how you can begin finding your way back up from your own lowest point.
Recognizing a mental health crisis
Whether it’s addiction, reaching the point of a breakdown, or any other mental health crisis, the first and most important step is to recognize what is going on. It can be difficult to recognize the signs of an emotional breakdown, as Everyday Health shows. It might be that someone in your life has shown concern over this, or that you’re having panic attacks, or that you’re turning to unhealthy habits more and more, or finding yourself more withdrawn and isolated from the people have typically turned to in the past. If any of these signs sound familiar, or if you recognize any other signs that you are not in an okay place, emotionally, then it’s time to act.
Ask for help
Once you realize that you are at your low point, it can be a traumatic experience, one that takes some time to recover from and find your bearings again. However, when you’re at that point, you have to recognize that the only direction is “up,” or risk stagnating and staying at that low point. From there, your single best option is to look for help from those that can provide it. This might mean turning to your family and friends for support, but you are most likely going to want to talk to a professional. Sites like Talkspace can help put you in touch with a qualified and licensed counselor even over the net, but it’s recommended that you try to experience the benefits of face-to-face therapy when you’re ready.
Seeking treatment
Therapy and counseling may not be enough to deal with certain problematic and downright dangerous behaviors. Perhaps the most common type that requires additional treatment is dealing with substance abuse. Whether you need to join an outpatient program like those provided at Enterhealth or you need to stay at a center that can help you recover, it’s important to address the other conditions you might be fighting that are very much linked to your mental health. In the event of addiction, it is regularly treated with a dual diagnosis that addresses both the substance abuse and the emotional and mental health issues that are often at the root of it. Without dealing with one, it can be hard to deal with the other.
Improving the health of your lifestyle
After you have received the treatment that you need and you have started a long-term recovery program to help you get back to your normal emotional health, then you need to also take a closer look at your lifestyle and the elements of it that might be doing you more harm than good. Exercise and diet are just as important for your mental health as they are for you, physically. However, one that is getting more and more neglected nowadays is the importance of a good night’s sleep. Take steps to address your sleeping pattern, creating a proper nighttime routine where possible.
Don’t let a past failure dictate your future
Admitting to and learning from our mistakes is crucial, that much we should all know. However, that doesn’t mean that you should let your past failures also determine how you act in the future. Catastrophizing behavior, believing that A will necessarily lead to B and that you’re destined to continue down a spiral of your past behavior, is very destructive. It’s also incorrect. When you feel like you’re going down that spiral, it can be important to look at the past situations where you did stumble or fall into a slump but also managed to get out of it at the end. Even if you’re slipping back into that dark place, you also know that you’re able to climb back out of it again.
Manage your anxieties
Anxiety disorders are characterized as conditions in which anxiety is the primary symptom and the main problem that needs to be solved. However, almost all mental health issues come with their own share of anxiety, including depression, chronic stress, self-esteem issues, and otherwise. As such, it’s very helpful to learn techniques to help you address your anxiety. Mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques as shown in Positive Psychology can help you find the means to alleviate your experiences of anxiety, such as by performing yoga, meditating, or even engaging with something as simple as a stress ball. With your anxieties out the way, you can focus more on healing from the prevailing mental health issue.
It’s important to have something to aim for
Your recovery from your lowest mental or emotional point shouldn’t just be about an absence of suffering. It should be about an abundance of positives in your life. As such, it’s a good idea to ask yourself what your dream lifestyle looks like, what’s important to you, and what you want to spend your time and energy on. Then you can set small emotional health goals to help you get there, such as changing your moving situation, cutting out toxic friendships, learning new skills, or even just going a month without turning your substance dependency. Make plans and start small, with what you’re going to achieve tonight, today, at this hour.
Your road to recovery from your lowest point is going to be different in the details from others. However, the tips above can help you identify what steps you might want to be considering next. What’s important is that you start moving and asking for help is often the best way to do that.
