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Five Mental Health Issues that Require Professional Help

There is still too much stigma surrounding mental health issues. The United States struggles with mental health so much that we hide from it completely. This isn’t the path to recovery and health. While there are a lot of people who struggle with what Sigmund Freud called “ordinary misery,” others need to find the right kind of treatment for their condition. Whether you are suffering from bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, or drug addiction, professional help is necessary to living a happy and productive life. Here are five mental health issues that require specialized assistance.

Major Depression

While a lot of people call their sadness depression, it is actually a disorder that often requires assistance from professionals. When people are depressed, it doesn’t matter how good things are going for them. Depending on what kind of depression a person has, it can require intensive therapy or medications. If you are struggling with depressive tendencies, try speaking to a therapist first and then moving on to a psychiatrist if you need medications. Depression is no joke. It can ruin lives. When depression is no longer manageable, it requires professional assistance.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder, otherwise known as manic depressive disorder, is when a person goes back and forth between a state of mania, which can be positive, and depression. Mania is characterized by the behavior, not necessarily whether it is positive or negative. Either way, someone with bipolar disorder has extreme highs and lows. While it might sound cliché, bipolar disorder is difficult to manage. It requires medication and often therapy as well. You will never get rid of bipolar disorder but it’s something that can be successfully managed. It is possible to live a happy life with it.

Addiction

It doesn’t matter whether a person is addicted to alcohol, drugs, or both, it is never easy to seek recovery. When a person has admitted to themselves that they have a problem and need professional assistance to recover, they have taken the first step to getting better. Even then, once a person knows that they need help it can be difficult to seek it out and stay sober. There are a number of ways to support someone with addiction, but the truth is that it has to come from inside them. Once a person has truly had enough, they will do the work to get better.

Behavioral Disorders

While hyperactivity may seem like a part of a person’s personality, it is actually a behavioral disorder that requires professional help and even medication. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) are all examples of behavioral health disorders that require behavioral therapy and, in some cases, prescribed medications. You are not flawed if you have a behavioral health disorder, it’s just something you need to manage. Don’t overlook it as a part of who you are. Who you are won’t change when you get the help that you need.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a mental health disorder that is very misunderstood. While people remember paranoia and voices, paranoid schizophrenia is only one type. There are many different kinds of the mental health issue, all of which require professional assistance. Therapy isn’t enough for patients with schizophrenia. Medications are required for these people to live while managing the burden that this disorder puts on them. While stigma needs to be eradicated, it also comes with providing the assistance people need.

These are just five of the examples of mental health issues that require professional help. Whether you are struggling with one of these ailments or not, it’s important to spread awareness and education. Those who struggle with mental health disorders aren’t less than anyone else. In fact often they are brilliant, misunderstood people.

When you or someone you know needs help, there is no shame in that. We all need help in our lives for different things. It’s vital to normalize seeking help when we need it. Mental health is a huge issue in this country that is not being dealt with. If you or someone you know needs help, reach out to professionals to determine what you should do to help them.

Written by Eric

37-year-old who enjoys ferret racing, binge-watching boxed sets and praying. He is exciting and entertaining, but can also be very boring and a bit grumpy.