Spotting the signs of poor mental health

The signs of poor mental health vary – may be you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you’re not feeling okay. Someone might feel tired more often, be feeling emotional, and not want to do the things they usually enjoy. Struggling to cope with everyday life doesn’t look or feel the same to everyone.

Signs to look out for include:

• Lacking energy or feeling tired
• Feeling exhausted all the time
• Experiencing ‘brain fog’, find it hard to think clearly
• Finding it hard to concentrate
• Feeling restless and agitated
• Feeling tearful, wanting to cry all the time
• Not wanting to talk to or be with people
• Not wanting to do things or go out
• Using alcohol or drugs to cope with feelings
• Finding it hard to cope with everyday things and tasks
• Experiencing ‘burn out’

It’s okay. It’s common to feel negative thoughts and feel there is no one to turn to. We’ve put together some wonderful contacts, apps and helplines that are there for anyone struggling to cope. See our sources of help and support or speak to a trusted friend or family member, a GP or a counsellor.

It may be difficult to see beyond the current situation, so talking about feelings can help put things into perspective and help people feel more positive about the future. See our information on 24 hour help lines.

Identify triggers for poor mental health

Perhaps someone is going through:

• relationship and family problems
• loss, including loss of a friend or a family member through bereavement
• financial worries
• job-related stress
• college or study-related stress
• worry about current events, such as the Coronavirus outbreak
• loneliness and isolation, or struggling with self-isolation
• depression
• painful and/or disabling physical illness
• heavy use of or dependency on alcohol or other drugs
• thoughts of suicide.

If someone has stopped doing things they usually love, is tearful, not eating or sleeping properly, drifting from people close to them, taking alcohol or drugs to cope or self-harming, then it is essential that they get help and support.

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