Too many people wait until they are miserable before asking for help. I know I’m guilty of this too…let me just wait to see if my back stops hurting before I go to the doc….after all…it’s just back pain right? It’s not serious…I can still do all the things…I mean, true…back pain hurts and I’m moving more gingerly than I normally do…but I can just take some Advil and ignore it and hope it goes away on it’s own right?? And sometimes it does….and sometimes it gets worse and by the time I get to the doctor’s office I’m being asked…why didn’t I make an appointment sooner. Now I need medications to address the underlying reason why my back was hurting.
Mental health is no different. We don’t have to wait until we are miserable before reaching out for help. If you’re noticing anxiety growing in general around your life such as around your work performance, or feeling insecure in your relationships, or noticing that your moods are generally not awesome and maybe you’re not enjoying “me time” like you used to, it’s time to go ahead and reach out for help. You may be noticing that you’re not sleeping as well or you’re eating too much in response to stress or unable to eat because you’re too anxious.
Just like the time I ignored my back pain and it turned out to be something more serious, ignoring increasing anxiety, lack of sleep, and a lowering of resilience can lead to more serious symptoms. Our brains and our bodies actually change chemically when our stress levels remain elevated over a period of time, which is why sometimes people experience a major clinical depression episode after getting through a rough couple semesters of going to school full time and working full time, plus taking care of the family at home.
If this sounds like you, reach out for help. Mindful Health offers Intensive Outpatient Programs (called IOP for short); the program is 3 hours of group therapy, for 3 days per week. We offer both day programs, evening programs, and virtual programs so that we can be flexible with your needs. It is called Intensive Outpatient because it is designed to quickly get you feeling better with coping skills and ways to process your emotions. The IOP program also includes holistic services such as yoga, art therapy, music therapy, and mindfulness sessions. We include these treatments with IOP intentionally; all of these therapies give your mind and body some stress release which lowers your cortisol levels.
Some folks need to take some time off work to allow them to focus on their self care for a bit; that is perfectly fine and we can help with FMLA forms or Short Term Disability for clients in IOP. We offer flexible payment plans if you need help. We can also offer transportation if you need it once you’re established in care. Our priority is helping you get the help you need to lead a fulfilled life.
