We often hear that we should get regular physical checkups to ensure our bodies are ok and catch early signs of disease. That same emphasis should be placed on encouraging people to get routine mental health checkups. Emotional health is just as important as our physical health. Someone who may be struggling with loneliness and isolation needs help just as much as a person who may have undiagnosed diabetes. Pines Recovery Life Detox can help individuals, especially those struggling with substance use disorder, maintain positive mental health.
What Does a Mental Health Checkup Involve?
Think of a mental health screening as an examination of your emotional state. Instead of a physician looking into your ears or checking your heartbeat, they’re looking for signs of problems with your mental health status. Millions of people end up diagnosed with a mental health disorder each year. Physicians typically look for signs of common mental illnesses, like:
- Depression — People have extreme feelings of anger, sadness, or frustration
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) — You may have issues with impulse control or focusing on one thing at a time
- Bipolar Disorder — You may have episodes of extreme highs (mania) and lows (depression)
- Substance Use Disorder — You may consume excessive amounts of drugs or alcohol
You may experience only mild symptoms from your mental illness or get to a point where your life is at risk. Regular emotional checkups with a trained mental health specialist allow you the opportunity to start getting treatment before things get out of hand.
Healthcare providers typically ask questions about your feelings and emotions. They will check for symptoms that can indicate the presence of a mental health issue, including:
- Signs of dramatic mood swings
- Indications of extreme worry or fear
- Feelings of guilt, sadness, or worthlessness that won’t go away
- Low energy levels
- Constant fatigue
The doctor may also order blood tests to rule out physical disease as a cause of your symptoms. They will encourage you to continue opening up about what you feel to help them make an accurate diagnosis. Your doctor may recommend seeing a specialist who has a deeper understanding of your specific mental health disorder.
How You Benefit From Emotional Checkups
There are some good reasons why people need to have an emotional checkup for their mental health. Experts have noted that your mental health often ties into your physical health. People with mental illnesses often have higher rates of diseases like:
- Diabetes
- Asthma
- Epilepsy
- Obesity
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Cancer
Regular mental health screenings could not only help you catch signs of mental illness but may help prevent the development of more serious physical ailments. It’s one reason that many health experts believe there should be a harder push to make mental health checkups as routine as yearly physical exams.
Getting regular emotional checkups helps your doctor keep track of diagnosed mental health disorders, especially during times where you may be cut off from your everyday routine. They can look at any medications you are taking and adjust the dosage as needed.
Your mental health specialist may recommend attending regular therapy sessions that allow you to talk through your emotions. That can enable you to learn and apply techniques that help you manage negative feelings before becoming overwhelming.
It can be hard to see past the stigmas often associated with the idea of having a mental illness. The more you open yourself up to the idea that your mental health is as important as your physical health, the better your chances are of achieving whole-body health.
Take Care of Your Emotional Well-Being
If you are dealing with emotions that you don’t understand or are struggling with substance abuse, Pines Recovery Life Detox may help. We offer programs designed to help people looking for a new start in life.
If you think one of our programs might be what you are looking for, call Pines Recovery Life Detox today at 800.263.3869, or contact us online.
