Know the signs to seek help for anxiety

Feelings of being powerless, hopeless or angry about the situation are also signs to be wary of, say experts. — 123rf.com

IF you can’t function normally in your daily life, that is a sign you may need to seek help.

This can include experiencing very heightened levels of anxiety that impacts day-to-day life and a person’s mood.

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“If an individual notices that after a month or so there is no change whatsoever in how they are feeling, then they may want to consider talking to a mental health professional,” says Malaysian Mental Health Association president and consultant psychiatrist Professor Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj.

Concurring, Malaysian Psychological Association president Assoc Prof Dr Wan Shahrazad Wan Sulaiman says the signs are when a person’s anxiety interferes with their daily life.

“For example, you have a hard time going to work or being in public spaces when the risk is very low and you have difficulties eating or sleeping well,” she illustrates.

Another example is when a person cannot think about anything other than getting infected with Covid-19, or when they isolate themselves from others when it is not necessary.

Feelings of being powerless, hopeless or angry about the situation are also signs to be wary of.

“Some may also experience physical symptoms like frequent headaches or an upset stomach,” she says.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Ting Joe Hang says anxiety symptoms can be normal.

He says everyone may feel anxious, worried, distressed, have some sleep difficulties and so on at one point in our lives, especially during the pandemic.

“So, before reaching the point of having to see a professional, do the following to cope; exercise, be mindful, learn to set boundaries between work and personal life, get enough sleep, remember to take breaks and explore new things to keep yourself motivated.

“Use whatever tips that are useful to you. Most importantly, remember to love yourself,” he says.

As for drawing the line between normal and abnormal anxiety, Dr Ting says the severity would have to reach a point where it has affected his or her social, occupational or interpersonal functioning.

“In simple terms, it means the person has reached a near breaking point where a person feels edgy, irritable, unable to focus and concentrate at work or feel like mingling or socialising with people,” he explains.

The severity can range from simple avoidance and irritability when meeting people or just gets easily flustered at work due to absent mindedness and decreased focus and concentration at work.

“It can also be a total breakdown, like the inability to do any work or complete social avoidance. “Whenever a mental health professional sees a dysfunction in the person’s everyday life, and the symptoms are prevalent enough to cause constant distress in that person’s life, it is then important to initiate treatment,” he adds.