Is It Time to Take a Mental Health Day?

We’re all familiar with the idea of staying home from school or work when we’re under the weather with a cold or a stomach virus. You probably don’t feel well enough to do your best, and if you’re contagious, it’s irresponsible to expose yourself to other people who may catch whatever you have. However, the idea of taking a day specifically to tend to your mental well-being is somewhat less commonplace in the United States – the most overworked country in the world.

Here’s how to tell when it’s time to take a break for your mental health, and why you shouldn’t feel guilty or hesitant to admit when you need to set aside a day or two to manage stress or practice your self-care routine.

How to Tell If You Need a Mental Health Day

Sometimes, life feels overwhelming. Even glancing at the day’s headline news can be exhausting. If this burden becomes too heavy and you are starting to experience the symptoms of burnout, it could be because you haven’t given yourself enough time to do the healthy hobbies that serve as an outlet to keep stress at a minimum.

Chronic stress comes with a whole host of issues, from high blood pressure to headaches. You may be unmotivated and find yourself detaching from responsibilities that used to be engaging for you. If that’s the case, you should schedule a day for self-care activities such as getting a massage or spending time with friends.

Reasons to Take a Mental Health Day

If you want to be healthy, you shouldn’t neglect your mental well-being. Just as you need to build rest days into your physical exercise routine, your mind and spirit need occasional downtime to recover. Listen to what your inner voice is telling you. If you wake up feeling exhausted, use your best judgment and decide when it’s time to take a day off school or work.

It’s OK if you don’t want to go into a high level of detail with co-workers, teachers or classmates about why you took a mental health day. It’s not a stretch of the truth to say you weren’t feeling your best and thought you’d be better off staying home.

Ideas for How to Spend Your Mental Health Day

What should you do with your day off? Anything that helps you feel better and manage stress qualifies as a good mental health day activity, even if it’s something as straightforward as taking a nap. The goal is not to spend the day running errands, doing chores or organizing your email inbox. Instead, focus on activities you find relaxing, whether that’s doing yoga, fitting in an extra session with your therapist or taking a long, hot bath. Allow your brain to unplug and the burdens to lift from your shoulders.

Renewed Focus on Your Health

At first, the idea of taking a day strictly to focus on your mental well-being might seem selfish or overly indulgent. However, by allowing yourself time to unwind and de-stress, you’ll return from your day off with renewed enthusiasm to be a better employee, student, friend or family member. Developing a habit of taking time off when you need it will help create more balance in your daily life.

If you need to seek treatment for health issues such as substance abuse or co-occurring disorders, Hope Academy is here for you. Contact us to learn about our specialized program offerings for young adults.

Addressing the Unique Treatment Needs of Younger People

Every adult can look back on their teens and early 20s with a mix of nostalgia and relief that they don’t have to go through that turbulent time again. However, today’s landscape is significantly more complex than what you might have faced during that time of your life. For one thing, readily available technology and 24/7 access to social media have put unique stresses on people, even those who grew up as digital natives.

If you feel like a gulf has developed between you and your child as they’ve reached these difficult years, how can you tell the difference between typical teen angst and signs of possibly risky behavior?

Challenges Facing Today’s Young Adults

None of us could have accurately predicted what the introduction of social media outlets would mean for society at large. Many people happily jumped on board with Facebook, for instance, willingly trading their privacy in exchange for being able to stay in touch with far-flung family and friends and participate in various online interest groups.

However, we now know Facebook did not have people’s best interests at heart. The company's executives were more than willing to provide detailed user information to political campaigns seeking to influence votes in the 2016 presidential election. What other “helpful” apps might be secretly harboring harmful intentions?

Ironically, though social media platforms were supposed to bring us all together, they have also served as a tool for cybercriminals and purveyors of discord and discrimination. For example, creators of “alternative news” have flocked to YouTube because it’s free to use and presents low barriers for entry. As a result, many teenagers – largely young men – have become dangerously radicalized into violent far-right ideologies that pull them away from the mainstream.

When to Seek Therapy or Help for Your Child

Sometimes, it can be challenging to tell when a teenager or college-aged child is struggling with substance abuse or other co-occurring mental health disorders. Is a son or daughter who seems withdrawn or sullen dealing with troubles like depression or cyberbullying, or is their isolation a simple form of teen rebellion? Here are some signs your child might benefit from counseling or professional help for their problems.

• Ignoring responsibilities at home or at school
• A lapse in personal hygiene
• Skipping classes or other, even riskier, behavior
• Sleeping too much or not nearly enough
• Erratic mood swings, hostility or anger
• Unwillingness to discuss any difficulties with you

How to Find the Right Program

If you and a medical professional determine your teenager or college-aged student needs help to overcome a mental health problem or dual diagnosis, it’s essential to find a treatment program that will meet the unique needs of their situation. Even the best-designed course of therapy will be less effective if your child is not willing to play an active role in their recovery.

Early intervention is also essential because it can help avoid the lifelong consequences of untreated substance use and mental health problems, which can disrupt your child’s promising future and set them on a rocky road to the financial, legal, emotional, psychological and physical issues associated with these issues.

At Hope Academy, we understand the challenges the younger generation faces, both in society at large and their lives in general. We are here to provide structure and support with customized programming that helps teach life, academic and job skills to clients ages 18 to 26. If you’re ready to learn more, contact us today.

Moving Past Feelings of Hopelessness

Are you feeling hopeless? Is your head spinning with thoughts like “I’ll never be happy,” or “There’s no use in trying,” or “The world is against me?” Feelings of hopelessness should never be ignored. 

For one, these thoughts can cause you to isolate yourself and stop practicing basic self-care – which will just further add to your hopelessness and depression. And this can be a slippery slope into relapse. 

While there’s no magic switch to turn off these feelings, there are a few steps you can take to help restore your faith and boost your mood. If you try the below strategies and can’t seem to dig yourself out of a hopeless rut, or if you’re also experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviors, get professional help immediately. 

• Don’t isolate yourself. Surrounding yourself with even one good friend can help remind you that all is not lost. Talking about your feeling openly can also help you understand and even move past a few negative feelings.
• Challenge those negative thoughts. The next time you find yourself thinking: “I can’t” or “there’s no use” stop and replace them with “I’ll try” and “I’m worth it.” This simple exercise can do wonders for your state of mind.  
• Allow yourself to cry. Sometimes you just need a good cry – and that’s okay. Letting out these emotions can help release toxins and elevate your mood. 
• Turn to your go-to comfort activity.  Whether reading a book or watching a movie or playing music – indulge in an activity that can keep you relaxed and distracted in a healthy way.
• Get up and move. Exercise will help you release those feel-good endorphins that can help give you the added strength to move past any feelings of hopelessness.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment for Young Adults
At Hope Academy, we conduct a series of tests upon admission to determine if mental illness is complicating substance abuse. Once we gain a comprehensive understanding of each patient’s individual health challenges, our addiction treatment team develops a customized program. To learn more, call 866-930-4673. 

Top Mental Health Challenges Among College Students

Did you know that one in four students are struggling with a diagnosable mental illness and yet 40 percent don’t seek help? Your mental health matters and if left untreated, could impact your academic, social and family life and lead to serious and even life-threatening health conditions. 

Luckily, more and more campuses are taking steps to help students take better care of their mental health – but you can play a pivotal role, too. 

Your first step is to learn and recognize the red flags. In honor Mental Health Month this month, here are some of the most common mental health issues among college students today. If you spot the signs in yourself or in someone you care about, don’t wait. Remember, you’re not alone and help is out there. 

Depression: According to one study, depression is the number-one reason students drop out of school. 

• Changes in sleep habits  (sleeping more or difficulty sleeping)
• Appetite changes (loss of appetite or overeating)
• Sadness
• Feelings of being overwhelmed
• Hopelessness
• Powerlessness
• Trouble concentrating and paying attention

Anxiety: According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, nearly 75% of those affected by an anxiety disorder will experience their first episode before the age of 22. 

• Feelings of stress and apprehension
• Irritability
• Trouble concentrating
• Fearfulness
• Sweating and dizziness
• Shortness of breath
• Irregular heartbeat
• Muscle pain and tension
• Headaches
• Frequent upset stomach or diarrhea

Suicide: Suicide is the second most common cause of death among college students, with someone between the ages of 15 and 24 dying every two hours and 12 minutes.

• Difficulty handling schoolwork
• Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
• Changes in sleeping and/or eating habits 
• Low energy levels or a feeling of being drained
• Feelings of hopeless or being trapped
• Extreme mood swings
• Emotional outbursts (crying or being easily irritated) 
• Changes in relationships, including sexual promiscuity
• Self-destructive behavior (substance abuse, cutting)

Eating disorders: Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder are the most common eating disorders. Nearly 50% of individuals with an eating disorder are also abusing drugs and/or alcohol, which is a rate fives times greater than the general population. 

• Skipping meals or making excuses for not eating
• Excessive focus on healthy eating
• Withdrawing from normal social activities
• Persistent worry or complaining about being fat and talk of losing weight
• Use of dietary supplements, laxatives or herbal products for weight loss
• Excessive exercise
• Leaving during meals to use the toilet
• Eating much more food in a meal or snack than is considered normal
• Expressingdisgust, shame or guilt about eating habits
• Eating in secret

Dual Diagnosis Treatment for Young Adults
At Hope Academy, we conduct a series of tests upon admission to determine if mental illness is causing or complicating substance abuse. Once we gain a comprehensive understanding of each patient’s individual health challenges, our addiction treatment team develops a customized program. To learn more, call 866-930-4673.