Understanding Your Emotions

During stressful times, you or someone you love may experience any number of emotions, including fear, sadness, and anxiety. Managing daily routines, coping with emotions and dealing with uncertainty affects everyone differently. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), it is more important than ever to pay attention to your health and emotional well-being and those of your family and friends.

Signs of Depression

Depression can interfere with your daily life and affect relationships. Understanding the symptoms of depression can assist professionals in treating symptoms and causes of depression. Although depression is common, it is important to seek professional help to control the severity of the disease and to mitigate any emotions or behaviors related to depression.

Symptoms of depression:

• Irritability
• Loss of interest in activities
• Insomnia or excessive sleeping
• Bad thoughts
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Isolation
• Suicidal thoughts or attempts

When to Seek/Suggest Professional Help

Certain emotions or behaviors may signal the time to encourage a family member or friend to seek professional help, according to Beacon Health Options, a behavioral health services company.

Signs that you or someone you know should seek help:

• Struggling to work, parent or keep up with household tasks
• Unable to handle stress with normal coping strategies
• Difficulty maintaining a healthy appetite or experiencing significant weight loss
• Using drugs or alcohol to cope
• Engaging in risk-taking behaviors
• Unable to focus
• Sleeplessness
• Lack of interest in activities that once brought joy
• Panic attacks
• Fear of being around others, even family or children
• Mistrust of people they normally confided in or counted on
• A sense of guilt and unworthiness
• Restlessness or agitation
• Anger and violent outburst

Seeking Help

If you need help, do not wait until things get out of your control. Recognizing how you are feeling can help you take care of your emotional health, manage your anxiety and stress, and cope with difficult situations. Reaching out for help is an important step.

The NAMI recommends you use the resources that you feel most comfortable with, including:

• Your primary care physician
• Online therapists
• Community mental health programs
• Support groups
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Counseling centers
• National helplines

What you can do to help others who are seeking help:

• Make a meal or pick up groceries
• Offer to call their workplace with them if they would like, or help with paperwork if they need a leave of absence
• Call and check in daily while distress continues
• Research support networks to share with your friend or family member

SilverCloud

We are pleased to offer MemorialCare patients and members of our surrounding communities access to SilverCloud, an online educational and therapeutic program to help manage anxiety, depression, stress, and trouble sleeping. This program can be used whenever you need it and can help you set goals or apply your learnings to your daily life. SilverCloud programs have demonstrated high improvement rates for stress, anxiety, and depression. We understand how emotional well-being directly affects your daily life and we are here to help you take charge of your emotional well-being and celebrate success. To learn more about how this program can be beneficial for your health and well-being, please visit here.

Additional Support

• MemorialCare has centralized many helpful resources at memorialcare.org/wellbeing to help give our patients tools to improve their mental and emotional wellbeing.
• If you, or someone you love, is in a life-threatening situation, call 911
• If you think you need help, you can also call the toll-free SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline, 24/7, at 1-800-985-5990