Having a bad day? Think back to how long you’ve been feeling like that — in some cases, it will be a few days or even weeks.
These emotional distress symptoms aren’t uncommon in today’s modern age. Their presence indicates a conflict within the mind. The seriousness of your situation depends on how long these symptoms last and how bad they get.
Here are four common signs of emotional distress. If any of them seem familiar, have your family doctor perform a complete physical.
1. Compulsive Behavior
Do you feel a compulsion to do things even if there’s no logical reason for them? Does it take you an hour to leave your home due to getting bogged in a series of rituals? These can include washing hands, rechecking locks, or touching things.
At their core, these compulsions are behavioral acts meant to eliminate your obsessions. They’re often accompanied by anxiety. If your mind gets cluttered with obsessions, they can easily take over your life.
2. Sleep Disturbances
Sleeping less — or more — than usual is another telltale sign of emotional distress. Oftentimes, this means you can’t fall asleep at all. If you do manage to fall asleep, you tend to wake up after a few hours and can’t go back to sleep.
For a lot of people, these disturbances will occur more than twice a week. If your doctor can’t identify any physical reason behind them, the issue may be psychological. This can mean you’re dealing with anxiety or depression.
3. Mood Swings
For most of us, life will always seem like “business as usual.” Sometimes, though, this may not fit with how your friends or family members see you. If they start commenting on your “moody” behavior, it’s a good idea to pay attention.
Why is this important? Simple: other people can have observations of you that you won’t be able to see. The more people tell you that something is wrong, the more you should take them seriously. Sometimes, your inner voice may not be right.
4. Vicarious Trauma
This symptom of emotional distress is also known as compassion fatigue. In simple terms, this describes the phenomenon of caring for others too much. Professions susceptible to it include doctors, counselors, therapists, and so on.
If you know a trauma survivor, consider how this relationship may affect you. Do you find yourself worrying you’re not doing enough for them or struggling to talk about your feelings? To learn more about vicarious trauma, go to this page.
Other Emotional Distress Symptoms
These four emotional distress symptoms are very common these days. That said, there are several other things worth paying attention to.
For instance, chronic fatigue is another common sign of emotional distress. If your body can’t handle the emotional overload, it starts to shut down. This often results in feeling too tired to do anything, even the things you used to enjoy.
Want to know more about how to handle emotional distress? Interested in learning how these issues influence your life? Keep reading our health-related content.
