While it can be helpful to talk to family and friends about certain issues bothering you, there comes a time when you need to seek professional help. A psychologist can help you get to the root of your problems, and put you on the right trajectory to overcome daunting challenges in your life. In this blog post, we will shed light on the best time to consult a psychologist and how to find one who is worth their salt.
When to Consult a Psychologist
Whenever you experience any of the following issues, you should consider consulting a psychologist:
1. Loss
Although death is inevitable, dealing with the loss of a loved one is not easy. While some people grief openly about the loss of a loved one, others deal with it privately.
It is interesting to note that grieving is not limited to the feeling of sadness. It can also involve regret, uncontrollable rage, guilt and yearning. When all these forms of emotion are at play, family and friends may not be able to help as they would have wished.
When you are unable to stop crying, or concentrate, as well as having suicidal thoughts or thoughts of hurting yourself or others, then you need to consult a psychologist. A psychologist can help you find appropriate ways to cope with the death of a loved one.
2. Stress and Anxiety
Living in Nigeria gives you enough reasons to be stressed and anxious. We wake long before the cock crows and sleep just before we pass out. In fact, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, about 10 million Nigerians suffer stress.
Stress and anxiety, if left unchecked, can lead to social isolation, depression, and a slew of other problems.
A psychologist can help you manage stress and anxiety by finding the source and then proffering solutions to overcome it.
3. Phobias
Being afraid of cockroaches and spiders are common phobias, but some very bizarre and unfounded fears can lead to significant problems in your life. For instance, sitophobia (fear of eating), which about 5 in 100,000 people suffer from, may lead to serious health problems if left unchecked.
A psychologist can help you overcome these fears so that you can lead a normal life.
4. Family and Relationship Issues
Family problems can manifest even in the healthiest of families, resulting in frustrating and tense interactions among family members. From little irritations to buried resentments; from dramatic arguments to feelings of guilt, disappointment, and anger you did not even know you had, families often bring up the most intense emotions we experience.
Consulting a psychologist, whether individually or collectively as a family, can help iron out the rough edges in relationships.
5. Unhealthy Habits
Whether it’s smoking, gluttony, or drinking, we all have one or two bad habits we can’t seem to get rid of. In this regard, behavioural psychology can help.
A psychologist can offer great insights into how to break bad habits and develop healthy habits in their place.
6. Performance Enhancement
To be successful at what you do, you need to be physically and mentally prepared. For instance, as an athlete, you need as much mental preparation as you physically train your body for a competition. When it comes to mental preparation, a psychologist can come in handy.
A psychologist can help you prepare for big events so you can bring your A-game to that pitch deck, interview, or sports competition.
7. Mental Clarity
There are certain crucial situations in life when you need an unbiased opinion, which you can’t get from family and friends for obvious reasons. At this point, you can rely on a psychologist, who will not only give you an impartial hearing but also give mental clarity on the best course of action in that particular instance.
Simply laying your challenges out in the open can help to improve your mental clarity, be more able to concentrate, and become more result-oriented.
Also, psychologists are trained to be great listeners, so you can always run to one when you need a listening ear.
8. Mental Disorders
Mental disorders can manifest themselves in several forms like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and lots more.
What’s more, mental disorders often disguise themselves as something else. For instance, someone can be suffering from bipolar disorder, thinking they are just experiencing mood swings.
With the help of a mental health professional like a psychologist or psychiatrist, you can uncover mental disorders and manage them accordingly.
9. Depression
When you have an overwhelming feeling of helplessness or hopelessness, that is a pointer to depression. Studies conducted in Nigeria show that the prevalence of depression among young adults, elderly and internally displaced persons (IDPs) stands at 25%, 26.2% and 17% respectively.
A combination of genetic, biological, psychological, social and environmental factors are responsible for depression. While some people believe they can just “snap out” of depression, that is rarely the case. Fortunately, with the help of a psychologist, depression can be treated.
How Can You Find a Psychologist?
Now that you know when you need to consult with a psychologist, the next question on your mind is: how can I find a psychologist?
Up until recently, it was quite challenging to find a psychologist who meets your needs. You had to journey for several kilometres to get access to the few available psychologists in Nigeria. As if that was not enough, the exorbitant consultation rate was another issue to grapple with.
Fortunately, with the developments in telemedicine, these issues have become a thing of the past. A telemedicine service provider you can trust when it comes to handling the issues mentioned above is HealthConnect 24×7.
This leading health-tech company in Nigeria allows you to consult with a clinical psychologist via voice/video calls from any convenient location at a pocket-friendly subscription rate. All you have to do is call 08000HEALTH (08000432584) toll-free to get started.
