7 Warning Signs You Need a Mental Wellness Check

Dr. Tracey Marks, a psychiatrist, outlines seven common early warning signs indicating a decline in mental health, emphasizing that early recognition allows for easier intervention before severe depression takes hold. These signs include neglecting personal hygiene (such as bathing or brushing teeth), a significantly cluttered living environment, frequently losing track of time due to psychomotor slowing, experiencing intense and unprovoked emotions, social isolation, and persistent exhaustion despite adequate rest. The core argument is that these seemingly minor behavioral changes are crucial indicators of underlying mental distress, often linked to depressive states.

Dr. Marks provides key distinctions and nuances, clarifying that "bathing" refers to any personal cleaning routine and that hygiene priorities can differ, making not brushing teeth a distinct sign. She introduces psychomotor slowing as a feature of depression where mental and physical processes slow down, altering time perception and making tasks overwhelming. The podcast differentiates between healthy relaxation or meditation and the unstimulated staring associated with depression, highlighting a fundamental need for stimulation. Emotional fragility is described as not aligning with external circumstances, and isolation is presented as a coping mechanism to avoid perceived judgment or emotional breakdowns.

For those recognizing these signs, the podcast strongly recommends a "mental wellness check." The foundational self-care strategies proposed include prioritizing 7-9 hours of sleep for adults (8-10 for teens), minimizing processed foods in the diet, and engaging in 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise weekly. Practical examples for exercise include brisk walking or utilizing free streaming services like the Nike Training Club app, which offers various workouts including yoga. The emphasis is on these basic, yet powerful, interventions to improve depression symptoms and prevent further decline.

This discussion underscores the importance of proactive mental health management, akin to regular physical health check-ups. It illustrates how simple daily tasks can become insurmountable during mental health decline, perpetuating a cycle of guilt and misery. The episode also briefly touches on other potential causes for fatigue, such as low thyroid, low vitamin D, medication side effects, and dietary factors, suggesting a holistic approach to well-being where physical and mental health are deeply interconnected and require comprehensive attention.

It's very hard to pull yourself out of a hole when you bottom out from depression.

The significance is that whatever way you clean yourself, you stop doing it or struggle to do it consistently.

Because when you get depressed, everything becomes hard.

One of the features of depression is what's called psychomotor slowing.

You think you're only sitting there for five minutes, but someone around you notices that you're not doing much and you're like, "It was just a couple of minutes." And the other person's like, "No, you've been sitting there half an hour."

Feeling strong emotions just underneath the surface, especially when those emotions don't match your circumstances.

You may be afraid that you'll break down in front of people or blow up and lose your stuff in front of them.

The three foundational things that contribute to mental wellness is prioritizing your sleep to get seven to nine hours if you're an adult and eight to 10 if you're a teen, minimizing processed foods from your diet, and getting 150 minutes of moderate level of aerobic exercise a week.

I know it sounds basic, but increasing your physical activity has been shown to improve depression symptoms and even pull you up when you're on your way down.