Warning Signs
“Things not to say to someone with mental illness: Ignore it. Forget about it. Fight it. Your are better than this. You are over thinking.”
Nitya Prakash,2019
Mental health is sometimes the invisible injury, is often easy to overlook the early clues of when we are starting to struggle. Recognising these warning signs early can make a significant difference. If we may be able to find a strategy to help early on, often the tools that work when we are at 4/10 won’t work when we are at a 10/10. If we can recognise the signals before it’s too late, we may be able to prevent small issues from becoming bigger problems.
Understanding Personal Warning Signs
Everyone has a unique way of responding to emotions (stress, anxiety, or depression) and these responses often manifest as warning signs, common areas to monitor include:
Sleep Patterns: Changes in your sleep, struggling to fall asleep, waking up frequently, or sleeping too much, can indicate that something is off.
Eating Habits: Shifts in appetite or diet, such as eating too much or skipping meals, craving junk food can be warning signs.
Social Interaction: Talking more or less, avoiding phone calls or texts, increase in conflicts or difficulties maintaining boundaries, can be signs that you are struggling.
Sensory Sensitivity: Increased sensitivity to noise, light, or other sensory stimuli, along with feelings of being overwhelmed or emotionally reactive, are common signs that we often don’t recognise as indications of emotional overwhelm.
Routine and Hygiene: A drop or increase in your normal routines, such as neglecting personal hygiene, or for others it might be suddenly over cleaning can be a sign that something might be wrong.
Strategies for Recognising Warning Signs
The key to managing is to identify your signs early and to know what action works for you at each step along the way. We can start with:
Build your toolkit: Identify your warning signs and the tools you can use at each step along the way
Create a Support System: Know you can go to when you recognise you are struggling. Sometimes, those close to us notice changes before we do. Encourage people you trust to help if they see you heading to a danger space.
Use Mnemonics: Tools like "SNAP" (Sleep, Nutrition, Activity, People) or "The Four S's" (Structure, Stress, Sleep, Self-Monitor) can help you remember the key areas to monitor in your daily life.
Develop a Safety Plan: Knowing what to do when you hit a low point can prevent a mental health crisis. Work with a therapist or counsellor to create a personalised plan that includes distress tolerance techniques and steps to take when you notice your warning signs.
Mental health is a journey. We can’t control our environment or remove “triggers” permanently. There is no “one size fits all” solution, but by understanding your warning signs and using strategies appropriate to your level of distress you can manage your mental health and lead a more balanced life.
Resources
Book – On Warning signs and strategies:
Forney, E. (2018). Rock Steady: Brilliant Advice from My Bipolar Life. Fantagraphics Books.
Phone Numbers – In South Australia
Lived Experience Telephone Support Service – 1800 013 755
Mental Health Triage – 13 14 65
Lifeline – 13 11 14
SANE – 1800 187 263
Websites
mindmatters.edu.au
beyondblue.org.au
betteroffwithyou.org.au
blackdoginstitute.org.au
grow.org.au
