Mental Health Is Part of Your Overall Health

Mental health affects how we think, feel, behave, interact with others, manage stress, make decisions, and function in everyday life.

Just as people seek medical care for persistent physical symptoms, emotional or behavioral symptoms may also deserve professional attention.

Occasional stress, sadness, worry, frustration, or difficulty sleeping can be part of normal life. The important questions are often:

• How severe are the symptoms?
• How long have they been happening?
• Are they getting worse?
• Are they interfering with work, school, relationships, sleep, parenting, or daily responsibilities?
• Are you having difficulty coping on your own?

You do not necessarily need to wait until symptoms become overwhelming before speaking with a mental health professional.