 Hey, Psych2Goers. The only consistency in life is change. This goes for your mental health as well. You will have good days as well as bad ones, and that's the regular course of things. It's also common that there are subtle shifts that occur you may not readily notice. So although you can't just stay better in a static state, this also means you won't just stay down either. Let's try to keep all those down times under control by being able to recognize the signs of struggle. Here are a few things to look out for. Number one, you experience a drop in brain functioning. This one can be tough because your brain is your command center and is the very organ used to recognize the other signs. So this sign requires a good sense of self-awareness and being able to look at oneself from the outside. Many of us aren't used to doing this, but it's a good activity to practice as it can be applied to helping with other mental health issues as well. When you can train yourself to mentally hang out on the outside of yourself in a preserve, you might notice behaviors and activities that aren't the norm for you. Signs include getting distracted more frequently, being consistently in brain fog, and you've been implementing a logical solutions like, I'm sure a cheeseburger will make everything better. It's easy to write these off as momentary lapses. There's a big review this week, so I didn't get much sleep, for example. And sure, you might be right. However, maybe don't totally dismiss this as it's happened enough that you are now taking the step to observe yourself from the outside. Take note, even if they're physical notes to help you remember, as these may well also be subtle signs that your mental state is sliding down the slippery slope. Number two, you isolate yourself from others. Have you noticed that your happy alone time is getting to be more of a 24-7 thing rather than simply the relaxing end of your day or the occasional weekend with a book? Again, is it more than your normal? Isolating yourself is more than being socially distant. Social isolation is that next level where you're putting in active effort to avoid other people. Not just, nah, had a rough week. Tired. As in, you're now creating methods and plans for the purpose of eschewing human social activity. When it gets to this point, you're deliberately marginalizing yourself. Self-marginalization can be due to euphobia, in which case we encourage you to reach out to a professional if you require help, but it can also be due to your mental health. When the issue is from your mental health, it's more a state of suffering and silence, feeling annoyed and tired at having to pretend happy when you go out. You also find that you've lost interest in previously enjoyable things. Number three, you have low energy. Yeah, low energy is a sign. To make it a sign, though, it happens often or is consistent. The reason is that although you're not doing the physical to cattle on marathon CrossFit course, internally you sure are. Your emotions and feelings are in some turmoil and you're mentally playing referee, mediator and internal counselor to hold yourself together. Although no specific cause for the overlap and fatigue in psychiatric disorders has been found as of yet, one can't deny the tiredness. We understand that being so exhausted plus dealing with life stuff is ultimately draining and it can be extra difficult to figure out if this is mental health or not. So reach out to a professional for a clear, medically supported view and appropriate treatment. You do deserve to feel 3D and not 2D. And number four, you really don't feel like yourself. This is a bit of an abstract sign that is difficult to give a concrete description. One description is that you're a SIM, waiting for the next task to be assigned by the power outside and then realizing you're also the power outside. But the power suddenly lost connectivity to the controls. So you can't control SIMU. You're experiencing episodes of what's called depersonalization or derealization. It's a dissociative feeling where things just feel off and you feel like you're along for the ride in your own body and it's happening more than usual. Perhaps you're getting too mired in your own thoughts, but you can also easily get swept away in a wave of emotions, doubts and negative thoughts so much so that you forget who you are. So what do you do when you feel like you're floating away involuntarily? Find something tangible and solid that grounds you where you are. It could be the feeling of ice in your hands, listening to your breaths, essentially whatever helps you come back into your physical being. Once you've landed, though, take a moment, take some deep, soul-filling breaths and take stock. It is normal to be a little freaked out not knowing where you are. As with all of our information bits, we're super happy you're watching and learning. While at the same time, please don't take our word for everything. There are very qualified professionals out there who can give proper guidance. We're definitely not here to take their place. If you recognize any of these symptoms, feel free to comment, share or even ask more questions. We'll catch you in the next video. Take care, stay safe and so much love.