Many people may only recognise their mental health is deteriorating when they experience a panic attack or breakdown.
However, a self-help coach, who specialises in helping individuals overcome anxiety, has highlighted that there are more subtle, everyday symptoms that could be the first indicators of mental health struggles.
Lisa Houghton, a self-help author and coach with a following of 226,000 on Instagram, shared insights into these early signs in one of her recent posts. In a video clip, she presented overlay text over a cup of coffee which read: “We don’t realise that the first sign our mental health is suffering isn’t a panic attack or an emotional breakdown. It starts with waking up exhausted, even after sufficient sleep.”
Lisa went on to share other early warning signs of mental health issues, such as finding it hard to get out of bed, frequent headaches, a lack of motivation, digestive and skin problems, muscle pains, the desire to withdraw from social contact, and irritability. She continued with additional symptoms like low energy, feelings of being lost, stuck, or devoid of joy, memory difficulties, engaging in self-destructive behaviours, and experiencing brain fog.
She emphasised the importance of paying attention to one’s body, saying: “Your body speaks to you. Listen before it has to scream!” In her caption, Lisa reflected on her past experiences with panic attacks and anxiety, noting: “I used to think that the panic attacks and anxiety I experienced just came out of nowhere. Like it was some illness I’d developed because my brain was faulty.”
She revealed that she had missed the warning signs of her mental health struggles, saying: “But the truth was, they didn’t just appear suddenly. My mental health and nervous system were sending signals all along that they were suffering. Unfortunately, I missed or ignored them.”
She added: “I used painkillers to numb the discomfort, alcohol to drown out the noise, and worst of all, I was incredibly harsh on myself. Labelling myself as weak, stupid, and useless.
“In my defence, I didn’t know that our bodies communicate with us. I only learned this during my second mental breakdown, in my mid-40s. I doubt many doctors fully understood it either. But it’s true our bodies do talk to us. So, let’s start listening.”
Lisa encouraged people to “give themselves permission to be human, not machines that just need a bit of maintenance when things go wrong.”
She also urged her followers to ‘make themselves a priority’ and reclaim their wellbeing by listening to their needs and honouring them.
The post resonated with many of her followers, with over 15,000 likes. One person commented: “Such an important topic,” while another added: “The wisdom of listening out for the whispers, rather than waiting to be derailed by the shout.”
A third person agreed: “This is such an important reminder! Anxiety and burnout don’t always show up as full blown panic attacks … they whisper through exhaustion, brain fog, and feeling ‘off.’ Learning to listen to those early signs can make all the difference.”
The NHS concurs that stress, depression, and life’s challenges can all contribute to feelings of tiredness and fatigue. They advise making an appointment with your GP if: