The symptoms of mental illness can be subtle and hard to recognise. Sometimes, you don’t even notice a change in yourself. However, when many symptoms of mental illness are noticed, it’s important to be proactive and seek treatment.
Here are some signs that you may have mental illness and what you can do about it.
Feeling depressed
Depression symptoms include a lack of motivation and energy, a lack of interest in a hobby, and an inability to stop crying. You may feel that you must live with certain problems, but you don’t have to. Left untreated, depression will slowly get worse, not better, so it’s important to get it seen as soon as possible.
Sleep problems
Mental illness can disrupt your sleep, and common sleep disorder like insomnia is prevalent among mental illness. This can lead to chronic sleep deprivation, which will present itself as fatigue, exhaustion, inability to focus and irritability. Luckily, sleep problems are easy to treat with the right techniques.
Emotional outbursts
Do you ever wonder why you get so angry at the smallest things? Do you ever feel like you are losing control? Struggling to control your emotions is a sign of mental illness and can indicate something quite serious. Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia present with these symptoms and may mean the person may not always be able to distinguish their own thoughts and ideas from reality.
Weight or appetite changes
This is a more obvious symptom of mental illness, as it presents physically after only a short amount of time. Bulimia nervosa sufferers in particular will present with these symptoms, whilst those with body dysmorphia may also struggle to maintain a healthy weight and diet.
Feeling guilty or worthless
All of us go through challenging periods in our lives. With stress, work, and home life, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and forget to take care of ourselves. However, many people with mental health issues fail to acknowledge these “dark times.” These feelings may include but are not limited to an overwhelming sense of emptiness, a fear of the future, an inability to get out of bed, irritability, feelings of sadness, and worthlessness.
Withdrawal
Withdrawing from life, especially if this is a significant change, might indicate a mental health problem. It is possible that a friend or loved one has depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or some other mental illness if they isolate themselves regularly. They may need help if they refuse to participate in social events.
Substance abuse
It is possible to experience mental health issues when using alcohol or drugs as coping mechanisms. The use of substances can exacerbate mental illness. If you know someone who engages in this behavior, they may need your help. Comfort them and offer advice to seek medical and mental care as soon as possible. Consider suggesting rehabilitation centers, such as The Recovery Village Indianapolis (if that’s where you’re based), where they can receive professional support and guidance in overcoming substance abuse and addressing underlying mental health concerns.
Coping with Your Mental Health Issues
Get a Professional Help
Mental health issues do not discriminate; they can impact anyone at any point in life. Various factors, such as abuse, neglect, bullying, as well as internal struggles like stress and anxiety or external events like death or divorce, can contribute to these issues. Regardless of the cause, it is crucial to recognize that there is an array of resources available to provide assistance and support. Seeking professional counseling can be a valuable option. A psychologist from facilities like Serenity Mental Health Centers can help identify your mental health concerns and recommend appropriate treatments and therapies based on your symptoms and conditions.
You should make sure that you understand the difference between psychotherapy and cbt, as both of them will provide you with entirely different experiences and coping skills. There’s no point going to therapy if you aren’t getting anything out of it, so it’s a good idea to know what sort of therapy will be beneficial to you the most.
Establish a Support Network
Mental health is a taboo subject in our society, and many people are reluctant to talk about it due to fears of judgment or negative perceptions. Establishing a support network is a great idea to manage mental stress, whether it involves family, close friends, or therapists, and you can even click here to learn about how psychosocial recovery coaches can play a part in supporting you. Building a relationship with a therapist takes effort. First, you need to identify the type of therapy you require-whether you prefer talking through feelings or problems rationally, or if you feel more comfortable discussing your issues anonymously.
The most important thing is to recognize the signs and get help as soon as possible. The sooner you get help, the better your chances of making a swift recovery.