Mental health is an integral part of our overall well-being, yet it's often overlooked or misunderstood. Recognizing the symptoms of common mental health disorders is the first step towards seeking help and support. In this blog, we will dive into the signs and symptoms of prevalent mental health disorders.
Mental health disorders encompass a wide range of conditions that affect thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and overall functioning. These disorders can impact anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background. It's important to remember that experiencing occasional emotional struggles is a normal part of life, but persistent symptoms that interfere with daily life may indicate a mental health disorder.
Depression
Depression can affect individuals in many different ways. According to Mayo Clinic, depression often involves persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. Other symptoms may include changes in appetite like weight loss or weight gain, sleep disturbances, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and frequent or recurring thoughts of suicide (Mayo Clinic).
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders manifest in excessive worry, fear, or unease. Symptoms can range from generalized anxiety to panic attacks and phobias (Mind). Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder can include uncontrollable worrying, worrying that affects your daily life (school, work and social life), and worrying about even minor concerns like household chores (NHS). Physical symptoms such as feeling tense, rapid heartbeat, trembling, sweating, and difficulty breathing may also occur (Mind).
Bipolar Disorder
Mayo Clinic characterizes Bipolar disorder by extreme mood swings between depressive lows and manic highs. Depressive episodes mirror those of clinical depression, while manic phases involve heightened energy. Symptoms of manic phases can include feeling very happy, talking quickly, feelings full of great ideas, being easily irritated and more (NHS).
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia involves a disconnection from reality, and typically those diagnoses require lifelong treatment. Symptoms include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and thinking, and lacking the ability to function normally (Mayo Clinic).
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):
PTSD develops after exposure to traumatic events. According to the APA, “An individual may experience this as emotionally or physically harmful or life-threatening and may affect mental, physical, social, and/or spiritual well-being.” Symptoms of PTSD may include distressing dreams, flashbacks of the event, avoiding reminders of the traumatic event, and alterations in cognition and mood (APA).
Seeking Help and Support
Recognizing symptoms is the first step, but seeking help is crucial. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, professional help is available.
Compass Community Health is here to help with any mental health issues that you may face. Learn more about our mental health services, mental health providers, or read our blog article, “4 Tips For Mental Health In The Workplace”.
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-Email: info@compasscommunityhealth.org,
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