Mental Health Disorders

When it comes to physical health, it is frequently simple to identify problems. However, it can often be convoluted and difficult to discern

the general state of your own mental health. Especially if you’re not an instinctively introspective person. The question exists then; how can you recognize when a mental health issue has become a mental health problem?

Signs of Good Mental Health

To evaluate mental health, many different variables are considered. To determine physical well-being, doctors examine the heart, lungs, temperature, and other organs. Attitudes, acts,

behaviors, and relationships all factor into mental health evaluations.

Below, we look at several signs or markers that generally indicate that a person has good mental health.

• Implementation of personal boundaries: They are aware of what information should be kept private and what should be shared with others. When requested to accomplish anything, they are dependable and respect others’ secrets and personal confidences. People who are mentally well are aware that it is OK to refuse requests that go against their principles, ethics, or personal boundaries.
• Healthy relationship with being alone: Mentally healthy people, in general, enjoy both time alone and time with others. The amount of time a person prefers to spend with others depends on how much of an introvert or extrovert they are. They feel at ease being by themselves, but they also feel at ease conversing with people or spending time with their loved ones.
• Good self-relationship: They are aware of both their skills and weaknesses. They manage life’s storms reasonably well, letting themselves experience joy, rage, and grief when necessary but not dwelling on any single feeling for an extended period of time.
• Ability to poke fun at yourself: The capacity for laughter is one of the most crucial indicators of mental wellness. People who are mentally fit find humor in everyday situations, especially in their own behavior. They like making light fun of themselves and laughing with others.
• Comfort with differences: Although they may have strong convictions about what is right and wrong, mentally healthy people “live and let live,” which means they accept that not everyone shares their opinions on significant matters. They are capable of accepting others for who they are without compromising their own principles and morals.
• Putting things into proper perspective: A person with good mental health may see the big picture. They don’t interpret other people’s activities, but they are continuously curious about what others are saying, believing, or doing in light of themselves.
• Respect for others: Respect for others is a quality of mentally healthy people. They don’t mistreat people verbally, physically, or sexually or utilize them for their own purposes. People that are mentally healthy understand that everyone has emotions. A person with a healthy mental state typically has positive interactions with their friends, family, and coworkers. Even though some relationships may end badly, they rarely leave a trail of betrayed confidence or damaged feelings.

As you read the list above, you could discover that while you are generally healthy, there may be one or two areas where you need to improve. That is appropriate and typical. There are several options available to you if you want to focus on particular areas to enhance your mental health. You can attend individual or group counseling, read self-help books, or join a support group. Like physical health, mental health is a continuum. Everyone has space for development. The aim is to ensure that no area becomes so out of balance that it enters the territory of illness.

Signs of Mental Health Problems

Knowing what a mentally healthy person looks like will help you recognize the warning signals of mental health issues. Doctors consider the severity of the condition as well as how long it has been when evaluating mental health issues. In fact, there are many warning signs that can indicate a mental illness. The influence the issue has on you, your entire life, and the people around you can be used to gauge its severity.

Below we examine some of the more common signs of mental illness.

• Persistent sadness: If a loved one passes away, a pet passes away, you lose your job, or any significant life event occurs, it’s normal to feel sad or melancholy. But if that melancholy persists and seems to be going downhill, it can be an indication of a mental health issue like depression.
• Extreme emotional states: Excessive or extreme behavior is frequently an indicator of mental health issues. Mental health issues might be indicated by excessive concern or anxiety, sadness that lasts for a long time or appears unsuitable for the scenario, or even elation that borders on manic.
• Suicidal ideation: Seek assistance right away if you find yourself thinking about how to end your life, contemplating suicide, or ruminating on death. Inform a relative or friend. Visit the emergency room or make a call to a suicide hotline. Get help right away.
• Hallucinations: Everyone occasionally hears something they didn’t really hear or occasionally sees something out of the corner of their eye. Hallucinations should certainly be checked for mental illness if they happen frequently or feel so genuine that you insist others see them. The first warning sign of a hallucination is when it instructs you to do something you wouldn’t ordinarily do, like hurt yourself, a family member, or a pet. Inform your physician or visit the emergency department.
• Negative changes to diet or sleep: You either don’t have an appetite or you’re eating everything you see. No matter how many sheep you count, you either want to sleep all day or are unable to get a wink of sleep. Significant alterations in eating or sleeping habits may all be indications of mental illness.
• Avoidance of social interactions: Mentally sick people frequently avoid all social situations. They get too overwhelmed to deal with their friends, family, and coworkers, so they withdraw. People who are psychologically healthy need at least a few close relationships in their lives in order to be happy because they are social creatures. A mental disorder may be indicated by excessive seclusion.
• Excessive substance use: Abuse of alcohol and other drugs can lead to mental illness or may actually be a symptom that a person is looking for drugs to treat their mental diseases on their own (this is referred to as self-medicating). Alcohol is frequently used as a kind of anxiety relief. Others use hallucinogens and other drugs to combat their feelings of worry, loneliness, and sadness.

Most Common Mental Health Disorders

Depression

Major depressive illness, commonly known as depression, is a spectrum of disorders that can range from vaguely melancholy feelings that last for several months or longer to suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Depressive symptoms include:

• Feelings of grief, sorrow, dejection, and hopelessness that last for days on end or persist after a regular trigger.
• Isolation.
• Neglect of self-care and social relationships.

As many as 17.3 million American adults have experienced a severe depressive episode, working out to 7.1% of the total adult population. It can kill and affect people of any age. Major depressive illness can be successfully treated with medication and treatment, either separately or in tandem.

Bipolar Disorder

Depression and mania recur in cycles in bipolar disorder. Each peak and valley in these cycles, which can last weeks, months, or even years, is experienced as an extreme. Between these periods of extremes, some people resume their normal lives. Bipolar patients may engage in extreme shopping binges, experience feelings of euphoria and invincibility, and engage in sexual promiscuity during manic episodes. They might talk quickly and eat little or no food. These feelings eventually subside, and people may go back to being normal or experience more typical levels of anxiety and depression.

When depressive episodes occur, nothing makes sense. People eat more, sleep longer, and feel listless when they are depressed and blue. Treatment for bipolar disorder can be effective when combined with medication and therapy.

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders range from panic attacks, generalized worry, and situation-specific anxiety to social anxiety or extreme anxiety, primarily in social circumstances. Intense episodes of anxiety are a hallmark of anxiety disorders. These emotions can occasionally cause panic attacks. A heart attack can feel similar to a panic attack. Patients may visit the emergency room if they have symptoms like shortness of breath, racing heart, dizziness, and others.

Various medications, either alone or in combination with therapy, can be used to treat all types of anxiety disorders. Drug-free treatments for anxiety include biofeedback, relaxation techniques, and cognitive therapy. If you suspect you might have an anxiety issue, don’t be afraid to seek therapy because there are numerous solutions available today.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

OCD is an anxiety condition marked by obsessive thoughts that are only suppressed when the compulsion is carried out. Before diagnosing OCD, symptoms must be persistent, and at least one hour of the day must be spent on compulsions. OCD sufferers might conceal their actions and compulsive behaviors. Obsessive thoughts about harm, frequently caused by germs or imagined danger, as well as a fixation with order and cleanliness, are examples of obsessions. Only repeating a compulsion, such as washing one’s hands, checking the stove frequently, or arranging objects in patterns, will relieve these obsessions.

People frequently become aware of the effects of obsessive behavior before realizing a loved one has OCD. For instance, those who feel the need to wash their hands may continue to do so even after their skin begins to break and bleed. The motivation to seek therapy for their skin problem may come from loved ones who are unaware that the person actually has an OCD illness.

Both medicine and treatment can be used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, but medication is virtually always necessary to keep the condition under control. Stress can occasionally cause symptoms to worsen, but they can also subside temporarily on their own.

Schizophrenia

Approximately 1% of people in the population are affected by schizophrenia. Hallucinations, such as hearing voices, difficulty moving or irrational movements, and disordered thinking, are some of the symptoms. Although schizophrenia is a chronic disorder, pharmaceutical treatment can frequently alleviate many of the most prominent symptoms. Stress, alcohol, and other narcotics should be avoided at all costs.

The Best Choices You Can Make If You Think You Suffer From Mental Health Problems

It’s crucial to visit your doctor if you believe you have mental health concerns in order to rule out any underlying medical conditions that could be causing the same symptoms. In order to diagnose and treat you, your doctor may next suggest that you see a counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist. Before selecting a therapist to work with for your therapy, you might need to consult with a few different ones. That is typical, and your therapist won’t be offended if you opt to seek counseling elsewhere. Finding someone you feel you can trust is crucial.

Get recommendations for therapists in your area from family, friends, and your doctor. Think about whether you’d feel more at ease working with a man or a woman and whether you’d benefit more from a group setting or individual counseling.

It’s not a bad idea to try medication if your doctor suggests it to address your symptoms. Many people worry that taking medication for depression, OCD, or anxiety disorders will somehow alter their personalities. Nothing is more false than it is. Modern drugs for mental diseases assist in balancing your brain chemistry, so you feel more like yourself, not less like yourself, rather than masking symptoms.

If you have taken medication in the past and are hesitant to do so again due to adverse effects, speak with your doctor. Most newer medications on the market have fewer side effects than previous ones. To lessen adverse effects, he might be able to switch to a different prescription or brand.
Do not let mental illness go untreated. Admitting you have a problem or an addiction is not shameful. Letting things go untreated and failing to live life to the fullest is a massive mistake. You deserve to live a happy, healthy life, and assistance is available!

At Addiction Experts, our professional and experienced staff can guide you through this process of recovery and treatment! We are standing by to offer you guidance and support for whatever particular addiction-related ailment you are struggling with. Please do reach out today and get ready to take back control of your life!