Mental health issues are becoming increasingly common across the globe, and yet people in general have a surprisingly low understanding about how things work. Not only is there a lack of solid data to back up various causes and factors that might lead to any kind of mental illness, it is also hard to pinpoint symptoms that might be indicative of any such issues.
Another factor that is a major reason for the low understanding is the fact that there continues to be a stigma around mental health problems. People are scared of acknowledging that they or someone close to them might have mental health issues as it is often considered in the society as something to be ashamed of. A person with any kind of such problems is often mindlessly labelled as “mad”, or “crazy”, and is simply shunned by society.
It is very important that proper education and sensitivity training is made available to people about mental health issues as it is way more common than one could perceive, with about one in seven adults dealing with it worldwide. That means, 11-18 per cent adults have either mental, or substance abuse disorder.
Even though there are different symptoms that can be seen for different mental health disorders, there are generally some common warning signs that start to manifest before a person becomes absolutely inundated.
Discussed below are some common signs that might point to some problems with mental well-being.
Lack of Energy
A constant state of fatigue is often associated with a development of mental health issues in an individual, especially if it is marks a sharp turn from the person’s usual state of activity. Lack of energy, especially after the person has seemingly had enough rest might be because of an underlying issue such as depression, anxiety, or even bipolar disorder. Depression and anxiety can lead to irregular sleep patterns, which in turn can leave the person feeling drained. A characteristic sign of depression is also a distinct lack of motivation to do any kind of activity, be it going to work, or out with friends. Anxiety can keep the brain in a constant state of ‘fight or flight’ mode, which saps away the energy.
Withdrawing from Society
A rebuttal of various social ties, especially with people very close to the person in question can be a sign of some mental disturbance like depression and anxiety. People are inherently social animal, even though some people prefer to have large a large number of people around them and some people prefer a small number of confidantes. However, a support system is essential for general well-being. If a person starts cutting off ties with people they care about, or simply withdraw from social encounters, it might be a sign that something is wrong. Depression might leave a person feeling too drained to socialise, or anxiety can cause a severe reaction where a person becomes incapable of leaving their house due to any number of reasons.
Extreme mood changes
Shifts in mood throughout the day are common for people. One does not necessarily go to bed going through the same emotions they had when they woke up. Many factors can cause a shift in someone’s mood and emotions. However, it becomes a reason to worry if the emotions displayed are disproportionate to the occurrences around them, or if they are very random or sudden. If a person’s mood or behavioural changes becomes unpredictable and stays the same for a long period of time, it might be indicative of mental stress. Issues like bipolar disorder, major depressive disorders, and certain bipolar disorders can be associated with sudden mood swings.
Anger and anxiety are also very common indications of struggling with mental health. Even though it is common to have situational anxiety about certain things, some people can get anxious to a degree where there are physical symptoms that debilitate them, like tachycardia, nausea, vomiting, intense shivering, inability to breathe, etc. Extreme anger that seems to be beyond control can be a result of some personality disorders, or obsessive compulsive disorder. Depression can also cause irritability.
Substance abuse
Substance abuse is often a result of some underlying mental health issue. Many mental health problems cause people to turn to mood altering substances like alcohol and drugs. Some of these conditions associated with substance abuse include depression, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and borderline personality disorder.
Mood altering substances like alcohol and drugs are often taken as a way to manage the symptoms of various mental health related issues. As mentioned earlier, there is a stigma attached to mental health problems, so people often prefer self-medicating with substances than going to a qualified professional. However, since these substances are often highly addictive, they often end up being completely dependent on these. Since the stigma surrounding addicts is also very high, they have to suffer even more this way.
Thoughts of physical harm to themselves or others
This is a particularly troublesome symptom, as it has the potential to be physically dangerous not only to the person in question, but also to the people around them.
This can also be said to be an advanced state of various other mood related problems discussed above. Extreme lethargy and feeling of disconnect can cause people to self-harm, as can extreme anger. Violent outbursts or irritability might cause people to harm others around them.
Extreme paranoia is also a reason why many people dealing with mental health issues become violent. Since paranoia can cause people to think that they are being attacked or targeted, they might start suspecting everybody and everything as an enemy trying to hurt them, and hurt others as a means of self-defence. Paranoia can also intensify into delusions, which can cause the person to question their own reality. It is one of the more extreme symptoms and often associated with Schizophrenia. This is also what most people think of when they hear about mental illness.
Factors that might cause mental health problems
There are several possible factors that could cause mental health issues in adults. However, it is not always possible to determine the trigger for these issues.
- Childhood trauma– abuse, neglect, exploitation, or physical injury
- Social disadvantage- isolation, poverty, debt, discrimination caused by casteism, racism, etc.
- Intense grief- losing someone close to you, unemployment, divorce, etc.
- Having a long term physical condition or caring for someone with health issues
- Substance abuse
- Abuse as an adult- bullying, domestic violence, etc.
- Severe, life-threatening trauma like being in military, or a dangerous accident
- Physical causes like head injury or neurological conditions like epilepsy
- Lifestyle factors like work, diet, drugs, sleep pattern, etc.
- Genetic factors
- Chemical imbalance in brain due to various factors
It is important to remember that mental health issues are a problem like any other illness that one might visit the doctor for. The stigma around it should be eradicated and that is possible only through education. Indications of mental health problems always show up early on, and never appear out of the blue, so it is important to keep an eye out for any early warning signs. Early intervention is the best way to manage mental health issues and problems related to it.
Ms Kalinga
—–Another factor that is a major reason for the low understanding is the fact that there continues to be a stigma around mental health problems.
It is not “the stigma” that is the issue, but those of us taught and teaching it. Those of us accepting it. Those of us promulgating it.
It is time we stopped.