All emotions are valid and are experienced at different levels by the majority of people. The difference between experiencing a healthy emotional spectrum and a mental illness is the pathology of the emotions. Essentially, this pathology is the consistent endurance of behaviors or emotions that negatively affect a person’s life, which can then be used to classify mental illness.
This piece will discuss some of the signs of mental illness to look out for to help those that are in need.
Factors in Mental Illness
There are many factors to consider when it comes to mental illness. Genetically, some are more predisposed than others to developing a mental health issue if mental health issues run in the family. Traumatic experiences including childhood can serve as a trigger for mental illness, and also environmental problems such as homelessness, financial issues, death of a loved one, or any other difficult life circumstances can all contribute to the development of mental illness.
Extreme Emotions and Mental Illness
Extreme emotions are not always a sign of mental illness and are very normal under certain circumstances. However, if these emotions continue for long periods of time, this can become extremely disruptive to daily life and can make it difficult for those who are experiencing the symptoms to carry on as normal. Examples of this would include consistent and strong feelings of hopelessness, irritability, anger, and fits of rage, extremely hyper and difficult to calm, or nervousness, sweating, and panic attacks. These could all be demonstrated separately, or together, with other symptoms.
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Fatigue and its Relation to Mental Illness
Tiredness is extremely common and sometimes there is nothing we can do to stop ourselves from crawling into bed and staying in there for a few days. However, when it comes to excessive tiredness and fatigue no matter how much sleep is had, it can point to a bigger issue. Mental and physical illness can be interlinked as the mind and body work together, so physical symptoms could point to either a physical health issue, a mental health issue, or both.
Determining the cause of fatigue is the first step to diagnosing a mental illness, and often, accompanying symptoms such as extreme emotions or reckless behavior such as drug and alcohol taking, could help point to a mental illness diagnosis.
Mental Illness and Drug and Alcohol Abuse
There is a significant link between substance abuse and mental illness. Around 60 percent of adults who are enrolled in a substance abuse program also meet the diagnostic criteria for mental illness. Because of this, those who use drugs and alcohol in a problematic way, detrimental to their life could be exhibiting signs of a mental disorder. That being said, what comes first? Aside from genetic predisposition to both mental disorders and substance abuse, substance abuse commonly ends up forming because of a need to deal with the painful symptoms of mental illness. So, keeping an eye out for those who both have a change in mood, and also in recreational habits, could help prevent a mental illness from progressing.
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