As we discussed on my other post, there are many types of mental illnesses and along with these come their own signs and symptoms. I’m not going to go too in depth today, but I think I’m going to start with the most common mental illnesses.

Anxiety: Signs and symptoms of anxiety can differ from person to person. However the most common symptoms we see in everyone are:

Agitation

Excessive worrying

Restlessness

Trouble concentrating

Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.

Bipolar:

Feeling overly happy or “high” for long periods of time

Having a decreased need for sleep

Talking very fast, often with racing thoughts

Feeling extremely restless or impulsive

Becoming easily distracted

Having overconfidence in your abilities

Engaging in risky behavior, such as having impulsive sex, gambling with life savings, or going on big spending sprees

Depression:

Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness

Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters

Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities

Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much

Tiredness and lack of energy

Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain

Slowed thinking, speaking, or moving

Feelings of worthlessness or guilt

fixating on past failures or self-blame

Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things

Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide

Eating Disorders: There are three types of eating disorders that I am going to talk about. The first being

Anorexia:

Dramatic weight loss

Dressing in layers to hide weight loss or stay warm

Preoccupation with weight, food, calories, fat grams, and dieting. Makes frequent comments about feeling “fat.’

Resists or is unable to maintain a body weight appropriate for their age, height, and build

Maintains an excessive, rigid exercise regime – despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury

The second one I’m going to talk about is Bulimia:

Evidence of binge eating, including disappearance of large amounts of food in short periods of time or lots of empty wrappers and containers indicating consumption of large amounts of food

Evidence of purging behaviors, including frequent trips to the bathroom after meals, signs and/or smells of vomiting, presence of wrappers or packages of laxatives or diuretics

Drinks excessive amounts of water or non-caloric beverages, and/or uses excessive amounts of mouthwash, mints, and gum

Has calluses on the back of the hands and knuckles from self- induced vomiting

Dental problems, such as enamel erosion, cavities, discoloration of teeth from vomiting, and tooth sensitivity 

Finally, the last mental illness I’m going to go over today is:

PTSD: The signs and symptoms of this disorder vary from person to person. The signs and symptoms also depend on what sort of traumatic experience the person had. However there are general signs and symptoms which I’m going to cover today:

Recurrent, unwanted distressing memories of the traumatic event

Reliving the traumatic event as if it were happening again (flashbacks)

Upsetting dreams or nightmares about the traumatic event

Severe emotional distress or physical reactions to something that reminds you of the traumatic event

Being easily startled or frightened

Always being on guard for danger

Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much or driving too fast

Trouble sleeping

Trouble concentrating

Irritability, angry outbursts or aggressive behavior

Overwhelming guilt or shame

If you or anyone you know is struggling with any of these disorders, don’t be afraid to reach out to me. I am more than willing to help and would love any opportunity to help you or someone you know understand what you’re dealing with. (Please note that I am NOT a trained psychiatrist or therapist. I simply speak from what I have learned over the course of my life and I’m simply trying to share the skills I have learned through years of therapy and counselling.)

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