Symptoms

What are the symptomsWhat are the symptoms?

It is difficult to separate the symptoms of mental illness and some physical illnesses if you have not experienced it before. Sometimes I even convinced myself as well as the people around me that it wasn’t mental illness and everything would be fine. So in this section I will talk about the things to look out for and I hope you find it useful in understand the real differences of mental health symptoms.
The most obvious way to detect that someone is becoming mentally ill is in behaviour, that is, it changes, you no longer act as before or in a way that is consistent with what someone knows of your personality.

Mental illness is the result of several different symptoms that help diagnose the type of mental illness. These external manifestations can be real alarm signals indicating much internal suffering. However, there is no need to raise the alarm at the slightest symptom: there must be several that persist over time, with no sign of improvement.

A person who is ill might show some of the following visible symptoms:

Excessive irritability
In a foul mood, irritated by everything, intolerant, sometimes even aggressive and violent. Like a hair trigger, you flare up quickly.

Blue or always sad
You are rarely in a good mood and what used to make you laugh no longer raises a smile.

Loss of interest or pleasure in any activity
You used to love hockey, never missed the opening of a new film and now, there's no way you will go out. You are not easy to be with and it's difficult to change your mind; for you, nothing is interesting any longer.

These visible manifestations are also accompanied by physical symptoms:

Eating problems (increase or decrease in appetite and/or weight)
This symptom may manifest itself in several ways: you may no longer want to eat, or you eat much more than usual. Eating habits change and you may lose or gain weight.

Sleeping problems: insomnia or hypersomnia
You are unable to sleep or you sleep all the time. But, in both cases, sleep is not restorative.

 
Agitated or slowed down
If you are generally an active person, now you are languid. If, on the contrary, you are normally calm and become easily agitated.

Fatigue or lack of energy
 Never able to recuperate, even if you sleep more than usual. Saying over and over that you are tired and have no energy.

There are also subjective symptoms that only the person themselves can tell us about.

Low self-esteem or excessive guilt
You have a low opinion of yourself, put yourself down by saying things like "I'm just no good for anything." You feel responsible for everything.

Difficulties concentrating or indecision
Unable to concentrate and work or study is affected. You no longer seem to be in charge of the situation. Nothing seems to work.

Recurrent thoughts of death or of suicide
This symptom is not obvious since it is internal. The idea of death or of suicide may float around in your head. You may come to see suicide as a way of putting an end to suffering.

These symptoms are accompanied by behavioural changes:

Withdrawal or social dependence
You withdraw, shut yourself off. No one sees you any more, it's as if you need are in hiding. Everyone thinks you want to be alone, so no one pays you any attention. Convinced in your belief that you’re the only one in the world to be suffering, you do not understand what is going on and prefer that no one knows. Alternatively, you impulsively seek the company of anyone, you never wants to be alone.

Wearing a Mask
The situation bothers you, but you joke around. You may hide behind a mask and play the buffoon. You may even go so far as to try to hide your unhappiness in alcohol or drugs, to raise your self-esteem through exaggerated sexuality, or you may develop behavioural problems never seen before (fighting, running away, stealing, etc.)

Negation or resistance
 You will say "Look, everything's OK. I don't need help." Obviously, you fear being judged because of all the prejudices surrounding mental illness and feeling like there is no one who can help.

Further information