| September is Suicide Prevention Month.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness has several resources available for those seeking assistance for themselves or family members.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Common Signs of Mental Illness - Each illness has its own symptoms, but common signs of mental illness in adults and adolescents can include the following:
• Excessive worrying or fear
• Feeling excessively sad or low
• Confused thinking and/or problems concentrating and learning
• Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings
of euphoria
• Prolonged and/or strong feelings of irritability or anger
• Avoiding friends and social activities
• Difficulties understanding and/or relating to other people
• Changes in sleeping habits and/or feeling tired and low energy
• Changes in eating habits such as increased, or lack of, appetite • Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person
experiences and senses things that don’t exist in objective reality)
• Inability to perceive changes in one’s own feelings, behavior, or personality
(“lack of insight” or anosognosia)
• Overuse of substances like alcohol or drugs
• Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, and vague and ongoing “aches and pains”)
• Thinking about suicide
• Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress
• An intense fear of weight gain or concern with appearance
Common Signs of Mental Illness in Children and Young Adults Mental health conditions can also begin to develop in young children. Because they’re still learning how to identify and talk about thoughts and emotions, children’s most obvious symptoms are behavioral. Symptoms in children may include the following:
• Changes in school performance
• Excessive worry or anxiety; for instance, fighting to avoid bed or school
• Hyperactive behavior
• Frequent nightmares
• Frequent disobedience or aggression
• Frequent temper tantrums
For more information or resources, use the links below. |
