5 Signs You're Battling Mental Illness

Have you been feeling different than your usual self lately? Maybe you've been irritable or unhappy almost every day for a good while and it's really impacting your life and relationships. Mental illness can be harder to identify than physical illness since you don't just feel the pain to signal something being wrong. If not caught early on, it's possible for you to continue to sink deeper into this negative mental health space. This is why learning signs that you may be struggling with your mental health is so important. In fact, a 2007 study found that mental health literacy was one of the four ways to lead to more positive mental health outcomes. Enough said. Here are five signs you're battling mental illness. Number one, emotion and personality inconsistencies. Have you noticed yourself doing some odd things? Maybe a friend has pointed out some things you've said or done that aren't totally on brand. This could take the form of changes in mood. Perhaps you know yourself to be calm and even-tempered, but lately you've been feeling irritable or anxious most of the time. Maybe you experience extreme highs or bouts of joy, but also extreme lows or episodes of deep sadness or anger. It can also look like laughing at inappropriate moments or feeling extremely angry at small inconveniences. According to the Mayo Clinic, emotions that feel excessive or disproportionate to the matter at hand can also be a sign. This can include excessive anxiety, fear, anger, guilt, sadness, or happiness when not completely appropriate. These feelings can take an emotional toll on you as it's exhausting to feel so much so deeply and so frequently. If you've been experiencing persistent or excessive heightened emotions or have even said, done, or felt things that you wouldn't normally, then you may be battling a mental illness. Number two, engaging in unsafe behavior. In 2019, a group of UK researchers found that symptoms of depression can be accompanied with additional symptoms. Right, like regular symptoms aren't bad enough. Have you been taking less and less care of yourself? Perhaps you've been neglecting to bathe, brush your teeth, or eat properly. You may find yourself caring less about your appearance and skipping the grooming session. Mental illness can cause you to have also developed physically unhealthy habits such as eating or sleeping significantly more or less than usual. Sure, eating a large meal or even skipping a meal is fine once in a while. Of course, sleeping in and having a lazy day once in a blue moon is also fine. But you may be doing so in a way that has become bad for your nutrition and overall health. This also may extend to engaging in dangerous or risky behaviors such as substance abuse or self-harm. This may not merely be a sign of laziness or being adventurous, but instead a sign that you're struggling with your mental health. Number three, social withdrawal. Another sign to take note of is withdrawal. Have you lost interest in activities that you used to enjoy? Have you dropped your school, extracurricular, or work obligations? Perhaps you found that you can't quite bring yourself to keep up with them. It's also possible that you've withdrawn from social engagements. Have you been declining invites or canceling arrangements to spend time with friends or family? Perhaps you've been acting more closed off and spending too much time alone. This isn't you being rude or introverted. If you have significantly withdrawn from these activities and interactions in your life, you may be struggling with a mental illness. Number four, illogical thoughts. Have you been having difficulties with focusing, remembering things, or making decisions? Has it become harder to tie your thoughts together and express them? Mental illness can also affect your ability to concentrate and use logic to think through things. You might notice these changes while you go about your day, as it's possible for these to affect your performance in school, work, or even simple household tasks. It can be difficult to pinpoint the cause of these changes in thinking or to even notice them at all, because mental illness can make the mind feel foggy and unclear. The American Psychiatry Association gives us examples of these illogical thoughts, such as having an overwhelming suspicion or fear of someone or something, when no threat is posed. Having an illogical or exaggerated belief that you have powers, that you can influence events, or showing signs of magical thinking. An example of this could be a child who believes that if he wears purple socks, his parents won't fight. Do any of these signs remind you of anyone you know? This could be a sign they're battling mental illness and need to seek the proper support. And number five, romanticizing negative emotion. Sadness is a part of life, and everyone feels it from time to time. However, battling a deep sadness that feels endless and seeps into every crack of your life is a completely different story. This is a sadness that you may not even know the exact cause of, and can seem nearly impossible to escape. Such sadness can lead to feeling hopeless and can make you feel like giving up. This can take the form of numbly letting the days pass by, no longer caring for yourself, and not even doing the most basic of tasks. This can also take the form of more active thoughts of taking your own life. If you're experiencing such feelings, this is a warning sign that you're battling serious mental health issues, and you need to seek professional help immediately. What you're feeling doesn't have to be permanent. According to the DSM-5, symptoms of mental illness must cause clinically significant distress or impairment in your social life, work, or school, or other important aspects of life. These signs can vary in severity and frequency, depending on the individual. To most, feeling that overwhelming sadness may sound agonizing. But believe it or not, there are some who love being sad, or even find comfort in the sadness. Based on a 2020 study done on early signals of mental illness, participants who held a special significance to words related to sadness and perception typically were diagnosed with some sort of mental illness. Remember, one sign or another here and there is normal. Having a reasonable level of negative emotion in a negative situation is normal. When it begins to negatively affect life and relationships, it becomes a warning signal, just like your stomach hurting. For these reasons, it's important to reach out to a professional for a complete diagnosis. If you or anyone you know could be struggling with their mental health, please don't hesitate to reach out to a qualified mental health care provider. If you're feeling depressed or contemplating suicide, please remember that you are not alone and things can change. We've included suicide hotlines in the video description below. Thank you for watching.