MENTAL ILLNESS AND SOCIETY

The first signs of mental health problems will differ from person to person and are not always easy to spot. In many cases of moderate depression or anxiety – the most common mental health problems – the person becoming distressed may not display symptoms, or may seek to hide them because they worry about what others will say or think about them. The signs can often be more noticeable to other people first: for instance, if your mood starts changing, it may take some time for you to become aware of it; other people may be much more conscious of the difference. Some common early signs of a mental health problem are:
Losing interest in activities and tasks that were previously enjoyed.
Poor performance at work.
Mood swings that are very extreme or fast and out of character for you.
Self-harming behaviour, such as cutting yourself.
Changes in eating habits and/or appetite: over-eating, bingeing, not eating.
Loss of, or increase in, sexual desire.
Sleep problems.
Increased anxiety, looking or feeling ‘jumpy’ or agitated, sometimes including panic attacks.
Feeling tired and lacking energy.
Isolating yourself, socialising less; spending too much time in bed.
Wanting to go out a lot more, needing very little sleep, feeling highly energetic, creative and sociable, making new friends rapidly, trusting strangers or spending excessively – this may signal that you are becoming ‘high’.
Hearing and seeing things that others don’t.
Other differences in perception; for example, mistakenly believing that someone is trying to harm you, is laughing at you, or trying to take over your body.
All of these signs can vary in severity. Often they can be relatively minor, or pass quickly. However, if they are particularly severe or distressing, or continue for more than a short while, you may want to seek support. While this experience, particularly at first, is likely to be upsetting and create fear, it is a common human experience. Mental health problems can happen to anyone, at any time. For most people this will only be for a short period. If you are in mental distress, you may begin to doubt yourself and become desperately afraid you are going mad. You may question your ability to think and reason properly, and be afraid of becoming a danger to others or of being locked up in an institution. These fears are often reinforced by the negative way that people experiencing mental health problems are portrayed on TV, in books and by the media: you may also be scared of being seen as ‘mad’, of losing friends, family and freedom. These fears may stop you from talking about your problems. This, in turn, is likely to increase your distress and sense of isolation. There is a common, but misplaced belief that there’s a link between mental health problems and violent behaviour toward others. This is reinforced by excessive and inaccurate reporting of the dangers posed by people with psychiatric diagnoses, especially schizophrenia. However, the most common forms of mental distress have no significant link to violent behaviour. In fact, there are relatively few serious acts of violence committed by people in mental distress. Someone with a mental health problem is actually more likely to harm themselves than someone else; although, the majority of people with mental health problems do not harm themselves at all. People with serious mental illness are more likely to be the victim of a violent crime than to commit one; for example, those diagnosed with psychosis are 14 times more likely to be victims.You may worry that if you become highly distressed you might hurt others or yourself. If you feel like this, it is important to contact a doctor, or a crisis service if necessary. If someone starts behaving in a way that suggests they may be suffering from a mental health problem, it’s vital that you are sensitive to their situation. Many people with mental health problems find it useful to have someone to talk to openly, when they are ready to do so: being available to listen is often the best way to help. However, sometimes opening up to friends and relatives is very difficult. Some people find it easier to communicate with someone who’s had a similar experience, or to a counsellor or therapist. If this is the case, then it is important to be supportive and as understanding as possible of this.