Mental Health Warning Signs

Symptoms of mental disorders vary depending on the type and severity of the condition. Some general symptoms that may suggest a mental illness include:

In adults

• ·        Confused thinking
• ·         Long-lasting sadness or irritability
• ·         Extremely high and low moods
• ·         Excessive fear, worry, or anxiety
• ·         Social withdrawal
• ·         Dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits
• ·         Strong feelings of anger
• ·         Delusions or hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not really there)
• ·         Increasing inability to cope with daily problems and activities
• ·         Thoughts of suicide
• ·         Denial of obvious problems
• ·         Many unexplained physical problems
• ·         Abuse of drugs and/or alcohol

In older children and pre-teens

• ·        Abuse of drugs and/or alcohol
• ·         Changes in school performance, falling grades
• ·         Inability to cope with daily problems and activities
• ·         Changes in sleeping and/or eating habits
• ·         Excessive complaints of physical problems
• ·         Defying authority, skipping school, stealing, or damaging property
• ·         Intense fear of gaining weight
• ·         Long-lasting negative mood, often along with poor appetite and thoughts of death
• ·         Frequent outbursts of anger

In younger children

• ·         Changes in school performance
• ·        Poor grades despite strong efforts
• ·         Excessive worry or anxiety
• ·         Hyperactivity
• ·         Persistent nightmares
• ·         Persistent disobedience and/or aggressive behavior
• ·         Frequent temper tantrums

articles from webMDhttp://www.webmd.com/depression/default.htm