It’s pretty hard to miss the signs of a cold or the flu. A whole range of signs show up, like fevers, sweating, changes to eating habits, sinus problems, and plenty more that are specific to each of us. It’s so easy to tell that even someone observing you can’t miss the signs either. They can see additional signs you can’t, like a flushed or pale face, hear changes to your voice, or see that you are generally unwell. Recognizing signs and symptoms of mental illness is similar. We often don’t know what signs and symptoms to look for.
What is Mental Illness
The term mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions that affect your mood, thinking, and behavior [1]. It’s not uncommon for us to experience changes in our mood, thoughts, and behaviors on a day-to-day basis. The “line in the sand” that distinguishes typical daily variability from an illness needing professional help is when your daily functioning has become compromised. Sometimes that sneaks up on us. It’s very easy to miss a gradual decline in functioning. But you should never fault yourself or those around you for missing the small signs, especially when you don’t know what to look for. So, here are a few signs and symptoms of mental illness to keep in mind. You can also keep an eye on your loved ones around you so that the proper help can be sought out early. These signs and symptoms of mental illness are taken from the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) website.
Emotions
Our emotions usually range from good to bad. What can begin to clue us in that something is wrong is if we stay longer and more intensely in one emotion. For example: being excessively sad daily, even when good things are happening, excessively worried about something even when you have completed your tasks, or even extensively euphoric. These are all signs that something is unbalanced inside us and needs the proper tuning. In other words, changing emotions can be an early sign or symptom of mental illness.
Interactions
How we interact with people is one of the earlier ways that our mental state can be made known. When we start to withdraw from people socially, that can be a sign that something is shifting in us. Other ways our interactions can change is if we start seeing things that others can’t (visual hallucinations) or hearing dialogues in our minds even when we are alone (auditory hallucinations). It can even be on the other end of the spectrum where we feel an immense desire to always be with or need someone else.
Energy and Daily Habits
Changes in sleep can change how much energy we have, but when sleep itself is consistently disturbed, like getting too much or too little, that can also be a sign of mental illness. The same goes for food. Not eating right can make you feel low in energy, but also, you can feel low already, and that can translate into you not wanting to eat. Not having the desire to do the things you used to enjoy is another big indicator that you’re not functioning at your best. This symptom of mental illness is usually most notable by the person experiencing it. All of these can be seen as which came first, the chicken or the egg lens. Do you not have the energy, and that’s why things are different or are things different, and that leads to you not having energy? Questions like this are always great to start realizing that your mental health might not be getting the proper care it deserves.
Coping
How we cope is important to manage our emotions and reactions to life’s daily changes. But when coping mechanisms are harmful, for example, alcohol/substance abuse, or behaviors that put you in danger, like sexual promiscuity, they can be a sign that a deeper issue is present. It doesn’t matter if they are new behaviors or old behaviors that you are exhibiting more frequently. A change is something that can alert you to a deeper issue.
Additional signs of Mental Illness
Inability to carry out “simple” daily tasks, thoughts of suicide, feelings of depression, and anxiety are additional ways to recognize mental illness present. Some additional signs are talked about in “Do I Need Therapy?” which is a great place to start when these changes begin to arise.
Conclusion
Just like being sick, we don’t need every symptom to be diagnosed with an illness, and it can look different for every single person. What we need to do is be aware of it. Regular maintenance of our body, like meditating or journaling, is a good way to maintain our current mental state. These activities also give us the opportunity to visualize any small decline in ourselves when those habits change. Being sick or mentally ill is not the end, nor should it be stigmatized. Plenty of people struggle daily, even Christians. I personally gravitate to the book of Ecclesiastes when thinking of that fact.
Ecclesiastes 1:10
Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.”
The verse and the whole book itself help me remember that my or any struggle is neither new to God nor new to humanity. And since it isn’t new, there is no reason I should be ashamed. If you or someone you know is experiencing signs or symptoms of mental illness, there are plenty of resources and mental health professionals available to help. We at CMHI want to continue to support the narrative that we can seek mental health help as Christians, and we will get better.
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