Mental Illness : Warnings and signs How to cope ?

Mental illness is often taken careless by the people . For some or other reason the symptoms may be seemingly to appear in a person and compromise themselves . As most of the symptoms of mental illness is experienced by almost all of us now and then , so we completely ignore that it is usual occurrence .

If the symptoms occurs for a long time or prolonged time then , you must take care to consult with a psychologist or psychiatrist .

A mental illness is a disease that causes mild to severe disturbances in thought and/or behaviour, resulting in an inability to cope with life’s ordinary demands and routines.

It is found that there are 200 classified forms of mental illness . Among these , the major mental illness are depression , schizophrenia and anxiety disorder. Mental illness causes changes in behaviour , mood , personality , personal habits and social disorder.

Mental Health may be due to excessive stress because of a bad situation or series of events or biological factor or environmental factor or chemical imbalance in the brain or genetic factor . Like cancer , diabetes , heart disease mental illness can be both physical and emotional .

Symptoms of the Mental Disorder

The following are the symptoms and signs that if you or your loved one is facing must hurry up to consult a doctor immediately .

It is especially important to pay attention to sudden changes in thoughts and behaviours. If you have combination of these symptoms not just any one change, indicates a problem that should be assessed.

Symptoms can be categorized according to the age groups of the people :

•     In Adults, Young Adults and Adolescents

   

•     In Older Children and Preadolescents

   

•     In Younger Children

Adults , Young adults and Adolescents

• Confused thinking

• Prolonged depression (sadness or irritability)

   

• Feelings of extreme highs and lows

   

• Excessive fears, worries and anxieties

   

• Social withdrawal

   

• Dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits

   

• Strong feelings of anger

   

• Strange thoughts (delusions)

   

• Seeing or hearing things that aren't there (hallucinations)

   

• Growing inability to cope with daily problems and activities

   

• Suicidal thoughts

   

• Numerous unexplained physical ailments

   

• Substance use

 

   

In Older Children and Preadolescents :

• Substance use

   

• Inability to cope with problems and daily activities

   

• Changes in sleeping and/or eating habits

   

• Excessive complaints of physical ailments

   

• Changes in ability to manage responsibilities - at home and/or at school

   

• Defiance of authority, truancy, theft, and/or vandalism

   

• Intense fear

   

• Prolonged negative mood, often accompanied by poor appetite or thoughts of death

   

• Frequent outbursts of anger
  
  

In Younger Children:

• Changes in school performance

   

• Poor grades despite strong efforts

   

• Changes in sleeping and/or eating habits

   

• Excessive worry or anxiety (i.e. refusing to go to bed or school)

   

• Hyperactivity

   

• Persistent nightmares

• Persistent disobedience or aggression

   

• Frequent temper tantrums

How to cope day to day

Accept your feelings :

You have to accept that your behaviour is abnormal and need to go for counselling get the best treatment and recover as soon as possible. Only when you accept and talk with your closed one about your problems you could find a solution to solve your mental illness.

Handling unusual behaviour :

Even you or your loved one show an unusual behaviour you must analyse initially why there is a sudden change in the behaviour of the person. After self -examine test along with the doctor advice you must be able to handle the situation . This way you can cope with the mental illness.

Getting help from the support Network:

There are many social forums and support groups online . You can chat or ask queries to the forums , so that you will get suggestions from similar groups and people.

Taking time out :

Withdraw work for the two days and spend going to outside visiting a friends , relatives place . This can relax you from the stress and that you can cope up with mental illness easily . Keep your mind always in a relaxed and comfortable.

How to self examine Paranoid Disorder

Paranoid Personality Disorder is one among the eccentric personality disorder. Eccentric personality disorder is the abnormal behaviour of the person may seem unnatural or unusual to others.

PPD affected people suspect or mistrust others and believe that they will do harm to them . They mistrust the behaviours of the others . A person with PPD feels hostile and anger towards other

This is the condition where they are reluctant to easy going with others , cannot bear criticism , and finding demeaning the other's viewpoint.

Often people with PPD gets angry very quickly because they mistrust others they couldn't take the behaviour of the others.

How PPD is affected / Causes of PPD :

The Paranoid Personality Disorder cause is yet unknown but with signs and symptoms researchers have joggled some of the reasons for PPD (Paranoid Personality Disorder) in a person. They believe that it is the combination of biological and environmental factors can lead to PPD (Paranoid Personality Disorder).

What are the symptoms of Paranoid Personality Disorder

Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD) do not accept that their point of view is wrong and they believe that their suspicion is true even they won't accept that their thought is different.

Suspects, without sufficient basis, that others are exploiting, harming, or deceiving him or her

• Is preoccupied with unjustified doubts about the loyalty or trust     worthiness of friends or associates.

   

• Is reluctant to confide in others because of unwarranted fear the     information will be used maliciously against him or her

   

• Reads hidden demeaning or threatening meanings into remarks or events

• Persistently bears grudges (i.e., is unforgiving of insults, injuries, or     slights)

   

• Perceives attacks on his or her character or reputation that are not apparent to others, and is quick to react angrily or to counterattack

   

• Has recurrent suspicions, without justification, regarding fidelity of spouse or sexual partner.

Paranoid personality disorder generally goes undiagnosed when other psychotic disorder , such as schizophrenia or a bipolar disorder or narcissism or depressive disorder is already being diagnosed.

PPD can be caused by biological or environmental factor . Almost all age groups of people is affected by the PPD . If it exists in the childhood stage then it is known after 1 year . Most of the time at 40's and 50's age only the PPD is seem to be more.

How PPD is diagnosed ?

Paranoid personality disorder are typically diagnosed by a trained mental health professional, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist. While you can initially consult a family physician about this problem, they should refer you to a mental health professional for diagnosis and treatment.

Many people with paranoid personality disorder don’t seek out treatment. People with personality disorders, in general, do not often seek out treatment until the disorder starts to significantly interfere or otherwise impact a person’s life. This most often happens when a person’s coping resources are stretched too thin to deal with stress or other life events.

A diagnosis for paranoid personality disorder is made by a mental health professional comparing your symptoms and life history with those listed here. They will make a determination whether your symptoms meet the criteria necessary for a personality disorder diagnosis.

PPD treatment can be very successful. But people with PPD are reluctant to take up the treatment . They feel they are right in their own way . Some of the methods of treatment:

Talk therapy or psychotherapy is the best treatment for PPD . This method will

• help individual how to cope with the disorder.

   

• Learn how to cope with other in a social situation

   

• reduce the level of mistrusting others.

   

Medication includes :

Antidepressant.

benzodiazepines.

antipsychotics.

How to treat a cyclothymia or cyclothymic disorder

Cyclothymia or cyclothymic disorder is a relative mild mood disorder. It is also a one type of Bipolar Disorder which is not a severe one . Might be it is the first stage of the Bipolar disorder and the final stage is Type 1 : Bipolar Disorder is the severe bipolar disorder which needs extreme and proper treatment to overcome cyclothymia.

In cyclothymia disorder moods swing between low and high mood disorder and lasts for 2 years . Back to back the mood of hypomania and major depression shifts . When these shifting of moods reaches the saturation point , then there is a chances of facing Type 1 : Bipolar disorder. People with cyclothymic disorder have milder symptoms than occur in full-blown bipolar disorder.

Symptoms of Cyclothymic Disorder

Cyclothymic symptoms alternates between the high and low emotional. The high emotional consists of symptoms of hypomania and low emotional consists of symptoms of major depression.

Cyclothymia symptoms have less effects or cause than the Type 1 : Bipolar Disorder. With cyclothymia you can do your normal day to day life but if left untreated ,there is more chances of getting severe bipolar disorder .

Symptoms that arise during hypomanic episode

An exaggerated feeling of happiness (extreme happy for no reason)

Inability to concentrate or gets distracted easily

Decreased sleep

Inflated self-esteem

Talking more than usual

Hyperactive

Increased drive to perform goals.

Symptoms that arise during Depressive episode:

Changes in weight

Decreased sleep

Extreme sadness

Restlessness

Feeling tired

Loss of interest in activities once considered enjoyable

Problem concentrating

Having suicidal thoughts.

Fact about a Cyclothymic Disorder

Cyclothymic Disorder is a genetic problem. Based on a survey taken by the researchers most people who suffers from the cyclothymic bipolar disorder , one of their family member or relative is affected by bipolar disorder.

You cannot exclude this fact not only for this type of bipolar disorder , it is applicable for all type of mental illness.

Treatments for Cyclothymic Disorder

Cyclothymia frequently goes undiagnosed and untreated. Most people's symptoms are mild enough that they do not seek mental health treatment. In fact, some people resist the idea of treatment, which reduces their "up" episodes as well as "down."

The depressive symptoms of cyclothymic disorder are typically more frequent, unpleasant, and disabling than the hypomanic symptoms. Feelings of depression or instability are usually what cause people with cyclothymia to seek help.

Using a Mood stabilizer or antidepressant have been useful for the recovery along with the psychotherapy.

Some of the Mood stabilizer Includes:

lithium - which is commonly used to treat bipolar disorder

anti-epileptic drugs – such as carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine or sodium valproate

Some antipsychotics like quetiapine have also been used as mood stabilizer.

If medication may not be enough for the people , then your doctor may suggest to go for the psychotherapy treatment .

CBT(Cognitive Behavioural therapy ) : can be effective. CBT involves talking to a trained therapist to find ways to help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave. It can't remove your problems, but may help you manage them in a more positive way.

How do you know you have cyclothymic Disorder

If you have cyclothymia you will have alternate extreme happiness and followed by deep sadness. When you experience hypomanic episode (extreme happiness) will get no sleep . After a week , you may get major depressive episode

Mood swings will be fairly frequent, as well as persistent – you'll have no more than two symptom-free months in a row.

Your fluctuating moods need to have lasted at least two years .

What is smiling depression how to identify it

A smiling depression is appearing to be happy to others but literally having depressive feeling inside . Person with smiling depression not show their negative emotion because they have already undergone facing the darker side and pretending much happier to the outside world .

Depression varies person to person . Someone with depression is typically depicted as a person who can’t get out of bed and feels helpless, but that’s not the case for all depressed individuals. There are people who often appear to be happy and motivated that are still dealing with a type of depression that isn’t well known called smiling depression.

Another way to describe the smiling depression is wearing mask. Smiling depression is more dangerous than classic severe or major depression. People with smiling depression gives no clue to the outside world of their problem. They often maintain a healthy life , they do their daily activities perfectly .

Causes of smiling Depression :

Insomnia

Suicidal thoughts

Panic Attacks

Deeper Sadness

Suicide can be particular threat for the individuals suffering with siling depression. Typically, people suffering with classic, severe depression might have suicidal thoughts, but not the energy to act on their feelings. However, those suffering from smiling depression has the ability to go through the successive suicidal thoughts. This is why smiling depression can be more dangerous than a classic form of severe depression.

Smiling depression is treatable if a proper counseling is given to the person , the person can completely recover from the sadness .

Why a person hides depression ?

The causes might be different, for the person who hide depression and smiling might be mechanism of defending them from showcasing their depressive mode.

He/she is ashamed of the problem . So , they might avoid sharing it to others .They might think depression is a lack of will and character, so it is clear that if you have this prejudice though they will try to hide this condition that is a “defect”

Sometimes he/she doesn't recognise the depression . He/she might think that depression goes away itself . In these cases occurs a denial and the smile is a mechanism of self-affirmation through which the person tells itself it's not so bad, that it actually feels good.

He/she doesn’t want to bother others . They might feel not to share their problem to others having a prejudice thoughts it may be a burden or concern for others. They might have tendency to keep the problem inside and they are introverted in nature.

He/she might keen on the image . They might have a prejudice thought that other judge only by the exterior appearance and so they pretend well hiding their sadness and become characters acting everyday on a theatre stage.

Who are more likely to affected with Smiling Depression?

Introverted people, who have a tendency to beware problems or find it difficult to talk about their emotions.

Perfectionists, those that demand too much to themselves and think they can’t fail in any sphere of life.

Hyper responsible people who believe to carry the world on their shoulders and think that if they collapse, it will happen a cataclysm of epic proportions.

Dangers of smiling depression :

The depressed person who might choose to smile and hiding their sadness and try to pretend to be happier outside will have a strong suicidal thoughts.

And surprisingly relatives and friends never know that you are in a depressed state for longer time and because of it you have committed suicide .

So , person who tries to hide depression is actually feeding it.

Moreover, the persons trying to hide depression usually follow some agenda to not show to outside world , so that ends up carrying a hectic lifestyle that produces them a great fatigue. By overreacting every day, they will boost depression inside them. Sooner or later, irritability, fatigue, sadness and tension will find their way out.

The problem is that at this point, those persons suddenly finds themselves face to face with reality and feel they’re at a dead end with no one around who can help. For this reason they can even intent some life-threatening act.

Some psychologists taken a survey by following a group of drivers for two weeks and found that while more smiles were pretended, the worse was their mood back home; a mood marked by irritability, anger and sadness.

Therefore , it is important to be aware of the fact that depression doesn't go away by itself .Hiding or avoiding the problem will not cancel it. So , consulting a doctor and help or support from your friend you can syre recover from the smiling depression.