According to the American Psychiatric Association, “Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a combination of these)” (APA, 2022).

Examples of mental illness include a wide range of conditions, such as depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, addictive behaviors, and schizophrenia.

Mental Health involves effective functioning in daily activities resulting in a variety of positive outcomes, including:

• Productive activities (such as in work, school or caregiving)

• Healthy relationships

• Ability to adapt to change and cope with adversity.

Mental Illness is a term that refers to all diagnosable mental disorders, which are health conditions. Mental illness can lead to:

• Significant changes in thinking, emotion and/or behavior.

• Distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities.

If you feel that you are experiencing any symptoms of a mental illness, you should talk to your primary care physician.

A good way to tell if something you are feeling is a symptom of mental illness or not is to see if something, for example a depressed mood, continues for a long period of time to the point that it is getting in the way of normal functioning.

Here is a (non-comprehensive) list of symptoms by the Mayo Clinic:

• Feeling sad or down

• Confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrate

• Excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt

• Extreme mood changes of highs and lows

• Withdrawal from friends and activities

• Significant tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping

• Detachment from reality (delusions), paranoia or hallucinations

• Inability to cope with daily problems or stress

• Trouble understanding and relating to situations and to people

• Problems with alcohol or drug use

• Major changes in eating habits

• Sex drive changes

• Excessive anger, hostility or violence

• Suicidal thinking

Treatment for mental illnesses can vary depending on the type of mental illness you have as well as its severity and what treatment you respond to.

Some common treatment options include medication, therapy, substance misuse treatment, etc. Often, a combination of medication and therapy is most effective. Medication can include antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, or antipsychotic medications.

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-mental-illness 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms-causes/syc-20374968