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Online Psychiatrist 75493
Mental illness is also known as mental health disorders. These conditions affect your mood, thinking, and behavior. Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors.
People have mental health issues from time to another. A mental health problem can become a mental illness if you have persistent symptoms that cause stress and interfere with your ability to function.
A mental illness can make you miserable and can cause problems in your daily life, such as at school or work or in relationships. In most cases, symptoms can be managed with a combination of medications and talk therapy (psychotherapy).
Signs
Signs and symptoms of mental illness can vary, depending on the disorder, circumstances and other factors. Emotions, thoughts, and behavior can be affected by mental illness.
Some examples of symptoms and signs include:
Feeling sad or down
Reduced ability to focus or confused thinking
Extreme guilt or excessive fears and worries
Extreme mood swings of lows and highs
Withdrawal from friends and activities
Significant tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping
Paranoia, hallucinations, and detachment from reality are all examples of this.
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
Changes are driven by sex
Excessive anger or hostility, violence
Suicidal thinking
Sometimes symptoms of a mental health disorder appear as physical problems, such as stomach pain, back pain, headaches, or other unexplained aches and pains.
When to see a Online Psychiatrist 75493
You should see your primary care provider if you are experiencing any symptoms or signs of a mental disorder. Mental illnesses are not easy to treat. If left untreated, they can get worse and lead to serious complications.
Suicidal thoughts?
Suicidal thoughts and behavior are common with some mental illnesses. If you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, get help right away:
Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
Contact your mental health professional.
Call a suicide hotline number. In the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or use its webchat on suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat.
Seek help from your primary care provider.
Reach out to a close friend or loved one.
Contact a minister, spiritual leader or someone else in your faith community.
Suicidal thinking doesn't get better on its own -- so get help.
Helping a loved one
If your loved one shows signs of mental illness, have an open and honest discussion with him or her about your concerns. While you may not be in a position to force someone to seek professional help, it is possible to offer support and encouragement. You can help your loved one locate a qualified mental healthcare professional and schedule an appointment. You may even be able to go along to the appointment.
If your loved one has done self-harm or is considering doing so, take the person to the hospital or call for emergency help.
Causes
Mental illnesses, in general, are thought to be caused by a variety of genetic and environmental factors:
Inherited traits. Mental illness is more common in people whose blood relatives also have a mental illness. Your life circumstances may cause you to be more susceptible to developing a mental disorder.
Environmental exposures before birth. Exposure to environmental stressors, inflammatory conditions, toxins, alcohol or drugs while in the womb can sometimes be linked to mental illness.
Brain chemistry. Neurotransmitters are naturally occurring brain chemicals that carry signals to other parts of your brain and body. When the neural networks involving these chemicals are impaired, the function of nerve receptors and nerve systems change, leading to depression and other emotional disorders.
Risk factors
Some factors can increase your chances of developing a mental disorder, such as:
An ancestor with mental illness, such as a parent/sibling, has a history
Stressful life situations such as financial difficulties, the death of a loved one, or divorce can cause stress.
An ongoing (chronic) medical condition, such as diabetes
Brain damage as a result of a serious injury (traumatic brain injury), such as a violent blow to the head
Traumatic experiences, such as military combat or assault
Use of alcohol or recreational drugs
A childhood history of abuse or neglect
Few friends, or few healthy relationships
A previous mental illness
Mental illness is common. In any given year, 1 in 5 adults will experience a mental disorder. Although mental illness can occur at any age, including childhood and later adult years of life, most cases start earlier in life.
Mental illness can have both temporary and long-lasting effects. You also can have more than one mental health disorder at the same time. For example, you may have depression and a substance use disorder.
Complications
Disability is most often caused by mental illness. Untreated mental illness can cause severe emotional, behavioral and physical health problems. Complications sometimes linked to mental illness include:
Reduced happiness and enjoyment of life
Family conflicts
Relationship problems
Social isolation
Problems with alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs
Absent work or school or other problems related work or school
Problems with legal and financial matters
Poverty and homelessness
Self-harm and harm to others, including suicide or homicide
Weakened immune system, so your body has a hard time resisting infections
Heart disease and other medical conditions
Prevention
There's no sure way to prevent mental illness. However, if you have a mental illness, taking steps to control stress, increase your resilience, and boost low self-esteem may help keep your symptoms under control. These are the steps to follow:
Pay attention to warning signs. Work with your doctor or psychiatrist to learn what might trigger your symptoms. Make a plan so that you know what to do if symptoms return. If you notice any changes in your symptoms, or how you feel, contact your doctor or therapist. To be on the lookout for warning signs, you might consider inviting your family and friends.
Seek routine medical care, even if you're not feeling well. There may be a new condition that you need to address or side effects from medication.
Seek help immediately. It is more difficult to treat mental health conditions if they get worse. A long-term maintenance treatment may also be helpful in preventing relapses.
Take care of yourself. Healthy eating habits, regular exercise, and adequate sleep are all important. Maintain a consistent schedule. Talk to your Online Psychiatrist 75493 if you are having trouble sleeping, or if there are questions about diet and exercise.
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