Online Psychiatrist 76120

Online Psychiatrist 76120

Mental illness, also called mental health disorders, refers to a wide range of mental health conditions -- disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior. Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors.

Many people have mental health concerns from time to time. A mental health problem can become a mental illness if you have persistent symptoms that cause stress and interfere with your ability to function.

An illness that causes mental distress can make it difficult to live a normal life. Most cases can be treated with medication and psychotherapy (talk therapy).

Signs

Depending on the condition, circumstance, and other factors, signs and symptoms of mental illness may vary. Mental illness symptoms can affect emotions, thoughts and behaviors.

Some examples of symptoms and signs include:

Feeling down or sad

Reduced ability to focus or confused thinking

Extreme guilt or excessive fears and worries

Extreme mood swings of lows and highs

Retire from friends and other 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

Problems understanding and relating with people and situations

Problems with alcohol or drug use

Major changes in eating habits

Changes are driven by sex

Excessive anger or hostility, violence

Suicidal thoughts

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 76120

You should see your primary care provider if you are experiencing any symptoms or signs of a mental disorder. Most mental illnesses don't improve on their own, and if untreated, a mental illness may get worse over time and cause serious problems.

Suicidal thoughts?

Suicidal thoughts and behavior are common with some mental illnesses. Get help immediately if you suspect that you might harm yourself or try suicide.

Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.

Contact your mental health professional.

You can call a suicide hotline. 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.

Get help from your primary physician.

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. You may not be able to force someone to get professional care, but you can offer encouragement and support. You can help your loved one locate a qualified mental healthcare professional and schedule an appointment. You might even be able go with your loved one 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:

Genetic traits. Mental illness are more common in those whose family members have a mental disorder. Certain genes may increase your risk of developing a mental illness, and your life situation may trigger it.

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, which are naturally occurring brain chemicals, transmit signals to other parts and bodies of the brain. 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 combat or assault in military service are examples.

Consumption of alcohol and recreational drugs

A childhood history of abuse or neglect

Few friends, or few healthy relationships

A previous mental illness

Mental illness is very common. About 1 in 5 adults has a mental illness in any given year. Mental illness can begin at any age, from childhood through later adult years, but most cases begin earlier in life.

The effects of mental illness can be temporary or long lasting. 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:

Unhappiness and decreased enjoyment of life

Family conflicts

Relationship difficulties

Social isolation

Problems with alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs

Missed work or school, or other problems related to work or school

Legal and financial problems

Homelessness and poverty

Self-harm, suicide or homicide.

Weakened immune system, so your body has a hard time resisting infections

Other medical conditions, such as heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases

Prevention

Mental illness is not preventable. If you suffer from a mental illness, there are steps you can take to reduce stress, improve your resilience and increase self-esteem. These are the steps to follow:

Be aware of warning signs. Discuss your symptoms with your doctor. Make a plan so that you know what to do if symptoms return. Contact your doctor or therapist if you notice any changes in symptoms or how you feel. Consider involving family members or friends to watch for warning signs.

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.

Get help when you need it. Mental health conditions can be harder to treat if you wait until symptoms get worse. Long-term maintenance treatment also may help prevent a relapse of symptoms.

Take good care of yourself. Sufficient sleep, healthy eating, and regular physical activity are important. Try to maintain a regular schedule. Talk to your Online Psychiatrist 76120 if you are having trouble sleeping, or if there are questions about diet and exercise.

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