How do We Identify Mental Illness?

We all wonder if the way we think, feel and behave are normal? For this we need to be aware of some typical signs and symptoms that show itself in emotions, thoughts and behaviours.

Let us go through this checklist to evaluate how you feel:

1. Do you constantly feel sad or down?
2. Do you have confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrate?
3. Do you have excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt?
4. Do you feel extreme mood changes of highs and lows?
5. Do you feel that you need to withdrawal from friends and activities?
6. Do you feel significant tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping?
7. Do you feel a sense of detachment from reality (delusions), paranoia (suspiciousness) or hallucinations (interactions with the unseen)?
8. Do you feel the inability to cope with daily problems or stress?
9. Do you have trouble understanding and relating to situations and to people?
10. Do you have problems related with alcohol or drug abuse?
11. Do you think you have major changes in eating habits?
12.  Do you feel you have sex drive changes?
13. Do you constantly feel excessive anger, hostility or violence?
14. Do you have suicidal thinking?

The above thoughts, feelings and behaviours can be a sign of illness when the frequency and intensity increase to such a point that it affects our daily life.

Sometimes symptoms of a mental health disorder appear as physical problems, such as stomach pain, back pain, headache, or other unexplained aches and pains.