April is mental health awareness month. Even though mental health is an important topic to keep relevant in every moment of every month, it is essential for us to take time to care for ourselves and understand mental health as a whole. Since we are still young developing human beings, it’s no surprise that we can sometime become overly anxious and confused about our lives. There are times when we will have doubts, and feel like that we are alone. These thoughts that we are insignificant in the world, are toxic, and can manipulate us into thinking that we don’t matter. But it is important to understand that you are loved. Finding supportive friends that love and listen to us is essential to our wellbeing. If you have been struggling and haven’t been getting support, then I will say this the most authentically and sincerely I can: YOU MATTER. YOU ARE LOVED. AND I WANT YOU TO BE HERE. YOU DESERVE TO LOVE YOURSELF AND THE WORLD AROUND YOU. YOU DESERVE TO BE OKAY.
I also think that it’s important to take the time to evaluate, learn, and understand different kinds of mental illnesses. So, I will be giving a brief explanation of various kinds of disorders. Hopefully, you will be able to broaden your knowledge and notice if you may have experienced symptoms of a mental illness and get the help you need and are comfortable with. Also, it may help you recognize if someone you know is struggling, and you can have the chance to help them.
*I’d like to point out that I will not cover every single mental illness, since there are so many. Also, the experiences from each disorder are not limited to the description; every goes through a mental illness differently and it can be difficult to recognize.
Anxiety Disorders
Everyone experiences anxiety sometimes, but when it becomes overwhelming and repeatedly impacts a person's life, it may be an anxiety disorder.
Types:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) This anxiety disorder produces chronic, exaggerated worrying about everyday life. This worrying can consume hours each day, making it hard to concentrate or finish daily tasks.
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
More than shyness, this disorder causes intense fear about social interaction, often driven by irrational worries about humiliation. Someone with social anxiety disorder may not take part in conversations, contribute to class discussions or offer their ideas, and may become isolated.
(these are just the most common types of anxiety disorders, there are more)
Symptoms:
Anxiety disorders are a group of related conditions, each having unique symptoms. However, all anxiety disorders have one thing in common: persistent, excessive fear or worry in situations that are not threatening. People typically experience one or more of the following symptoms:
Emotional symptoms:
Feelings of apprehension or dread
Feeling tense or jumpy
Restlessness or irritability
Anticipating the worst and being watchful for signs of danger
Physical symptoms:
Pounding or racing heart and shortness of breath
Sweating, tremors and twitches
Headaches, fatigue and insomnia
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder causes dramatic highs and lows in a person’s mood, energy and ability to think clearly.
Types:
Bipolar I Disorder
An illness in which people have experienced one or more episodes of mania. Most people diagnosed with bipolar I will have episodes of both mania and depression, though an episode of depression is not necessary for a diagnosis.
Bipolar II Disorder
A subset of bipolar disorder in which people experience depressive episodes shifting back and forth with hypomanic episodes, but never a “full” manic episode.
Cyclothymic Disorder or Cyclothymia
A chronically unstable mood state in which people experience hypomania and mild depression for at least two years. People with cyclothymia may have brief periods of normal mood, but these periods last less than eight weeks.
Bipolar Disorder, “other specified” and “unspecified”
When a person does not meet the criteria for bipolar I, II or cyclothymia but has still experienced periods of clinically significant abnormal mood elevation.
Symptoms:
Individuals with a bipolar disorder usually experience fluctuating episodes of “mania” and “depression”. Experiences with these periods may vary to different extremes for every person diagnosed.
Mania
Mania is considered the “high” episode in a bipolar disorder. When going through this episode, one may lose control and not think correctly. They can experience drastic mood changes including:
abnormally elevated or expansive mood
extreme excitability
grandiosity and imperiousness
sudden shifts to extreme irritability, hostility, or even anger
Depression
Depression is considered the “low” episode in a bipolar disorder. Typically, people experiencing a depressive episode may become obsessed with feelings of loss, personal failure, guilt or helplessness; this negative thinking can lead to thoughts of suicide.
(clinical depression will be talked about more in depth next)
Depression
Depression is more than just feeling sad or going through a rough patch; it’s a serious mental health condition that requires understanding and treatment. Some will only experience one depressive episode in a lifetime, but for most, depressive disorder recurs. Without treatment, episodes may last a few months to several years.
Symptoms:
Depression can present different symptoms, depending on the person. But for most people, depressive disorder changes how they function day-to-day, and typically for more than two weeks. Common symptoms include:
Changes in sleep
Changes in appetite
Lack of concentration
Loss of energy
Lack of interest in activities
Hopelessness or guilty thoughts
Changes in movement (less activity or agitation)
Physical aches and pains
Suicidal thoughts
Eating Disorders
When you become so preoccupied with food and weight issues that you find it hard to focus on other aspects of your life, it may be a sign of an eating disorder. Ultimately without treatment, eating disorders can take over a person’s life and lead to serious, potentially fatal medical complications. Although eating disorders are commonly associated with women, men can develop them as well.
Types:
Anorexia Nervosa
People with anorexia will deny themselves food to the point of self-starvation as they obsess about weight loss. With anorexia, a person will deny hunger and refuse to eat, practice binge eating and purging behaviors or exercise to the point of exhaustion as they attempts to limit, eliminate or “burn” calories.
Bulimia Nervosa
People living with bulimia will feel out of control when binging on very large amounts of food during short periods of time, and then desperately try to rid themselves of the extra calories using forced vomiting, abusing laxatives or excessive exercise. This becomes a repeating cycle that controls many aspects of the person’s life and has a very negative effect both emotionally and physically.
Binge Eating Disorder (BED)
A person with BED losses control over their eating and eats a very large amount of food in a short period of time. They may also eat large amounts of food even when he isn't hungry or after he is uncomfortably full. This causes them to feel embarrassed, disgusted, depressed or guilty about their behavior. A person with BED, after an episode of binge eating, does not attempt to purge or exercise excessively like someone living with anorexia or bulimia would.
Symptoms:
Eating disorders are a group of related conditions that cause serious emotional and physical problems. Each condition involves extreme food and weight issues; however, each has unique symptoms that separate it from the others.
Some common emotional and physical symptoms include:
Irritability, social withdrawal, low self-esteem lack of mood or emotion
Fear of eating in public
Unhealthy obsessions with food or exercise
Disrupt natural body functions and damage organs
These are the only mental illnesses I will describe, although, the list can go on and on. I encourage you to do your own research, and learn more about caring for your mental health. If you discover that you may have an illness, I encourage you to speak up about it to get the help you may need. Everyone experiences mental disorders differently, so I believe you should do what you are most comfortable with, and will help you in healing. Mental illness is just as important and severe as physical illness; you must keep both of these essential aspects of health in mind. For emotional support, go to your school guidance counselor, talk to your parents, and talk to your doctor about possibly getting a therapist, being prescribed medication, and considering any other treatment options. There is hope.
If you are struggling and find yourself caught in a crisis, please utilize these hotlines for help:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Crisis Text Line:
Text “home” to 741741
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
800-826-3632
National Eating Disorders Helpline
800-931-2237 or 847-831-3438
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline
1-800-950-NAMI (6264)
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