Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act, and helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood, and could affect your thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected..
Anxiety can mean nervousness, worry, or self-doubt. Sometimes, the cause of anxiety is easy to spot, while other times it may not be. Everyone feels some level of anxiety once in a while. But overwhelming, recurring, or “out of nowhere” dread can deeply impact people. When anxiety interferes like this, talking to a therapist can help.
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Anxiety can mean nervousness, worry, or self-doubt. Sometimes, the cause of anxiety is easy to spot, while other times it may not be. Everyone feels some level of anxiety once in a while. But overwhelming, recurring, or “out of nowhere” dread can deeply impact people. When anxiety interferes like this, talking to a therapist can help.
Diagnosing anxiety depends on a person’s feelings of worry, so symptoms will vary. Personality, co-occurring mental health conditions, and other factors may explain a person's symptoms.
Anxiety can cause intrusive or obsessive thoughts. A person with anxiety may feel confused or find it hard to concentrate. Feeling restless or frustrated can also be a sign of anxiety. Other people with anxiety may feel depressed.
Symptoms of anxiety can also be physical. Anxiety can cause overly tense muscles or high blood pressure. Trembling, sweating, a racing heartbeat, dizziness, and insomnia can also come from anxiety. Anxiety may even cause headaches, digestive problems, difficulty breathing, and nausea.
Depression is not simple sadness. Most people get upset when life doesn’t go their way. But someone with depression can feel so bad they struggle to do everyday activities like eat or bathe. To count as depression, the sadness must be a constant, long-lasting feeling.
Depression is not a sign of weakness. Although depression can sap one’s
Depression is not simple sadness. Most people get upset when life doesn’t go their way. But someone with depression can feel so bad they struggle to do everyday activities like eat or bathe. To count as depression, the sadness must be a constant, long-lasting feeling.
Depression is not a sign of weakness. Although depression can sap one’s energy or motivation, having the condition does not mean one is lazy. In fact, many people with depression put forth double the effort to simply get through their day.
Depression is not forever. People with depression can feel hopeless about recovery, especially if they’ve had the condition for a long time. Yet most forms of depression are very treatable. There are many therapies used to treat depressive symptoms. A mental health practitioner can help you decide which type best fits your needs.
Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). When you become depressed, you may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities.
When your mood shifts to mania or hypomania (les
Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). When you become depressed, you may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities.
When your mood shifts to mania or hypomania (less extreme than mania), you may feel euphoric, full of energy or unusually irritable. These mood swings can affect sleep, energy, activity, judgment, behavior and the ability to think clearly.
Episodes of mood swings may occur rarely or multiple times a year. While most people will experience some emotional symptoms between episodes, some may not experience any.
Although bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition, you can manage your mood swings and other symptoms by following a treatment plan. In most cases, bipolar disorder is treated with medications and psychological counseling (psychotherapy)
Borderline personality disorder is a mental illness that severely impacts a person's ability to manage their emotions. This loss of emotional control can increase impulsivity, affect how a person feels about themselves, and negatively impact their relationships with others.
People with borderline personality disorder may experience intense
Borderline personality disorder is a mental illness that severely impacts a person's ability to manage their emotions. This loss of emotional control can increase impulsivity, affect how a person feels about themselves, and negatively impact their relationships with others.
People with borderline personality disorder may experience intense mood swings and feel uncertainty about how they see themselves. Their feelings for others can change quickly, and swing from extreme closeness to extreme dislike. These changing feelings can lead to unstable relationships and emotional pain.
People with borderline personality disorder also tend to view things in extremes, such as all good or all bad. Their interests and values can change quickly, and they may act impulsively or recklessly.
Psychosis is when people lose some contact with reality. This might involve seeing or hearing things that other people cannot see or hear (hallucinations) and believing things that are not actually true (delusions). It may also involve confused (disordered) thinking and speaking.
The 3 main symptoms of psychosis are:
Psychosis is when people lose some contact with reality. This might involve seeing or hearing things that other people cannot see or hear (hallucinations) and believing things that are not actually true (delusions). It may also involve confused (disordered) thinking and speaking.
The 3 main symptoms of psychosis are:
The combination of hallucinations and delusional thinking can cause severe distress and a change in behavior.
Experiencing the symptoms of psychosis is often referred to as having a psychotic episode.
Schizophrenia is a long-term mental health condition. It causes a range of different psychological symptoms.
Doctors often describe schizophrenia as a type of psychosis. This means the person may not always be able to distinguish their own thoughts and ideas from reality.
Symptoms of schizophrenia can include:
Schizophrenia is a long-term mental health condition. It causes a range of different psychological symptoms.
Doctors often describe schizophrenia as a type of psychosis. This means the person may not always be able to distinguish their own thoughts and ideas from reality.
Symptoms of schizophrenia can include:
People with schizophrenia do not have a split personality. Schizophrenia does not usually cause someone to be violent.
Obsessions are persistent, unwanted thoughts about a certain topic. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts that one feels compelled to perform. People diagnosed with (OCD) often act out compulsions in response to their obsessions.
For example, a person may constantly worry their house will get robbed. To manage their anxiety,
Obsessions are persistent, unwanted thoughts about a certain topic. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts that one feels compelled to perform. People diagnosed with (OCD) often act out compulsions in response to their obsessions.
For example, a person may constantly worry their house will get robbed. To manage their anxiety, the person checks the locks on their doors a dozen times a night. This behavior cannot realistically prevent a robbery or break-in, but the person feels severe distress if they don’t follow through.
If left untreated, OCD can last a lifetime. Symptoms may interfere with one’s work, relationships, and general well-being.
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a condition in which children or adolescents experience ongoing irritability, anger, and frequent, intense temper outbursts. The symptoms of DMDD go beyond a “bad mood.” DMDD symptoms are severe. Youth who have DMDD experience significant problems at home, at school, and often with peers. T
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a condition in which children or adolescents experience ongoing irritability, anger, and frequent, intense temper outbursts. The symptoms of DMDD go beyond a “bad mood.” DMDD symptoms are severe. Youth who have DMDD experience significant problems at home, at school, and often with peers. They also tend to have high rates of healthcare service use and hospitalizations and are more likely to develop other mood disorders.
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a behavior condition in which your child displays a continuing pattern of uncooperative, defiant, and sometimes hostile behavior toward people in authority. This behavior often disrupts your child’s normal daily functioning, including relationships and activities within their family and at school.
Conduct disorder (CD) is a mental health condition that affects children and teens that’s characterized by a consistent pattern of aggressive behaviors and actions that harm the well-being of others. Children with conduct disorder also often violate rules and societal norms.
Conduct disorder lies on a spectrum of disruptive behavioral disorders, which also includes oppositional defiant disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a real disorder that develops when a person has experienced or witnessed a scary, shocking, terrifying, or dangerous event. These stressful or traumatic events usually involve a situation where someone’s life has been threatened or severe injury has occurred. Children and adults with PTSD may feel
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a real disorder that develops when a person has experienced or witnessed a scary, shocking, terrifying, or dangerous event. These stressful or traumatic events usually involve a situation where someone’s life has been threatened or severe injury has occurred. Children and adults with PTSD may feel anxious or stressed even when they are not in present danger.
You can get PTSD after living through or seeing a traumatic event, such as war, a natural disaster, sexual assault, physical abuse, or a bad accident. PTSD makes you feel stressed and afraid after the danger is over. It affects your life and the people around you.
PTSD starts at different times for different people. Signs of PTSD may start soon after a frightening event and then continue. Other people develop new or more severe signs months or even years later. PTSD is often related to the seriousness of the trauma, whether the trauma was repeated or not, what the individual’s proximity to the trauma was, and what their relationship is with the victim or perpetrator of the trauma.
To be considered for PTSD, signs and symptoms must last more than a month and be severe enough to interfere with school, work, or relationships. PTSD can happen to anyone, even children.
Symptoms of PTSD may last months to years. PTSD symptoms may include:
Symptoms of anxiety, depression, and substance use also are seen in people who have PTSD.
Postpartum depression (also called PPD) is a medical condition that many women get after having a baby. It’s strong feelings of sadness, anxiety (worry,) and tiredness that last for a long time after giving birth. These feelings can make it hard for you to take care of yourself and your baby. PPD can happen at any time after childbirth. I
Postpartum depression (also called PPD) is a medical condition that many women get after having a baby. It’s strong feelings of sadness, anxiety (worry,) and tiredness that last for a long time after giving birth. These feelings can make it hard for you to take care of yourself and your baby. PPD can happen at any time after childbirth. It often starts within 1 to 3 weeks of having a baby. It needs treatment to get better.
PPD is a kind of perinatal depression. This is depression that happens during pregnancy or in the first year after giving birth. PPD is the most common complication for women who have just had a baby. It affects up to 1 in 7 women (about 15 percent).
For half of women diagnosed with PPD, it’s their first time to have depression. And they may have had signs and symptoms of depression during pregnancy. If you have PPD in one pregnancy, you’re likely to have it again in another pregnancy.
PPD is not your fault. It doesn’t make you a bad person or a bad mother. If you think you have PPD, tell your healthcare provider.
Is PPD the same as the baby blues?
No. PPD lasts longer and is more serious than baby blues. Baby blues are feelings of sadness you may have after having a baby. Baby blues can happen 2 to 35 days after you give birth and can last up to 2 weeks. You may have trouble sleeping, be moody or cranky, and cry a lot. If you have sad feelings that last longer than 2 weeks, tell your provider. She can check to see if you may have PPD.
Signs and symptoms of PPD include:
Changes in your feelings:
Changes in your everyday life:
Changes in how you think about yourself or your baby:
If you think you have signs or symptoms of PPD, call your healthcare provider right away. There are things you and your provider can do to help you feel better. If you’re worried about hurting yourself or your baby, call emergency services at 911.
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