Symptoms of a disorder may arise during childhood or early adulthood, but you may not learn about them unless your symptoms have begun significantly impacting your daily life. Recognizing early signs can be beneficial because the earlier you seek help, the earlier you can develop skills to better manage your symptoms and can better understand yourself and how you view the world. The American Psychiatric Association has identified several key signs that you may have a disorder:
- Withdrawal – recent social withdrawal and loss of interest in other people
- Drop in functioning and performance – lack of attendance at work, school, family and social functions or having difficulty performing tasks
- Problems thinking – difficulty concentrating, remembering, or exhibiting logical speech patterns
- Increased sensitivity – heightened sensitivity to sights, sounds, smells or touch; avoiding situations that stimulate too many senses at once
- Apathy – loss of desire to participate in life activities
- Feeling disconnected – a sense of unreality or feeling disconnected from oneself or others
- Illogical thinking – unusual or exaggerated beliefs about one’s powers to understand events or meanings, “magical thinking” that would be seen within a child as an adult
- Nervousness – feelings suspicious of others or having strong nervous feelings
- Unusual behavior – behavior that is described as peculiar or odd
- Sleep or appetite changes – major sleeping or eating pattern changes; decline in personal hygiene
- Mood changes – dramatic shift in feelings
Mental Health America further notes that prolonged depression, excessive fears/worries/anxieties, strong feelings of anger, strange thoughts or delusions, hearing things that aren’t there, suicidal thoughts, and substance abuse are just a few other symptoms to be aware of. If you believe you may have a mental disorder, seeking treatment could mean saving yourself from danger or irrational decisions. Treatment often means that you can focus on accepting your feelings, managing your symptoms, establishing your support network and developing the tools you need to successfully manage daily life.
Having a disorder does not mean that you are a different person or that you are “bad”, “weird”, or “different”. Each person has their own unique struggles and for some, mental illness is one of them. Millions of people have overcome their symptoms and managed to lead happy, successful lives. You can too.
If you believe you may have a disorder and are wanting to begin your journey towards recovery, call us today at 888-958-7511. Avalon Malibu is a mental health and substance abuse recovery treatment center dedicated to helping you restore your mind, body, and spirit. We believe that each person has unique needs, so we will work with you to determine the best course of treatment for you. Call us today for a consultation.
