Have you been feeling down in the dumps? Experiencing strange bouts of sadness or intense episodes of disassociation that suddenly come upon you like a tidal wave at the most unexpected times? If yes, you may need medical assistance and you need to seek that. Let’s discuss what sort of issues need attention from mental health experts.
Symptoms To Look Out For
- Difficulties in concentration
- Feeling worthless or less than others
- Constant suicidal thoughts
- Excessive anger or hostility
- Paranoia, hallucinations, and detachment from reality
Mental Health Issues
Feeling Sad
This is the most common emotion experienced by many mostly due to hormonal fluctuations triggered by psychological and social factors. Many who experience bouts of sadness often mistake that for depression, but usually depression lasts longer and has certain salient features that separate the condition from regular sadness.
Sadness – When a child drops their ice cream cone or they’re fired from a job, we experience sadness as a natural reaction to unpleasant or emotionally distressing situations. While there are varying degrees, the feeling is usually temporary and doesn’t hamper our ability to work or be functional in the long run.
Depression – When we’re fired from a job, or something deeply disturbing occurs, we may experience depression. We could also be born with the condition many times, depression is due to hormonal differences in our systems that are causing extreme sadness as a symptom.
Medically speaking, research suggests that certain biological, psychological, and social factors change the way the brain functions and that can include an alteration in the neural circuits in the brain. That leads to a deficiency of hormones such as serotonin, dopamine, and even progesterone.
It’s important to know the difference between sadness and depression, as the two are often used interchangeably but they are very different experiences.
When Do You Need To Visit The Doctor?
You must visit the doctor when your feelings of sadness persist for longer than a month. If you’re unable to do your daily tasks or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, you must visit a doctor. Therapy can help you navigate these extremely challenging times, as can medicine prescribed by a licensed practitioner.
Anxiety
Symptoms of anxiety include nervousness, tension, feelings of impending doom and panic, increased heart rate, and more. One tends to breathe rapidly and experience terrible sweats when faced with the smallest tasks. It can be difficult to concentrate or think about anything other than the present. If your digestion has weakened and you’re unable to stop the constant worrying – it’s probably time for you to see a doctor.
Several types of anxiety exist, and they are all different according to medical standards. For example, there are specific phobias (or fears) such as agoraphobia or arachnophobia, which are psychologically impairing fears of certain things. Anxiety on the other hand can be classified broadly into anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, and panic disorder.
Anxiety, like sadness, is a normal response to unpleasant stimulation. That should not be confused with anxiety disorder, which is caused due to a physical health problem. There’s also Generalized Anxiety Disorder which is like an external mind interrogating you constantly even while you’re doing the most mundane routines.
Then there are panic disorders that are popularly known as panic attacks. These are intense bouts of anxiety that can be debilitating as they lead to loss of breath, intense sweats, and actual physical pain.
When Do You Need To Visit The Doctor?
When you’re experiencing physical symptoms such as headaches and body aches, it’s time to visit the doctor. It’s also a good idea to get medical help if you’re unable to do daily activities due to your anxiety. That can include work or maintaining hygiene, but can also include extremely basic tasks such as eating and sleeping.
Bipolar Disorder
Are there times when you experience extreme highs, followed by incredible lows? Do you alternate between heady euphoria and extreme states of debilitating depression, almost as if a heavy blanket is on you? If that’s the case, you may be suffering from bipolar disorder.
Those who experience this disorder can experience extreme emotions may be detached from reality and can have trouble understanding situations due to their emotional instability. At times, someone suffering from bipolar disorder can be unusually talkative, feel braver than usual, and exhibit impulsive behaviour.
When Do You Need To Visit The Doctor?
When you’re unable to cope with daily problems or stressful situations you must seek medical help. Many cases see reckless behaviour during manic episodes, which can also be dangerous for the person experiencing them.
Other Symptoms to Be Wary Of
- Unusual bouts of anger
- Feeling uncomfortable in your body
- Conditions like a borderline personality disorder
- Eating problems
- Hearing voices
- Hoarding
- Extreme feelings of loneliness, even when unsubstantiated
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Psychosis
- Schizophrenia (experiencing stimuli such as seeing things or hearing voices that are not there)
- Stress
Understand these symptoms and seek help as soon as you can. If you want a professional opinion on menopause and what it means for you, or your current reproductive health, please request an appointment at Apollo Cradle and Children’s Hospital in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. Call 1860 500 4424 to book an appointment.
All these are traumatic experiences that affect your mental health. Learn how to help yourself through these difficult times and experience the best in medical care by reaching out to us.
The right treatment can make your journey through mental health issues smooth and help you understand what kind of support you need to maintain your quality of life even when you’re experiencing uncomfortable symptoms such as the ones above.
FAQs
1. What Is Mental Health?
Your emotional, psychological, and social well-being is known as mental health. The way your mind works and the way you perceive everything around you is affected by your mental health. Stress levels, interpersonal relationships, cognitive functioning, and more are affected by the state of your mental health.
2. How to Improve Mental Health?
Building good relationships, being physically active, learning new activities and skills, and practising mindfulness meditation are all ways to improve your mental health.
3. Why Is Mental Health Important?
If our emotional, psychological, and social well-being is good, we can handle stressors better and lead happier and healthier lives. Our mental health affects the way we deal with situations from childhood until adulthood and it’s extremely important to keep that in check.