Basic symptoms of highly prevalent Mental Illnesses

Mental health is a hot topic of discussion right now. Especially after our collective experience of the pandemic, lockdowns, loss of occupation, loss of social connections, changes in family dynamics - the issue of mental health has come into the forefront like never before.

The psychological disturbance caused by this global pandemic is called COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress (CPD) and it is a measurable clinical term. Studies have shown that elevated CPD Index in a person can be a precursor to various issues like anxiety, depression, PTSD and other mood affective disorders.

Everyone may not have access to the right diagnostic tools for identifying mental illnesses and their severity. Moreover they shouldn't be used without proper clinical supervision. However, there are a few things you can pay attention to assess if you or your loved ones are at the onset of a mental illness -

1. Change in appetite: A significant increase or decrease in appetite, which cannot be explained due to change in activity can be a symptom of depression. We sometimes turn to food as a coping mechanism - a bad day at work can be forgotten in the comfort of a hot chocolate fudge. However, if this marked change persists for over 2 weeks, it is time to take notice.
2. Change in sleep patterns: When healthy, we usually follow a relatively stable sleep-wake cycle. It may be different for different people, some may be night owls, some may be early risers, some may enjoy their siesta - but we all have a typical pattern when it comes to sleeping. If this pattern breaks - for eg. you can't fall asleep at your usual sleep time, you wake up in the middle of the sleep cycle several times or every one hour, if you feel sleepy dazed and drowsy at the times you would be typically awake - it is a symptom of a psychological problem.
3. Irritability, anger and aggression: Aggression is a very basic emotion. It ensured the survival of our species against predators (aggression is the fight response, fear is the flight response). We usually display anger and aggression when we find ourselves in a threatening situation. However, when one becomes aggressive and irritable in non-threatening situations, it is a maladaptive behaviour. If a person gets irritated in normal situations over trivial things, behaves aggressively (yelling, hitting, throwing things) at slightest or no provocation - it is a major red flag that one must immediately pay attention to.
4. Unusually Low or Elevated mood for over 2 weeks: Did you recently get a promotion? Had a great vacation? Or any other very pleasant experience? Chances are your happiness is going to spill over for a couple of weeks. Similarly should there be a markedly distressing event in your life, the sadness will linger on for a while. At the event of a loss of a loved one - this period can last for upto 6 months. However, if one is displaying uncharacteristically low or elevated mood without any apparent cause - they may be at the onset of a mood disorder. In a low mood episode they may lose appetite, lose interest in things they usually enjoyed, be sad and withdrawn, lose sleep etc. In an elevated mood episode they may be hyperactive, have a spring in the step, talk and laugh a lot, spend unreasonably, behave euphorically. BOTH of these moods - too high or too low, sustained over 2 weeks, without any reasonable explanation can be the onset of a disorder.
5. Withdrawal for the Daily, Social and Recreational activities: Do you cringe at the thought of going to work which you liked (or at least tolerated)? Daily chores seem like a burden you just don't want to carry anymore? Cooking, cleaning, errands, watering your lovely garden or playtime with your pet - all seem like a hike up the Everest. You just don't want to do it anymore. Meeting friends is exhausting. Your hobbies, things that you loved doing seem so unnecessary, futile and insipid. If any of these symptoms persist for over 2 weeks - help is needed immediately.
6. Thinking of the same thing over and over again: Ruminating over same things over and over again, even if those situations do not affect one directly, or their severity isn't of any immediate threat is a classic symptom of General Anxiety (GA). A person at the onset of GA may get worried about Taliban's insurgence in Afghanistan while sitting in Mumbai and sipping Latte at Starbucks. This can be caused due to over exposure to the 24x7 news channels, constant engagement in Social Media etc. When the worry of perceived threat (thoughts like I will lose my job, my romantic partner will leave me, I won't amount to anything in life) is greater than any real and immediate threat, it can wreck havoc on the wellbeing of a person. Imagine being in a state of war all the time!

Symptoms mentioned above are easy to observe and do not need any clinical diagnostic tools. In addition to the those, things like muttering to self, constant & repetitive body movements, uncoordinated body movements, forgetfulness, indecision over trivial things, crying over little or no incitement, abrupt change in usual mood and behaviour can be observed by yourself, friends and family without any psychological background.

Should you find such symptoms in yourself, your friends or family, here is what you can do.

1. Yourself: Talk to a close and mature family member or friend. Seek their support and observe if the symptoms persist for over a week. Try to express your emotions in a safe space if you can and check if that makes you feel better. Should the symptoms persist or worsen over the course of a week, you may need professional help.
2. Friend or Family: If you are close to the person, initiate a conversation when the person is alone with you. A good place to begin with is a simple "How are you?". Ask open ended questions and wait for the person to feel comfortable and respond. LISTEN WITHOUT JUDGEMENT - do not offer any solutions to their problems. If you are not close to the person and cannot speak frankly - you may want to inform other members of their family or maybe pass along this article to them. The person should be prompted to seek help from a psychiatrist or a psychologist.

Just as we seek professional medical help for a fractured leg or upset stomach or a virus running haywire in our body, it is absolutely NECESSARY AND NORMAL to seek help for a broken heart or a distraught brain. And just the way we do not expect the broken leg to get better in a day, we have to give treatment, therapy and time to heal our psychological illnesses. Complete recovery, management and resumption of normal life is possible in most cases of Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Mania etc.

PS: Should you like this article and find it informative - please pass it along to someone who you think may need it. I will have fulfilled my purpose if help reaches even one person in need. For more details or further discussion, please feel free to DM.