What are the symptoms of mental illness?
Since the current Covid-19 pandemic at the latest, many people have come to better understand that people can often get into serious crises without their active involvement. Unfortunately, mental illnesses are still stigmatised because they are usually not visible to outsiders and therefore less comprehensible. For those affected, mental health crises can develop gradually and silently or be triggered by an initial experience.
The current coronavirus crisis is exacerbating the causes of mental illness. Various fears suddenly become apparent in their haze, be it of the virus, illness, unemployment, being alone or even death.
Causes of mental illness
The causes of mental illness are very diverse, ranging from increased stress at work, at home in the family or in a partnership to traumatic experiences. In general, it can be said that
biological, psychological and social factors interact. As a rule, there is never just one single cause. Some people are more vulnerable and less resilient than others. They react more sensitively to stress factors. Others have experienced traumatizing situations in childhood, e.g. abuse, war and flight. And then there are certain biological factors that cause an imbalance of messenger substances (neurotransmitters) in the brain.
Symptoms
There are various symptoms of a mental health crisis:
Mental symptoms
Emotional level:
- Occurrence of fear, panic
- Helplessness, feeling lost, hopelessness
- Tension
- instability
Thinking level:
- Narrowed thinking: alternatives for action are not recognized
- Black and white vision
- Concentration difficulties, learning and performance problems
- Escape into a dream world
Behavior
- Actions erratic, uncoordinated
- Social withdrawal
- altered eating behavior
- Substitute actions that appear incomprehensible to outsiders
- Violence against oneself
- Uncoordinated actions, often aimless and not completed
- Sleep disturbances, severe tiredness
- Palpitations, shortness of breath, trembling
- Stomach and intestinal complaints
- Headaches, dizziness
- Loss of appetite
- binge eating
Social relationships
- isolation
- Turning away from friends, family and interests
- Affected person can no longer understand their fellow human beings and vice versa
Recognize signs early on
If a mental health crisis is looming, it is good to admit it as early as possible and not be ashamed to seek help. If there seems to be no end to a low mood, a timely diagnosis (e.g. of depression) and therapy can prevent massive consequences. Contact points in Switzerland. Psychosocial Spitex also helps in crisis situations. It provides support, for example, in structuring everyday life, working on coping strategies, after a stay in hospital or with addiction problems.
Consequences of mental illness
Mental illness has considerable consequences for the people affected and their families. But also for companies and thus for the economy. Today, they are already the second most common cause of sick leave. In addition, mental illnesses often last longer than other illnesses. Late physical consequences can include migraines, stomach ulcers and cardiovascular diseases.
Mental crises can pose major challenges for people in a wide variety of situations. In order to emerge from a crisis as unscathed as possible, support should be sought as early as possible. Under no circumstances does it help to withdraw and avoid social contact for fear of taboos and stigmatization. Society is increasingly confronted with mental illness. Many people are familiar with excessive demands and stress from their own environment. So the conclusion can only be: accept professional help right from the start!
