According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 1 of every 5 adults live with some form of mental illness. Maybe this number surprises you, but I see a lot of people dealing with a lot of stressors, and it seems accurate to me. Considering how high this number is, it is important for people to know the warning signs. Normally, mental health conditions do not just suddenly appear overnight. There tend to be signs that friends, families, and individuals themselves start to notice. This is why it is so important for people to check in with themselves on a regular basis. These check-ins might be through the use of journaling, but they can also simply be mindfully looking inward with a sense of curiosity and exploration. The most important thing to be able to do is answer the following question: “What is normal for me, and am I noticing anything different from my normal?”
The most common warning signs that indicate a problem are changes in basic biological functioning. Problems sleeping, sleeping way too much, lack of appetite, or beginning to eat much more than is normal for an individual can all be warning signs that, at the very least, there is a problem. Again, whether or not there have been unintended changes from a person’s normal is the important part here. Problems concentrating or remembering things are also a warning sign of a problem if they are out of the ordinary. It is worth noting that aging can have an effect on all of these areas as well. I read once that while everyone’s memory declines with age, people who have always had poor memories tend to report fewer problems than people who used to have very strong memories. The theory is that people who have never had strong memories spend their lives learning to make accommodations for themselves and are better equipped later in life. Taking good care of ourselves through diet and exercise can greatly reduce the skills that we lose, but some declines are still normal.
Other warning signs may be even more troubling. If someone starts to have difficulty with logical thought or speech, increased sensitivity to lights or sounds, or if they start to become very overwhelmed with stimulation, it is probably time to visit their doctor. There are other warning signs as well, but the most important thing to know is your own baseline. When things start to happen that are outside of YOUR normal, it is time to start paying attention.
When warning signs show up, the next step is reflection on recent events. If someone recently lost a job, experienced the end of a committed relationship, or is grieving the loss of a loved one these changes would, most likely, be related to how they are dealing with a major change in their life. Now, these changes may make a lot of sense in this context, but they also show us the necessity of taking care of oneself during times of difficulty. A situational stressor can lead to a mental health problem if a person isn’t given the opportunity to process it in a healthy and effective way.
According to Katherine Ponte in an article for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)* the following coping strategies are helpful when dealing with the warning signs of possible mental health conditions:
Make and stick to a sleep schedule that allows 8 hours/night. I want to add that when you are lying still in the dark, you are still resting. Rest isn’t quite as important as sleep, but it is certainly better for the body and mind than being up and active.
Take any prescribed medications the way they were prescribed. Also, never stop a medicine without consulting your doctor first.
Consult a counselor and keep regular appointments with your counselor and doctor. When appointments become less consistent, so does progress.
Limit alcohol.
Limit your time spent on social media.
Spend time with family or loved ones.
Practice mindfulness–specific attention on something in the present. This is often done through focusing on the breath or a scan of the body.
When our normal changes, it is often an indication that something is wrong. This doesn’t always mean that there is a huge problem, and it doesn’t always mean that a person will be diagnosed with a mental illness. It does tend to mean that your body is telling you that it needs attention, however. If you start to notice changes and differences in your normal, don’t just dismiss them. Monitor yourself and do some soul searching to see if these changes make sense in context of a change or stressor. Mental health conditions can be genetic too. If you have close family members who have had major struggles with their mental health, there is always a possibility of inheriting these conditions. That may have sounded bleak, but also understand this, early care and treatment of mental health conditions and having a team of professionals to assist you in dealing with them can lead to greatly improved outcomes. You may have had a family member who struggled for a long time, but they might not have caught their condition early, and they may not have been consistent with treatment. Getting the right help early can allow a person to lead the life they had always planned to lead.
*https://nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/May-2022/Understanding-The-Early-Warning-Signs-of-Mental-Illness