Recognizing Warning Signs of Mental Health Conditions
Like any physical condition, the signs and symptoms of mental health conditions may vary based on the specific condition and the individual. The symptoms below may be signs you or a loved one should speak to a mental health professional.
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Adults and Teens
- Confused thinking
- Prolonged sadness or irritability
- Excessive fears, worries, and anxieties
- Social withdrawal
- Changes in eating or sleeping habits
- Strange thoughts
- Seeing or hearing things
- Growing inability to cope with daily problems
- Suicidal thoughts
- Substance use
- Feelings of extreme highs or lows
Children and Pre-teens
- Growing inability to cope with problems or daily activities
- Substance use
- Changes in eating or sleeping habits
- Frequent complaints of physical ailments
- Changes in ability to manage responsibilities
- Defiance, truancy, or vandalism
- Feelings of intense fear
- Prolonged negative mood
- Frequent angry outbursts
Young Children
- Changes in school performance
- Poor grades
- Changes in eating or sleeping habits
- Excessive worry or anxiety
- Hyperactivity
- Persistent nightmares
- Frequent disobedience and/or aggression
- Frequent temper tantrums
If you or someone you know is in crisis now, get help immediately by calling a 24-hour crisis center at 988 or if it’s an emergency, dial 911.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, May). Mental Health. Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/index.htm
Mental Health America. (2022). Recognizing Warning Signs and How to Cope. Retrieved from Mental Health America Web Site: https://mhanational.org/recognizing-warning-signs-and-how-cope
National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). Warning Signs and Symptoms. Retrieved from National Alliance on Mental Illness Web site: https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Warning-Signs-and-Symptoms