{"id":478,"date":"2025-10-12T07:43:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T07:43:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/muncbiz.com\/mentalhealth\/?p=478"},"modified":"2025-10-12T07:43:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T07:43:11","slug":"the-warning-signs-of-mental-illness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/muncbiz.com\/mentalhealth\/?p=478","title":{"rendered":"The Warning Signs of Mental Illness"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"480\" height=\"270\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/44WvzyRp0MI\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>-50% of mental illness begins by age 14, and three-quarters begin by age 24.<\/p>\n<p>Major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder rarely appear \u201cout of the blue.\u201d Most often family, friends, teachers or individuals themselves begin to recognize small changes or a feeling that \u201csomething is not quite right\u201d about their thinking, feelings or behavior before a illness appears in its full-blown form.<\/p>\n<p>Learning about developing symptoms, or early warning signs, and taking action can help. Early intervention can help reduce the severity of an illness. It may even be possible to delay or prevent a major mental illness altogether.<\/p>\n<p>Signs &amp; Symptoms<br \/>\nIf several of the following are occurring, it may useful to follow up with a mental health professional.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Sleep or appetite changes \u2014 Dramatic sleep and appetite changes or decline in personal care<br \/>\n&#8211; Mood changes \u2014 Rapid or dramatic shifts in emotions or depressed feelings<br \/>\n&#8211; Withdrawal \u2014 Recent social withdrawal and loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed<br \/>\n&#8211; Drop in functioning \u2014 An unusual drop in functioning, at school, work or social activities, such as quitting sports, failing in school or difficulty performing familiar tasks<br \/>\n&#8211; Problems thinking \u2014 Problems with concentration, memory or logical thought and speech that are hard to explain<br \/>\n&#8211; Increased sensitivity \u2014 Heightened sensitivity to sights, sounds, smells or touch; avoidance of over-stimulating situations<br \/>\n&#8211; Apathy \u2014 Loss of initiative or desire to participate in any activity<br \/>\n&#8211; Feeling disconnected \u2014 A vague feeling of being disconnected from oneself or one\u2019s surroundings; a sense of unreality<br \/>\n&#8211; Illogical thinking \u2014 Unusual or exaggerated beliefs about personal powers to understand meanings or influence events; illogical or \u201cmagical\u201d thinking typical of childhood in an adult<br \/>\n&#8211; Nervousness \u2014 Fear or suspiciousness of others or a strong nervous feeling<br \/>\n&#8211; Unusual behavior \u2013 Odd, uncharacteristic, peculiar behavior<\/p>\n<p>One or two of these symptoms alone can\u2019t predict a mental illness but may indicate a need for further evaluation. If a person is experiencing several at one time and the symptoms are causing serious problems in the ability to study, work or relate to others, he\/she should be seen by a physician or mental health professional. People with suicidal thoughts or intent, or thoughts of harming others, need immediate attention.<\/p>\n<p>Taking Action, Getting Help<br \/>\nMore than a decade of research around the world has shown that early intervention can often minimize or delay symptoms, prevent hospitalization and improve prognosis. Even if a person does not yet show clear signs of a diagnosable mental illness, these \u201cred flag\u201d early warning symptoms can be frightening and disruptive.<\/p>\n<p>Encourage the person to:<\/p>\n<p>Have an evaluation by a mental health or other health care professional.<br \/>\nLearn about mental illness, including signs and symptoms.<br \/>\nReceive supportive counseling about daily life and strategies for stress management.<br \/>\nBe monitored closely for conditions requiring more intensive care.<br \/>\nRecognize that stigma may pose a significant barrier to seeking help.<\/p>\n<p>Each individual\u2019s situation must be assessed carefully and treatment should be individualized. Comprehensive treatment to prevent early symptoms from progressing into serious illness can include ongoing individual and family counseling, vocational and educational support, participation in a multi-family problem-solving group, and medication when appropriate.<\/p>\n<p>Family members are valued partners and should be involved whenever possible. Learning about mental illness and what is happening in the brain can help individuals and families understand the significance of symptoms, how an illness might develop and what can be done to help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>-50% of mental illness begins by age 14, and three-quarters begin by age 24. Major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":479,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v17.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/muncbiz.com\/mentalhealth\/?p=478\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Warning Signs of Mental Illness - MENTAL HEALTH\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"-50% of mental illness begins by age 14, and three-quarters begin by age 24. 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