Healing Mental Health with Humankindness

• Persistent sadness and hopelessness
• Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
• Changes in appetite and weight
• Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
• Fatigue and low energy
• Irritability
• Difficulty concentrating, thinking, or making decisions
• Restlessness or slowed movements
• Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive problems, and chronic pain
• Thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself

*Reference: CDC

• Overwhelming fear, feelings of loss of control or like you are going crazy
• Feeling restless, wound-up, or on-edge
• Having difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly
• Feeling irritable or easily frustrated
• Having muscle tension, a racing heart rate, headaches, shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, or other physical symptoms
• Avoiding social situations or activities that make you anxious
• Having trouble sleeping
• Having a racing heart or feeling short of breath
• Having panic attacks

*Reference: WebMD

• Manic episodes, which are periods of extreme joy or irritability, energy, and activity, talking a lot, racing thoughts, high energy, impulsive behavior, and reckless pursuit of gratification
• Depressive episodes, which are periods of sad mood, loneliness, feeling helpless, guilty, having low self-esteem, and lack of energy
• Mixed episodes, which are a combination of manic and depressive symptoms

*Reference: WebMD

*Reference: National Institute of Mental Health

• Reliving a traumatic event through flashbacks or nightmares
• Avoidance of places, people, conversations, or activities that remind you of the event
• Negative changes in mood, such as feeling numb or detached
• Reduced positive emotions (such as love or hope) 
• Sense of doom and gloom
• Changes in physical or emotional reactions, such as feeling constantly on guard or having trouble sleeping
• Changes in thinking and beliefs, such as feeling guilty or having trouble trusting others

*Reference: WebMD

• Psychotic episodes include hallucinations which is when someone hears, sees, smells, or feels something no one else does 
• Delusions, which are false beliefs that are not based in reality. These can include the belief you are being followed or controlled by others including the government, experiencing bizarre health problems, and feeling convinced that you have a relationship with a famous person or deity
• Reduced expression of emotions or reduced motivation to accomplish goals
• Difficulty in social relationships
• Trouble thinking or concentrating including difficulty making sense of thoughts and speech
• Catatonic behavior, which can appear as jumpiness or repeating movement

*Reference: WebMD

*Reference: NIMH

• Developmental disorders are conditions that affect cognitive development which can make it hard to reason and understand information and can make it hard to maintain relations, focus, stay organized, or do daily tasks like managing money, cooking, or taking care of yourself. This can include but is not limited to the following conditions:
  • Autism spectrum disorder (ASD): A condition that makes it hard to understand or respond to social cues and can make social relationships challenging including being very sensitive or very insensitive to sounds, smells, tastes, textures, or sights and a need for repetitive behaviors or intense focus on a specific thing
  • Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): A condition that causes difficulty with paying attention, following instructions, and staying organized that often includes difficulty staying still or being impulsive

*Reference: CDC

• Disruptive behavior, poor impulse control, inappropriate conduct including frequent loss of temper, deliberately annoying others, anger, resentment, spiteful, and vindictive behavior. This can include but is not limited to the following conditions:
  • Conduct disorder: A condition characterized by violating the rights of others or behaving in a way that is not age-appropriate 
  • Oppositional defiant disorder: A condition characterized by behavior that is hostile, defiant, with an inability to be convinced 
  • Antisocial personality disorder: A condition characterized by disregarding and violating the rights of others
  • Psychopathy: A condition characterized by a lack of empathy, remorse, or guilt, and negativism (a tendency to do the opposite of what is asked)

*Reference: CHADD

*Reference: American Psychiatric Association

• Personality disorders are a group of mental disorders that involve inflexible and poorly adapted patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. These patterns cause a lot of distress and/or weaken a person's ability to function in social, occupational, or other important areas of life. These can include but are not limited to:
  • Borderline personality disorder: A condition characterized by instability in mood, interpersonal relationships, and self-image
  • Narcissistic personality disorder: A condition characterized by a grandiose sense of self-importance, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy
  • Avoidant personality disorder: A condition characterized by a fear of rejection and avoidance of social situations
  • Dependent personality disorder: A condition characterized by a need for excessive reassurance and support from others
• Impulsive conduct includes behavior that can be dangerous to the person such as drug use, excessive spending, and promiscuous behavior

*Reference: NIMH

• Difficulty understanding social cues and challenges forming relationships
• Behavioral problems, such as aggression or self-injury
• Problems with memory and problem-solving
• Difficulty understanding and following instructions

*References: CDC