beyondblue Cup series: Mental health awareness – the signs and symptoms

In the first of our series of features on mental health ahead of the beyondblue Cup this weekend, Georgia Briggs takes a closer look at signs and symptoms.

Being aware of the different signs and symptoms that could indicate a mental health issue is of crucial importance to everyone. Just because someone has not exhibited traits or been previously diagnoses with a mental illness doesn’t mean it cannot develop. Even if someone is in their later years of life, having had no signs of mental illness before, anxiety and depression can onset at any time in life.

When it comes to paying attention to the signs and symptoms of mental health, personal awareness is most important. While friends and family and very intuitive, they don’t spend 24 hours a day with you, and may chalk up various identifiers as “an off day” because they have nothing to compare it to. You know how you feel, you know what you’re thinking and you know how your body is moving. It is up to all of us to have a the ability to take a step back and check in with ourselves, looking for the signs and symptoms, much like going to the doctor or dentist every so often to get a check up.

As loved ones, though you don’t see someone every second of the day, it doesn’t mean you don’t know their personality. If someone you care about seems withdrawn, sad or does not engage with eye contact, there may be an underlying issue to consider. If they are continually making excuses to bail on plans such as “I’m tired” or “I’m busy” then it might be time to sit them down in a private spot and ask them how they’re doing. Lastly, if you begin to see physical scars from self-harm, start a conversation in that private spot as soon as possible.

Overall, there are four different types of signs and symptoms to be alert to as potential indicators of mental health issues: physical, feeling, thinking and behavior. Remember, this isn’t bingo (P.S. who actually plays bingo?) or Pokemon where you’ve “gotta catch ‘em all”, any one or combination of these traits is enough to warrant further consideration and assistance by a health professional.

PHYSICAL

Obviously, physical traits are easier to identify than any other possible signs or symptoms, but that doesn’t mean they’re abundantly clear. Ensure you note these physical changes in either yourself or your loved ones as possible signs of a mental illness:

Anxiety: muscle pain, tightening of chest, racing heart, difficulty sleeping, restless and on edge, shortness of breath.

Depression: tired all the time, difficulty sleeping, significant weight loss or gain, sick and run down.
 

FEELING

Now, while there is sure to be a few different comments about the difficulty of identifying feelings, such as “maybe I was just feeling that way today”, “I’m not an emotional person, feelings pfft” and “how would I be able to tell what another person is feeling?” have no fear, we have a response for that. Look for feelings that are prolonged in nature. We all have bad days but if you’re feeling low for several days or weeks, then it may not simply be a rough patch. If you’re not an emotional person, it doesn’t mean you can’t emote, it probably does means you don’t cry watching movies, but it doesn’t mean you don’t know how to feel. It may be a more difficult thing for you to look inside you and recognise what you’re feeling, but it’s far less difficult than struggling with mental health.

For those on the outside looking in, of course you can’t tell what people are feeling, unless you’re a mind reader #cool. But there is a simple and easy way to find out how someone else is feeling. You look at them, or text them, or write to them in the sky and say “how are you feeling?” It is a miraculous and almost foolproof new idea.

Here are some general feelings that may indicate a mental health concern:

Anxiety: overwhelmed, dread (that something bad is going to happen), fearful, constantly tense, panic.

Depression: unhappy, overwhelmed, unmotivated, irritable, indecisive.

THINKING

Thinking is a lot like feeling, difficult to self-reflect on and even harder to ascertain from the outside. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Much like the above, on a personal level, take a moment to conscious think about your thinking (wow, confusion much?) Note what you’re saying to yourself and whether it is positive, negative or a mix of both. Again, note whether you have this thinking for long periods of time. If you’re thinking “this was a s**t day”, fair enough, it probably was. But if you’ve been thinking that every day for a month, you should do more thinking (and researching and asking) about your mental health.

For the loved ones, again, you cannot know what people are thinking, so ask! Further, you can always take note on how they speak to you. If they are telling you “today was a s**t day” that’s fine, it probably was. If they have said that to you every day, then perhaps you should ask them an important follow up question.

If you or someone you love are thinking any of these things on a regular basis, think again:

Anxiety: “I’m going crazy”, “I can’t control myself”, “people are judging me”, constant worrying, unwanted and intrusive thoughts.

Depression: “I’m a failure”, “It’s my fault”, “I’m worthless”, “Life is not worth living”.
 

BEHAVIOUR

The last category for signs and symptoms of mental health is behaviour. More closely interlinked with physical indicators, behavioral signs are easier to identify in both ourselves and others, so always be on the lookout for:

Anxiety: avoiding situations and tasks, difficulty making decisions, poor concentration, relying on alcohol or drugs, compulsive behaviour.

Depression: unable to concentrate, not getting things done at work or school, withdrawing from friends or co-workers, taking lots of days off, relying on alcohol or drugs.

If you or someone you care about is exhibiting any of the above signs or symptoms then it is time to get help. Log on to the beyondblue website to find out more information, or contact your local GP.