Significant Warning Signs You May Have A Mental Disorder

Major Shifts in Eating Habits

Individuals who experience major shifts in their eating habits without any known physical cause could have a mental disorder. One of the most common shifts is a loss of appetite associated with depression. Individuals with depression or other mood disorders may feel listless, lethargic, and like they either aren't hungry or don't have the energy to eat. In a similar vein, patients with anxiety disorders may be too anxious to eat. Depression can also present with sudden bingeing and comfort eating. An entire class of mental health disorders, eating disorders, is based around food-related neuroses. Anorexia nervosa patients tend to restrict their calorie intake, become obsessed with their weight, make up food-related rules for their lives, and experience extreme distress when forced to change those routines. With bulimia, patients go through periods of bingeing followed by purging through laxatives, vomiting, or other means. Binge eating disorder is an eating disorder in which affected individuals eat excessively and feel out of control, but don't purge afterward.

Significant Lethargy And Tiredness

Significant lethargy and tiredness can be a sign of both physical and mental disorders. Lethargy is a feeling of sleepiness, fatigue, or sluggishness, which could be mental or physical. An individual with lethargy may have physically slower movements, difficulty following conversations, and may seem dazed. Other common signs of lethargy are mood changes, low energy, decreased reaction times, and a decreased ability to think. If an individual is sleeping enough, eating enough, and drinking enough water, the lethargy may have an underlying cause. One common physical cause is hypothyroidism, which occurs when the thyroid can't produce enough hormone to regulate the individual's metabolism. This condition leads to depression. Major depressive disorder can also cause lethargy. This condition is diagnosed when an individual feels listlessness, tiredness, apathy, or experiences feelings of sadness that last for more than two weeks without a known external cause. Postpartum depression, which occurs after a woman gives birth, can also cause lethargy. Premenstrual syndrome can lead to lethargy because of its hormonal changes.