Early Warning Signs Of Mental Illness

Difficulties With The Perception Of Reality

Many mental illnesses cause difficulties with an individual's perception of reality. These perceptions can vary widely in presentation. For example, with anorexia nervosa, patients may have a skewed sense of their own body and weight. The same is true with body dysmorphic disorder, which occurs when an affected individual has an irrational hatred for and problem with some part of their body that causes emotional and social problems. Other perception issues may occur with a patient's thought processes or sensory information. Psychotic disorders are any mental illnesses that present with psychosis, which is a disconnect between reality and perception. Hallucinations may occur in schizophrenia, in which patients see or hear things that aren't actually there. Delusions, or incorrect and irrational beliefs, may also go hand-in-hand with schizophrenia. Delusions of grandeur and paranoia are common with manic episodes of bipolar disorder. Schizophrenic individuals may also have trouble formulating their thoughts and communicating effectively.

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Extreme Changes In Mood

Extreme changes in mood can be an early sign of mental illness, especially if they seem to occur with little to no prompting. Manic depression, also called bipolar disorder, classically presents with alternating periods of extremely elevated mood and extreme depression. Manic episodes cause increased impulsivity and can come with emotional highs like euphoria, anger, or sometimes both. Traditional bipolar disorder has highs and lows that last months or even years, but rapid-cycling bipolar disorder occurs when there are four or more episodes per year. Ultradian rapid cycling bipolar disorder can sometimes be caused by medication side effects and lead to multiple mood swings per day. Another mental illness that causes extreme mood swings is borderline personality disorder. Individuals with this condition often have tumultuous, codependent, conflict-filled relationships because they have trouble maintaining a sense of self when alone. Other disorders, such as intermittent explosive disorder, might occur with explosive and irrational bouts of anger followed by relative calm and shame.

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