(by Caer Weber)
This is a series I’m working on. I have been in a support group for two years and so often people come to the group for the first time and are quite lost. Sometimes they are not even sure if they need help, or if they do, what kind of help is actually available to them. Even when they decide what help they need they don’t know where to find it.
With this project I hope to answer some of those questions and I have divided it up into the three parts below.
Please be aware that I am not a therapist or mental health professional. If you experience any of the symptoms listed you may want to talk to your doctor or some other health professional and get some support
PART I:
How do I know if I need help?
PART II:
What kind of help can I get?
PART III:
Where can I get help?
I will post this whole series in bits and pieces so as not to overwhelm anyone with too much information. Sometimes when we are first in crisis it’s hard to think clearly or focus on what people are telling us. So, I will also divide up the three major parts into smaller parts as well.
As well, I will put all of this under a new HELP page up above so you can refer to it at any time. Part III will also connect directly with the RESOURCES page up top.
PART I:
HOW DO I KNOW I NEED HELP?
Mental Health & Mental Illness
I tend to see mental health and mental illness on a continuum, with health on one end and illness on the other and some of you may see it the same way. This model shows that we all might have some symptoms of mental illness such as those of depression or anxiety at some periods of time but we might also have many aspects of mental health in place at the same period or another period of time. At any given point we might look at the continuum and ascertain where we sit on that continuum. It does not have to be a question of am I mentally ill or not. The more important things for us to ask ourself are ...
Am I in some kind of distress in my life? Am I suffering and in pain emotionally?
Is this distress interfering with my ability to function well in life or is it preventing me from the quality of life I want to have?
Might I benefit from some kind of support and/or help from someone?
The Government of Canada published a report called “The Human Face of Mental Health and Mental Illness in Canada 2006”. I will draw on this report for a number of facts. First of all, the report defines mental health as ...
“... the capacity of each and all of us to feel, think, and act in ways that enhance our ability to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we face. It is a positive sense of emotional and spiritual well-being that respects the importance of culture, equity, social justice, interconnections and personal dignity.”
(quote from the Proceedings from the International Workshop on Mental Health Promotion; 1997. Toronto: Centre for Health Promotion, University of Toronto: 1997)
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which is published by the American Psychiatric Association, is a recognized classification of mental illness and widely used in the U.S. and Canada as well as other countries. Two things that it covers are the factors that influence mental health and mental illness such as family, social relationships, occupation and other aspects of the environment we live in; and a list of mental disorders with a description of their symptoms and details about those symptoms. I’m not suggesting you use it to diagnose yourself but I do draw some of my information from it. It’s a useful tool in understanding how the psychiatric field views mental illness and makes diagnoses.
For the purpose of figuring out whether you might have some mental health problems and might need some professional help with them I’m going to draw on what the DSM calls the GAF or Global Assessment of Functioning Scale. Here we can see whether we are generally in a state of psychological well-being and that we are handling our life pretty well; or we might be able to see that we are struggling with some issues that are causing us to feel unwell and that just maybe we could use some help. It’s useful, as well, to look at some of those factors the DSM includes as those that influence our mental health and mental illness.
So how do we know when we have a problem that we can’t really handle on our own? How do we know what is “normal”, or very common and manageable experiences and responses to life, and when we should ask for help? Below I have set out a guideline to show some of the symptoms or issues that might point out we are having difficulty in our life and could use some help.
HEALTHY,
COPING WELL WITH LIFE
We have some problems, of course, but we can handle them. Below are some of the things we experience that say our quality of life is pretty good. However, this doesn’t mean we don’t need help and/or some kind of support, whether from friends, family or even a health professional. We might still want help for a particular issue that we have more difficulty than usual with.
Support for any problem helps us be stronger and is not a sign of weakness. In fact, it’s the opposite. It takes courage to ask for help.
The characteristics of our life might include:
> generally satisfied with life, have a sense of well-being most of the time;
> no more than everyday problems and we are able to deal with them reasonably well;
> have quite reasonable and expectable reactions to stressors such as anxiety before an exam or job interview;
> people want and like to hang out with us;
> enjoy being with people and are quite comfortable in most social situations;
> have the occasional argument with someone and do get reasonably upset about it afterwards but eventually we work it out by ourself or with the help of someone else;
> get a lot of pleasure out of doing a number of things such as hobbies, sports or other activities;
> like our job, or enjoy school, and do well at it.
SOME PROBLEMS and SYMPTOMS
At this point we might need some professional help because we have noticed some changes in our behaviour and feelings lately. We may not be coping as well as we used to. Some of our problems tend to overwhelm us and we can’t seem to get past them as easily as before. We’re not our usual self.
Some signs and symptoms might include:
> some mild depression and feeling down or blue sometimes;
> some trouble sleeping at nights or we are sleeping a lot more than we used to;
> occasionally experience more panic or anxiety about things than we used to and which sometimes prevents us from doing things we used to do quite easily;
> some difficulty in relationships, maybe some unresolved conflict, but we still have some meaningful and satisfying relationships overall;
> social occasions are harder to go to than before;
> temporarily falling behind at work or in school and/or having some difficulty concentrating and focusing on our work;
> are absent from work or school more than usual due to emotional difficulties and some depression;
> having conflict with others at work or school as we seem to be more irritable or fearful than usual.
SERIOUS and/or SEVERE PROBLEMS
Here is the point we definitely need professional help and support. Life has become unmanageable and quite overwhelming for us. We feel miserable and unhappy most of the time and sometimes don’t even want to live anymore.
Some of the symptoms we experience might include:
> having frequent thoughts of suicide and maybe even a suicide plan or attempting suicide; WARNING!! .....
IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY OF THESE THINGS IT IS
CRITICAL YOU GO TO EMERGENCY OR SEEK SOME KIND OF
PROFESSIONAL HELP RIGHT AWAY!!
Other symptoms might include:
> having obsessive thoughts and/or rituals that may not make any sense to us or seem inappropriate to the situation such as compulsively washing our hands 20 times a day, counting things over and over, or checking we have locked the door 10 times;
> people telling us, or we perceive, our speech is sometimes illogical, obscure or seems irrelevant to the conversation or situation. People say they often don’t understand what we are saying;
> experiencing hallucinations – seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, or smelling things in our environment that no one else senses (for example, seeing strange animals, hearing people talking about us even when they are too far away, hearing voices in our head, thinking the tv is talking specifically to us)
> having delusions – ideas about ourself or things that don’t match reality (for example, we can save the world, or the government is out to get us)
> people telling us our judgment is impaired or our ideas are not reasonable such as we invest a large amount of money in an idea that is not sound, or we run out on the street with no clothes on;
> staying in bed all day and/or rarely leave our house;
> have the urge to harm ourself or other people;
> often full of uncontrollable rage and physically attack other people;
> don’t take care of ourself – don’t eat well, don’t shower often enough, don’t wash our clothes;
> withdraw from the world, have no friends or avoid other people completely;
> totally neglect our responsibilities such as caring for our dependents;
> are unable to go to work or keep any job or continue school.
It might be useful to look at the list below to understand better what is causing our distress, especially if we decide to go to a professional for help. These problems are broken down in the same way the DSM is, based on important parts of our life that may significantly affect our mood and feelings. When these aspects of our life are not going well they can lead us into stress, anxiety or a downward spiral into depression, as well as other symptoms of mental illness.
So take a look and see if any of these things might be causing you distress in your life and maybe think about the effect it’s having on you. Understanding some possible causes may be the first step in determining what you need to do next.
SPECIFIC PROBLEMS WE MIGHT HAVE
Problems we are dealing with now or are unresolved from the past
Problems with our primary support group (family, friends)
- death of a family member
- health problems in family
- removal from home as a child
- disruption of family by separation, divorce or estrangement
- remarriage of parent
- traumatization - sexual or physical abuse, neglect, abandonment
- parental overprotection
- inadequate discipline
- conflict with family members
- birth of a sibling
Problems in our social environment
- death or loss of friend
- inadequate social support
- living alone
- difficulty with adjusting to a new culture
- discrimination
- adjustment to life-cycle transition – eg retirement, children leave home
Educational problems
- academic problems e.g., illiteracy, poor grades
- conflict with teacher and/or classmates
- inadequate school environment
Occupational problems
- unemployment
- loss or threat of loss of job
- stressful work schedule
- difficult working conditions
- job dissatisfaction
- job change
- conflict with boss and/or co-workers
Housing problems
- homelessness
- inadequate housing
- unsafe neighbourhood
- conflict with neighbours or landlord
Financial problems
- poverty
- inadequate finances to cover expenses
- unable to manage money well
- in debt
Unable to access health care services
- inadequate services in our area
- transportation to services unavailable
- inadequate health insurance
Legal problems
- victim of crime
- arrested, incarcerated
- being sued
Other problems
- conflict with a counsellor, social worker, doctor ...
- exposure to disaster, war, or other hostilities
Today I give a list of some of the symptoms of some of the common mental disorders –depression, anxiety, and Bipolar Disorder.
Be careful not to diagnose yourself which can be very easy to do. Just because we have a few of these symptoms does not mean we have a mental illness. However, they may point to a problem that we need some support with or some issues that we are dealing with. On the other hand, if you find you have a lot of the symptoms of an illness, more than 5 or 6 for example, then you may be dealing with something more serious. Keep a list of those symptoms, monitor them, and go see your GP about them.
SYMPTOMS OF SOME MENTAL DISORDERS
Symptoms of depression
Depression is a horrible illness. It makes you feel so awful about yourself and your life. It can suck the energy right out of you. You may experience ...
- feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem;
- feelings of hopelessness. Your future looks doomed and full of “bad” things;
- a general loss of interest or pleasure in things that used to make you feel
good;
- lower energy or fatigue. It feels like you have to drag yourself to do anything;- social withdrawal or isolation. You don’t feel like talking to anyone much less
being with them;
- feelings of guilt about things you have done or things you are not doing and
think you should be doing;
- feeling especially irritable or angry towards other people. you wish they would
just go away and leave you alone;
- because of your lower energy you are less active than you used to be. Your
motivation to do things is low or totally absent;
- less productive than usual at work, school or home. It feels really hard to do
anything and much easier to just stay in bed or watch tv all day;
- a change in your sleeping habits. Either you are sleeping less than you used
to, or more. Or maybe you have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep at
night;
- a change in your eating habits. Some people eat more food when they feel
depressed while others have little appetite and thus eat little.
- a change in your weight. If you are eating more then you probably are
gaining weight and vice versa if you are eating very little;
- poor concentration. It has become difficult to focus on anything including
work or school but even reading a book or following a tv show or movie can
become hard too;
- great difficulty making decisions. You feel so unsure about yourself and are
afraid that whatever you choose will end up being the wrong thing to do. This
can cripple you and cause you to not choose anything, or simply become
quite passive
ANXIETY DISORDERS
Anxiety is really all about fear and when it is so excessive that it interferes with your life, keeping you from doing the “normal” everyday things of life, you may have a disorder and need help. There are a few types of anxiety disorders.
Symptoms of panic attacks and Panic Disorder
You may experience
- a sudden and intense fear or terror and often feel a dreadful sense of
impending doom;
- physical sensations such as shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, chest pain
or discomfort, a sensation of choking or being smothered, a fear of going
crazy or completely losing control
Symptoms of phobia
- having a phobia about something means you are so afraid of something, such
as an object or certain situation, that you go out of your way to avoid it.
When this phobia prevents you from functioning “normally”, then you might
want to seek help
- if you have social phobia then you are terrified of being in social situations
and thus avoid them whenever you can. Again this may severely interfere
with your life and you may want to find help for it
Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
When you have obsessive thoughts and fears that cause you verygreat anxiety and distress then you might need some help.
If you are doing things, either to counteract those obsessive thoughts, or because you feel a great fear about something, and those things seems quite senseless and just plain weird or strange to you, you might have this disorder. Those strange actions might be such things as counting things over and over, checking you have locked your doors ten times in a row, washing your hands many, many times during the day or any other kind of ritualistic or routine activity. There is likely some underlying issue you need help with and that is causing you to think and/or act in these ways.
Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
If you seem to be reliving some traumatic event over and over in some form, such as in nightmares, invasive thoughts or ideas and you feel quite frightened and panicky when these happen you may have symptoms of PTSD. For more information about trauma, PTSD, and Acute Stress Disorder you can go to the Glossary above or to Issue #49 August 23, 2011.
Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
You may be suffering from an anxiety disorder if you ...
- have excessive anxiety and/or worry about things you have to do such as
work or school or events to go to;
- can’t stop the worrying no matter how hard you try;
- feel really restless or on edge;
- are very easily tired
- find it really hard to concentrate on things or
- your mind often goes blank;
- often feel irritable;
- have a lot of muscle tension;
- have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep.
BIPOLAR DISORDER
Symptoms of mania (hypomania is a milder form of mania)
An important point about these symptoms – you might not recognize them if you are in a full-blown manic episode. You might be having such a great time that you don’t want to notice them but other people are telling you that theynotice them and are concerned. If you are at all able, listen to them and talk to your doctor. You could be at risk for “dangerous” behaviour, for an eventual fall into a deep depression, or even become psychotic and hospitalized. Some of the symptoms of mania and hypomania are....
- feelingso good about yourself and thinking you are such a wonderful person and no one else is quite as great as you are;
- grandiosity– even more than simply thinking you are great, thinking you are
someone really special, better or superior to everyone else. Heard of
“delusions of grandeur”? This can even be to the point of delusional, where
you might think that you are god or the prime minister/president or that you
can save the world;
- needing less sleep than most people – say 2 to 4 hours a night and you are
up and ready to go again;
- feeling like you can’t stop talking – you’ve got a lot to say cause you’ve got a
lot of ideas and thoughts in your head. Sometimes it’s hard for others to
interrupt you, or get a word in edgewise;
- feeling like your thoughts are racing, just coming one after the other after the
other ..... (and man are they great ideas too!);
- getting distracted so easily by everything – whether important or not;
- being super productive – you get so many things done in a day;
- being a real social butterfly – incredibly active socially;
- being extremely active sexually – which is possibly and probably quite risky;
- spending money like it’s going out of style, often more than you have and
sometimes even investing big amounts without really assessing whether it’s a
sound thing to invest in;
- feeling really irritated and impatient with other people;
Bottom line .. mania (and hypomania) most often means your judgment of things is not very good. What seems risky behaviour to others is not a problem to you. Maybe you wonder what their problem is. However, mania is a very serious illness and can lead you into very dangerous territory. If you have many of these symptoms do talk to your doctor.
If you have a number of the above symptoms you may very well need some
professional help. As they say, see your doctor and tell him or her the
symptoms you have been having.
