Nowadays, the internet is accessible to most people. Getting an answer off Google is just a matter of seconds. We can find pages and pages of symptoms online and we tend to self-diagnose ourselves. There are many misconceptions/stereotypes in our pop-cultures about mental illnesses and we use them light-heartedly in our daily conversations. We would exemplify some scenarios below.
“Why are you so emotional? You on your period? God, you are so bipolar.”
The common symptoms of Bipolar Disorder (formerly called manic-depressive illness or manic depression) are unusual mood swings, abnormal shifts in activity levels and concentration, and disturbances to carry out day-to-day tasks. There are three types of bipolar disorder: Bipolar I Disorder, Bipolar II Disorder and Cyclothymic Disorder. All three types involve a combination of manic and depressive episodes.
Feel very “high”, energized or irritable
Have a decreased need for sleep
Have a loss of appetite
Feel like their thoughts are racing
Do risky things that show poor judgement
Feel like they are unusually important, talented, or powerful
Feel very “down”, empty and hopeless
Have trouble falling asleep, wake up too early, or sleep too much
Experience increased appetite and weight gain
Have trouble concentrating or making decisions
Have little interest in almost all activities
Feel hopeless or worthless
A person may experience less extreme symptoms while having one of the types of bipolar disorder. They can experience hypomania which is a less severe form of mania. While having the characteristics of a manic episode, feeling very good, but the person can still keep up with daily tasks and accomplish things.
Bipolar I Disorder is the most severe form of all three. It is characterized by manic episodes that last at least 7 days and depressive episodes that usually last at least 2 weeks.
Bipolar II Disorder is defined by depressive episodes accompanied by hypomanic episodes.
Cyclothymic Disorder is characterized by changes in mood. It usually causes hypomanic and depressive symptoms which do not meet the diagnostic requirements for a hypomanic episode and a depressive episode. While only about 0.4% of the population is diagnosed with cyclothymia, there is a heightened risk ranging from 15% to 50%, that it evolves into bipolar disorder.
Sometimes people experience both manic and depressive symptoms in the same episode, feeling sad, empty and hopeless while feeling extremely energized.
"OMG, I haven’t had a good sleep for days. I try so hard every night but I just COULDN’T! I tried to stay away from caffeine but I feel so sleepy in class.” — Person with insomnia
"Girl, I totally feel you. I was working on an assignment till 2 am, living on 5 hours of sleep.” — Person A
“I had 3 at most.” — Person B
It is common among university students to make a competition out of who has the least amount of sleep, as a way to validate their work ethic. In a way, insomnia is normalized and is seen as a lesser problem. While insomnia is common in our society, according to U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), the prevalence in some populations is 10%-30% and in others even as high as 50-60%, it is not okay to minimize the frustration that people who have insomnia experience.
Insomnia is a very common sleep disorder that causes disturbances in your sleeping pattern. Some symptoms may include trouble falling asleep at night, difficulty to stay asleep, waking up throughout the night and waking up early. As a result, you may feel fatigued during the day, have difficulty concentrating on a task and feel irritable and anxious.
Many adults experience acute insomnia at some point that lasts for days or weeks. It could be stress-induced. However, chronic insomnia can last for a month or more. The severity of insomnia might affect your daily functioning. It is important to see a doctor to identify the cause of your insomnia and seek proper treatment.
Stress
Irregular travel or work schedule
Poor sleep habits (ex. irregular bedtimes, naps and use of electronics before bed)
Eating too much late in the evening
Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol
Keep a consistent sleep schedule (fixed bedtime and wake time throughout the week)
Stay active
Check your medications to see if they have any side-effects that may contribute to insomnia
Avoid or limit naps
Cut back caffeine and alcohol, and nicotine is a NO-NO
“OMG I haven't had any food since 1 pm, I don't want anything to eat.”
“But you're SOO skinny! You need a slice or two of pizza.”
About 1 million Canadians meet the diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder.
There is a common misconception that eating disorders are a lifestyle choice and can be easily controlled by a strict diet regime. However, this is not the case. Eating disorders are serious biologically influenced medical illnesses that severely impact an individual's eating behaviours.
According to The National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) there are six categories of eating disorders. The most common types of eating disorders include:
Anorexia nervosa
Symptoms include persistent behaviours that interfere with maintaining an adequate weight for health, a powerful fear of gaining weight or “becoming fat”, and disturbances for how an individual experiences their weight and shape.
Bulimia nervosa
Symptoms include recurring episodes of food restriction followed by binge eating, compensating for food intake to avoid gaining weight through self-induced vomiting, fasting, and misuse of laxatives.
Binge eating disorder
Symptoms include eating an unusually large amount of food in a relatively small amount of time, feeling out of control of how much you eat or when to stop, or having episodes of binge-eating where the individual eats very quickly until they are uncomfortably full. Binge eating is seen as a disorder when the binge-eating episodes occur once a week for at least three months
Avoidant and restrictive food intake disorders(AFRID)
This type of eating disorder may show up in childhood or infancy. It includes avoiding foods with certain textures or colours. This can lead to anorexia or bulimia and can cause severe nutritional deficiency. To diagnose AFRID, there must be no other explanation for the inadequate food intake.
Many factors can cause eating disorders including biological, psychological, and social influences. Those that battle with self-image and self-identity are at risk of this illness, therefore, making it imperative to understand the implications of your words about body image around them.
Some words that may trigger an individual with an eating disorder despite your good intentions may be:
“You look healthy/better than ever”
“You should just eat more/less”
“Why don't you just stop throwing up”
“What diet are you on”
Comments about your own body - “I feel fat/I need to lose/gain weight”
Telling someone to eat more or eat less may have detrimental implications on their mental health despite what you may think about their body image. If you are concerned about your friend’s eating habits start by asking questions about their well-being.
“Why are you being so OCD about the colour of your socks? Why do you always want your notes written in a certain way?”
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and habits/perfectionism are two very distinct things. OCD is a mental disorder that requires someone to complete a task x number of times/do something a certain way or else they will experience severe stress or anxiety. Whereas a habit may be something you have been doing for your entire life that has just become a routine.
According to the Mayo Clinic, OCD involves an individual experiencing a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears that lead them to perform repetitive behaviours.
Obsessions that lead to compulsions that one cannot just ignore. When an individual with OCD tries to ignore their compulsions they experience severe anxiety. Ultimately you perform the tasks that you are driven to do to ease your stress. However, the urges are never-ending and lead to the vicious cycle of OCD.
An example of OCD includes an individual who has a fear of contamination/germs may compulsively wash their hands until they are sore or chapped.
There are many different obsessive themes that an individual may experience, include:
Fear of contamination
Fear of accidental harm to the self or other
A need for perfection or symmetry
Fear of forbidden thoughts.
Compulsions can also vary in type and severity. Some examples of compulsions include counting or tapping, washing, mental rituals (saying a prayer until the bad thought is gone), and ordering or arranging. The severity of these compulsions may get worse during stressful situations.
OCD usually begins in teenage years but can also start in early childhood or adolescence. The compulsion takes over the individual's life and prevents them from completing daily tasks.
For example, many children start to believe in superstitions like “you step on a crack, you break your mother’s back,” during early teenage years. Over the years these superstitions lessen and usually are forgotten. With a child who may have OCD, these superstitions to avoid a crack become requirements and may result in an obsession with a fear of harming others.
The Mayo Clinic highlights that there is a distinctive difference between being a perfectionist and having OCD. They suggest going to a doctor when these compulsion and obsessions affect the quality of life.
“I got PTSD from Professor A’s class, I can't take another economics test without freaking out anymore” - An economics major
Feeling upset, angry, depressed after a traumatic event is normal, however, some people may develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when going through events like combat during war times, car crashes and sexual violation.
Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms might start within one month of a traumatic event or even years after it. It can be often accompanied by issues like depression, anxiety and society anxiety, which can affect your relationships, work efficiency and ability to engage in daily tasks.
PTSD symptoms can be categorized as four general types:
Intrusive memories
Having memories of the traumatic event come to mind at unwanted moments
Suffering from nightmares about the traumatic event
Avoidance
Avoiding things and places that would remind you of the trauma
Avoiding thoughts about the trauma and the way that it makes you feel
Negative changes in thinking and mood
Having negative thoughts about yourself and your future
Becoming angry, frightened or upset when remembering the trauma
Feeling detached from family and friends that results in difficulty of maintaining close relationships
Changes in physical and emotional reactions
Experiencing shaking, excessive sweating or chills when remembering the trauma
Unable to connect to emotions such as not being able to laugh or cry
Feeling rushes of anger and irritability and engaging in aggressive behaviours
People of all ages could experience this type of mental health disorder. For children, 6 years and younger may also experience symptoms of PTSD, such as re-enacting aspects of traumatic events through symbolic play and upsetting nightmares.
PTSD symptoms can change in intensity over time. If you have disturbing thoughts and feelings for a traumatic event, feeling as you cannot get your life back on the right track. If it is clear that this event has an overbearing effect on your daily functioning, it is important to talk to a mental health professional and reach out to friends and the loved ones.
“OMG I didn't get my coffee today, I am so addicted.”
“Wow are you experiencing any withdrawals?”
“Yeah I can't “live” without it.”
Addiction can be grouped into two general types, chemical and behavioural, which is experienced by the withdrawal of a chemical substance or behaviour. We can use 4 C’s to describe addiction, which includes Craving, Loss of Control of the amount used/frequency of action, Compulsion to use/act and use/act despite Consequences.
Five main factors would contribute to addiction:
Genetic factors: Some people may inherently be susceptible to the addictive properties of drugs and behaviours.
How drugs interact with the brain: People tend to persuade their brains that abusing the drug/spending a large amount of time engaging in the behaviour makes them “feel good”. Thus repeating the action.
Environment: The attitudes of one’s community, peers, and family towards substance use and addictive behaviour could influence whether or not an individual develops substance abuse problems
Mental health issues: More than half of the people that experience addiction has had other mental health problems, even the limited dosage prescribed to treat the mental problem would worsen the addiction.
Coping with thoughts and feelings: People would start to rely on the substance use and addictive behaviours as a way of coping with difficult situations in their lives.
Addiction can lead to difficulties with close relationships, troubles managing work and school, and withdrawal symptoms when you try to quit.
Common symptoms of chemical addiction:
Cravings intense enough that they affect your ability to go about your daily tasks
Risky substance use, such as driving and drinking while using it
Inabilities to stop using the substance
Common symptoms of behavioural addiction:
Urges to engage in the behaviour and spend a large amount of time and energy on the behaviour
Difficulty avoiding the behaviour
Lying to people about the amount of time spent on such behaviour
Using the behaviour to manage undesirable emotions
When it comes to the treatment of chemical addiction, medication, rehab programs and support groups are found most effective.When it comes to the treatment of behavioural addiction, therapy is usually the first recommendation.
While you might identify yourselves with these symptoms, keep in mind, it does not necessarily translate into a disorder. Look for consistency in those patterns or episodes, and seek consultation and help when you are feeling “off”.
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