These days there has been some discussion in Romania about mental health or, rather, about mental disorders. It’s a more than necessary discussion. I don’t believe the tone and the interventions have always been appropriate (needlessly stigmatizing those with mental disorders), but I stay optimistic, it’s a start.
Then I began to receive, in various forms, the following questions: How do I know when I am not well? What’s the difference between “I’m having a hard time” and a mental health problem? How can I tell when those around me are not mentally well?
First, it is very important to understand that mental health is by no means a fixed point, but rather represents a variability of thoughts, emotional states and behaviors. Imagine a spectrum along which we move, at various points in life, either closer to the zone of sanity, or towards the end of emotional crisis and mental disorder.
Second, optimal mental health helps us to adapt, cope with the demands of everyday life and have good relationships with others. We can’t do without sanity, no one can.
However, for various reasons (and those may vary, from genetic vulnerability, brain chemistry to events with a negative impact), anyone can end up in an area of mental vulnerability. This does not happen suddenly, but we ignore the warning signals. We are similar to frogs boiled in lukewarm water – we gradually get used to the “temperature of the water”, ignore the discomfort, and eventually end up “boiling”. I repeat, anyone. And anyone can go back to having some sense of mental balance.
But what if we knew the signs we need to pay attention to in order to timely realize that our mental health (or that of a loved one) is at risk? There is no need to read lists of symptoms or know the descriptors of a particular disorder; all one has to do is notice common sense things.
Red flags generally relate to significant changes in behavior. You may ask yourself, “Is person X behaving differently than they normally would?”
Pay attention to:
- Physiological changes
Does person X get enough sleep? Have they lost/gained significant weight without meaning to? Is X, who used to be active, now lethargic and lacks energy? Or, on the contrary, have they become hyperactive?
- Mental functioning: attention, memory and thinking
Can X concentrate? Are they coherent in their speech and reasoning? Do they often forget what was discussed?
- Emotional state
Does X often feel discouraged? Do they cry more than usual? Are they more irritable? Do they tend to isolate themselves?
The maximum alert (don’t hesitate, ask for specialist help) is when you witness:
- Bizarre explanations or gestures
- Suicide threats
- Extreme isolation and the person’s inability to get out of bed or wash themselves for several days in a row.
