Many psychiatrists and psychologists note the following pattern: the pace of a person’s life has changed so much in recent decades that the nervous system does not always withstand these changes and more often fails. Of course, the modern rhythm of life really requires a lot from us, and it is not surprising that some people do not cope with such changes. In addition, in most cases, the disorders are treatable – the main thing is to detect the problem in time and not postpone the visit to a specialist. Below you will read about the subtle signs of mental disorders.
Asthenic syndrome
One of the signs of a mental disorder is the presence of asthenia in a person, which is expressed in weakness, increased fatigue, irritability, and mood swings. A person suddenly turns out to be unable to perform some functions as usual – this can relate to both the performance of work duties and household chores.
Obsessive states
Intrusive thoughts can also be considered signs of a mental disorder. Various fears and phobias, looking for symptoms of diseases, blind faith in conspiracy theories – all this may indicate a problem.
If you understand that a person no longer quite adequately perceives reality and has few other thoughts, you should pay close attention to his behavior and recommend contacting a specialist.
In addition, obsessive states also include constant hand washing, endless checking of electronics and technology for shutdowns, attempts to step or not step on plates/curbs/lines on the road, and concentration on some objects and reading patterns.
For example, going to work in the morning you see three people in red, so you conclude that something bad will happen today because for some reason this color is associated with troubles.
You look at the clock and often notice the same time there. For example, you see 18:15, and this pattern seems strange and paradoxical to you, you think that you have psychic abilities or the numbers want to tell you something. Such situations, of course, should be thought over.
Hypochondria
In the age of the Internet, almost everyone can make a diagnosis on their own and prescribe treatment. Today, hypochondriacs have a lot of opportunities to look for serious diseases in themselves and contact specialists with their symptoms.
In addition, hypochondriacs do not trust doctors who, in their opinion, are either insufficiently qualified or do not want to treat them.
Mood swings
Any changes in mood and states that are usually not characteristic of a person require close attention. This applies to both sudden changes in mood – a person has just cried and is now laughing – and changes that last from 2 weeks or more.
It can be tearfulness or, conversely, aggressiveness – something that was not previously characteristic of a person. This also includes apathy, a sharp loss of bashfulness, sudden appearance of outspoken behavior, a sharp decrease in libido, depression, frustration, lightheadedness, etc.
Desocialization
Loss of interest in communication can be considered another sign of mental problems. If a person has always been an introvert, there are no complaints about him. If he has always been the soul of the company, loved gatherings, communication, and suddenly became a homebody who refuses not only to meet with friends but also to stay in touch with them, we can definitely say that something is happening with the psyche of this person.
Any drastic changes in the character and behavior of a person include even changes in tastes, lack or increase in the appetite and can be symptoms of mental problems.
Hoarding
We are not talking about collecting stamps, banknotes and antiques here – all this can be attributed to the category of hobbies. But if a person starts to take things found in the trash to the house and clutters the space with them, leaving at best a narrow passage, if he clogs all the shelves in wardrobes and the whole refrigerator with food without paying attention to the expiration dates, if he keeps a huge number of homeless animals in the house in terrible conditions, this person definitely shows the signs of mental problems that should not be ignored.
Of course, some of these signs may not indicate anything at all. It all depends on how intensely certain signs manifest themselves – just trust your intuition. Nevertheless, in case you notice any of the signs described above in your family or friends, it may be worth taking a closer look to diagnose a real mental illness.
