First Year Student Living In Halls?
If you are worried about a relative of friends mental health, which may well be heighten in these extraordinary times where we are all asked to stay at home and we have less access to our support network. It also can be hard to recognise the signs.
Mental health issues are more common than many people think. It is estimated that 1 in 4 of us will be affected at some time by a mental illness.
What signs should I look out for?
| What can i do to help?Encourage them to talk to a specialist- GP, and offer them support by telling them:
|
The GP might prescribe medication, offer talking therapy or suggest lifestyle changes. They could also refer them to a specialist team if they think they are affected by a more serious condition.
How to prepare for your GP visit
You can't force anyone to get help, but you can contact there GP for them, talk with the GP about their symptoms and behaviour the GP can then decide if they need to take action.
If you think they are a risk to themselves or other, the NHS and social service may get involved.
Being open about mental health may seem scary to them, but a family member or a friend will normally be happy to listen. If they don't want to speak to someone they know then they could contact a support line to talk to a skilled listener, or join a support group to meet other people who have similar issues and will understand.
|
|
There are many types of mental illness some of the most common are:
Is a low mood disorder. We all feel down at times, but if these feelings last and get in the way of their life, then they may have depression.
The most common symptoms that someone may have depression are:
|
|
They may have some of the symptoms listed above and not others, but any of them could mean they have depression. If they have any symptoms described above then it's a good idea to get them to visit their GP.
Stress can makes a person feel like they are under too much pressure (mental or emotional), it can feel like they have the whole world on their shoulders. It affects us all at various points but if your under stress for long periods, it can damage your mental health. Lots of things can cause the stress such as money & relationship problems, unemployment, physical illness or going through a life event such as moving home.
The most common symptoms that someone is suffering from stress:
If they have any of these symptoms and they are causing them long-term problems, it is a good idea to get them to speak to their GP.
Please not that alcohol doesn't reduce stress, it actually stimulates release of the stress hormone cortisol.
Anxiety is where a person feels worried, fearful or nervous. Please remember it is natural to be anxious but if the feelings don't go away, get worse or have no particular cause then they could become a problem
With many different types of anxiety such as panic attacks, social anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Common symptoms are:
|
|
|
Talking therapy can really help with anxiety either one-to-one or group. If they have any symptoms described above then it's a good idea to get them to visit there GP.
Bipolar can be severe, affecting all aspects of their life. Each mood can last a short time, or for weeks and months. It can make their mood change dramatically from feeling depressed to being over-active (known as mania). Bipolar disorder is more than just normal mood swings. It can cause extreme, often distressing, changes in mood.
| Symptoms of depression can include: | Symptoms of mania can include: |
|---|---|
| Feeling sad or irritable | Feeling energetic or restless |
| Lack of energy or interest in life | Irritability |
| Sleeping and eating less or more | Talking quickly |
| Low self-esteem | Making impulsive decisions |
| Losing interest in sex | Being sexually promiscuous |
| Thoughts of self-harm/suicide | Being argumentative or aggressive |
They could be prescribed antidepressants or mood stabilisers. They might also benefit from cognitive behavioural therapy, or psycho-education to help about managing their symptoms.
If they have any of these symptoms and they are causing them long-term problems, it is a good idea to get them to speak to their GP.
Psychosis can lead to disturbing thoughts, or hearing and seeing things that aren't there. Schizophrenia also severely affects the way you think - but it does not mean having a split personality. There are no clear causes, but family issues, drug & alcohol abuse, genes and stress are all thought to play a part.
People with psychosis can lose touch with reality, showing symptoms that include:
People with schizophrenia also experience these symptoms, along with other such as:
If they have any of these symptoms, it is a good idea to get them to speak to their GP.
It can make the person feel, think and behave differently to most other people. And when their feelings are irrational and distressing, it can become a serious problem. A personality disorder may sit alongside other mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression.
The most common condition is borderline personality disorder and the main symptoms are:
If they display any of these symptoms it is a good idea to get them to speak to their GP.
