For a long time, a lot of stigmas have been shown towards the term “mental illness”. This is rather unfortunate because mental illness is a lot more common than we like to admit. And because of the stigma attached to this, many people who are suffering from any of the various forms of mental illness would rather remain silent than seek help.
This should not be so, because most of these illnesses are easily diagnosed and treated by a psychiatrist. Mental illness is a general term that covers a wide range of illnesses – in fact, personality disorder by itself covers various conditions. Consequently, when we say a person is mentally ill, it does not imply that he or she is ‘running mad’.
For anyone living in Corpus Christi, or anywhere else, this article discusses when a person needs a psychiatrist.
When Should a Person Visit a Psychiatrist?
A person that needs mental health evaluation and care would have any of the following signs:
1. Functioning or Coping with Daily Life is Becoming Difficult
This is the most significant and first obvious sign that a person may need a mental evaluation. So, once a person is no longer able to cope or function the way they used to, and they are not old or have a medical condition, they may need to talk to a professional.
There is usually no cause for alarm if the change is not an obvious one. But if the change is observable, then time should not be wasted, because delay could be detrimental.
2. Have Obvious or Rapid Mood Swings
Anyone who is fine mentally would have a stable mood, but the reverse is the case for some mental conditions. The speed or extremity of the mood swing is sometimes based on the mental illness in question. For instance, a borderline personality disorder may result in quick mood changes, while the mood swing may take days or weeks in a bipolar disorder case. Please note that there is a difference between bipolar and borderline personality disorder. Because mental illness cannot be self-diagnosed, a professional would do an evaluation that would help decide the cause of the mood swing.
3. The Person is Almost Always Sad, Down, or Blue
This is usually a sign of depression. Depression happens to be a very common mental illness and can cause serious issues in the life of a patient if left untreated. Now, getting occasionally sad or down is one way we know we are human; sadness is a human emotion after all. However, when the sadness is constant and accompanied by low energy, feeling of worthlessness or hopelessness, lack of sleep, poor concentration, then, the person may be depressed.
Some depressed people battle with thoughts of suicide and some may even go through with it. This is why an evaluation and treatment process should begin once it is observed.
4. They are Excessively Anxious or Always Worried
Anxiety is a symptom that is common in different disorders like phobias, generalized anxiety disorder, OCD, social anxiety disorder, and lots more. This irrational fear can interrupt daily activities; it can be very paralyzing and can cause serious health issues in the long run. Anyone who is always excessively anxious would have to see a mental health professional.
5. The Person still Battles with Effects of Traumatic Experiences
Trauma is a serious issue and can turn one’s life around while affecting and damaging their psyche. One would need evaluation and treatment if he or she cannot fight off the effects of a traumatic experience and is always haunted by disturbing images of the event and nightmares.
For people living in Corpus Christi, getting a psychiatrist in Corpus Christi Texas is not a hard thing. The person just has to discard any negative idea they had associated with mental illness and be ready to speak to the professional.
Conclusion
The stigma which has been associated with mentally ill people has discouraged a lot of people from seeking help when they need it. Some things like a person not being able to function with daily activities like they used to, being constantly sad and hopeless, and having rapid mood swings, are some of the signs that such person needs a mental evaluation. There is no shame in having a mental disorder; the mind is as susceptible to sickness just as the body is.
