Symptoms of Severe Mental Illnesses
DEPRESSION
What is depression? Depression isn’t just a passing
funk that lifts in a few days. People who have depression experience at least
five of the following symptoms, which must include the first or second nearly
every day, all day, for at least two weeks:
· Persistent
feelings of sadness or emptiness
· Loss of interest
or pleasure in activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed, including sex
· Feelings of
helplessness, guilt and worthlessness
· Insomnia,
early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
· Change in
appetite
· Decreased
energy, fatigue, and feeling “slowed down”
· Restlessness and
irritability
· Difficulty
concentrating and remembering
· Thoughts of
suicide or suicide attempts
· Persistent
physical symptoms that do not respond to medical treatment
BIPOLAR DISORDER
Bipolar disorder is a condition in which an individual
experiences severe “lows” (depressive) alternating with extreme, inappropriate
“highs” (mania).
A MANIC EPISODE
is characterized by a distinct period
of mood change that is either elevated (to the point of elation), expansive, or
irritable. During this phase, which may last from several days to a few months,
the patient’s behavior causes difficulties in both professional and social
activities. Symptoms of a manic phase may include:
· Decreased need
for sleep
· Increases
pressure of speech
· Distractibility
and/or irritability
· Excessive
involvement in activities that have a high risk for pain consequences that are
not recognized
· Inflated self-esteem
or grandiosity
The patient may become psychotic with delusions and
hallucinations. Frequently, those experiencing a manic episode do not realize
they are affected and will therefore resist any medical treatment attempt.
Close friends will recognize the mood and behavior patterns as being excessive,
while the casual observer may not see anything disturbing.
A DEPRESSIVE EPISODE usually lasts two weeks to many months, during which
time the patient will experience a lack of interest or pleasure in all
activities. Patients may describe themselves as feeling sad or blue, devoid of
motivation or worth. These feelings and thoughts may or may not be stated
openly in front of others. Symptoms of a depressive phase may include:
· Sleep
disturbance (sleeping more or less than usual)
· Change in
appetite
· Feeling sad,
worthless, or guilty without cause
· Concentration
difficulties
· Thoughts of
death and/or suicide attempts
The course of a depressive episode may vary from
person to person. Symptoms may develop over a period of days or weeks, or they
may occur suddenly, without warning. Sudden onset of this condition can be
caused by external factors, including stress, death of a family member, or
divorce. Duration of an episode will vary and depends on the medical treatment
employed.
SCHIZOPHRENIA
Schizophrenia is a serious brain disorder. It is a
disease that makes it difficult for a person to tell the difference between
real and unreal experiences, to think logically, and to have normal emotional
responses to others and to behave normally in social situations. People with
schizophrenia may have difficulty in remembering, talking and behaving
appropriately.
Schizophrenia is not a “split personality.” It is also not caused by bad
upbringing, personal weakness or laziness. Schizophrenia is a disease with a
physical cause, like cancer or heart disease.
POSITIVE SYMPTOMS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA
· Disordered thinking: Thoughts “jump” between completely unrelated topics or may be
“blocked.” The person may talk nonsense, make up words or replace words with
sounds and rhymes.
· Delusions: False beliefs or thoughts with no basis in reality.
For example, someone from the house next door is trying to control the
patient’s thoughts or feelings.
· Hallucinations:
Hearing, seeing or feeling things
that are not there. People with schizophrenia may hear voices that comment on
their behavior or give them commands.
NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS
OF SCHIZOPHRENIA
· Blunted (or
flat) affect: Lacking awareness of
other people’s feelings. The person does not show emotions on the face, avoids
eye contact and makes few gestures or movements. He or she does not respond with normal
conversation when spoken to. In severe
cases, the person may become nearly motionless (catatonia).
· Avolition:
Lacking energy, spontaneity and initiative.
· Anhedonia:
Lacking pleasure or interest in activities that were once enjoyable.
· Attention
deficit: Difficulty in concentrating.
Source: Time, April 24, 2000
For more information: The Alliance for the Mentally
Ill
NAMI of
Greater Chicago
1536 West Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
(312) 563-0445