Uneasiness, worry, or fear, often about a situation or condition.
Anxiety
Mood swings from manic behavior to depressive episodes
Bipolar disorder
Completely rejecting the thought or feeling
Denial
A method of treating mental illness that involves talking about one's problems with a mental health professional
Psychotherapy
Illness, disability or aging can cause stress and may lead to mental illness. Can also be caused by substance abuse or chemical imbalance.
Physical factors
Loss of interest, low energy, irritability, feelings of despair, withdrawal or despair
Depression
Disorder that affects a person's ability to think and communicate clearly. May have delusions and hallucinations.
Schizophrenia
Going back to an old, immature behavior
Regression
Therapy that focuses on skills and solutions that a person can use to modify negative thinking and behavior patterns
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT)
Weak interpersonal or family relationships or traumatic early life experiences
Environmental factors
Characterized by obsessive behavior or thoughts
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
An intense, irrational fear of or anxiety about an object, place or situation.
Phobia
Making excuses to justify a situation
Rationalization
Chemicals used to affect the brain and treat symptoms of mental illness
Medication therapy
Can occur repeatedly in some families, either due to inherited traits or family influence.
Hereditary factors
Disorder brought on by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Repeated use of legal or illegal substances in a way that is harmful to oneself or others
Substance abuse
Blocking unacceptable thoughts or painful feelings from the mind
Repression
Groups that provide peer support and a sense of community
Support groups
When a person's amount of stress becomes too great, they may not be able to cope with it, causing mental illness to arise.
Stress factors
Persistent false beliefs
Delusions
False or distorted sensory perceptions
Hallucinations
Transferring a strong negative feeling to a safer situation
Displacement
May be necessary for severe or acute mental health crises. Involves a 3+ inpatient stay.
Hospitalization/psych ward stay
A normal response to a change in environment, personal crisis, or temporary physical changes can cause anxiety even when permanent mental illness is not present. This is called..
Situational response