A mental illness is a disease that causes mild to severe disturbances in thought and/or behavior, resulting in an inability to cope with life’s ordinary demands and routines.
There are more than 200 classified forms of mental illness. Some of the more common conditions are depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and anxiety disorders. Symptoms may include changes in mood, personality, personal habits and/or social withdrawal. Mental health problems may sometimes be related to excessive stress due to a particular situation or series of events. As with other diseases, mental illnesses are often physical as well as emotional and psychological. Mental illnesses can be caused by a reaction to environmental stresses, genetic factors, biochemical imbalances, or a combination of these. With proper care and treatment many individuals learn to cope or recover from a mental illness or emotional disorder.
Mental health conditions are often misunderstood and evoke profound fear and anxiety among sufferers and their loved ones. At WellBridge, we believe that by helping patients and their families to understand the causes, symptoms, and treatments of mental illness, we can dispel worry, restore quality of life and light a clear path of hope.
If you are suffering from the symptoms of depression, you are not alone. Depression is one of the most common mood disorders, affecting about 18 million Americans each year. Treatment for depression involves a combination of behavioral and holistic therapies, wellness education, recreational activities, and medication.
Anxiety disorders are classified according to specific symptoms and behaviors. Everyone experiences anxiety in response to the stress of everyday life. For someone with an anxiety disorder, however, those feelings of worry and fear are more intense and persistent.
Many who are struggling with thoughts of suicide suffer in silence, feeling hopeless and alone. People who try to take their own lives are often trying to escape from a situation that seems impossible to deal with. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the US, claiming over 44,000 lives per year. The National Suicide Prevention Line provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals, at 1-800-273-8255. Please call us immediately at (817) 361-1991 if you or some you know is thinking about suicide. In the case of an emergency, dial 911.
Suicide and suicidal behaviors usually occur in people with one or more of the following conditions:
Warning Signs: Often, but not always, a person may show certain signs and behaviors before a suicide attempt, such as:
Always take suicide attempts and threats seriously.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call us at (817) 361-1991, or call 911. Our trained mental health providers are available 24/7 to offer support.
Bipolar disorder is a mental condition in which a person has wide or extreme mood swings. In most people with bipolar disorder, there is no clear cause for the periods of extreme happiness and high activity, or depression and low activity.
The following may trigger a manic episode in someone with bipolar disorder:
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a mental condition in which a person has long-term patterns of unstable or turbulent emotions. These inner experiences often result in impulsive actions and chaotic relationships with other people.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a type of anxiety disorder. It can occur after you have gone through an extreme emotional trauma that involved the threat of injury or death.
PTSD can occur at any age, after events such as:
ADHD symptoms fall into three groups:
Some people with ADHD have mainly inattentive symptoms, while others have mainly hyperactive and impulsive symptoms. There are also cases where an individual is experiencing a combination of all three symptoms.
Psychotic episodes are symptomatic of certain mental health conditions, commonly associated with one of the following disorders:
Depending on the underlying cause of the disorder, symptoms of psychosis can include:
Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels and behaves. People with schizophrenia may seem like they have lost touch with reality. Although schizophrenia is not as common as other mental disorders, the symptoms can be very disabling.
Symptoms of schizophrenia usually start between ages 16 and 30. The symptoms of schizophrenia fall into three categories: positive, negative and cognitive.
Symptoms include:
The exact causes of schizophrenia are unknown. Research suggests several factors that contribute to the risk of developing schizophrenia.