What do different mental health disorders look like?
depression
pessimistic, forced happiness, tired, irritable, anger, loss of interest in typical things, increased alcohol or drug use, health complaints, socially distant
anxiety
excessive worry, seeking approval, hard on themselves, tense, preoccupied with one thing, hyper-vigilant, irrational fears, sleeping issues, jumpy, easily losing patience, difficulty concentrating, avoiding people, places or things, erratic shifts in emotions
trauma
intrusive thoughts, disorientation, confusion, mood swings, nightmares, memory loss, avoidance of activities, social withdrawal, easily startled, tremendous fatigue and exhaustion, vague complaints of aches and pains, extreme alertness, overwhelming fear, detachment from people, depression, shame, irritability, anxiety, panic attacks
PTSD
intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to their experience that last long after the traumatic event has ended; may relive the event through flashbacks or nightmares; they may feel sadness, fear, or anger, and they may feel detached or estranged from other people; changes in mood or thinking, depression, impulsive and/or destructive behavior; hyper-vigilant; chronic pain; startled easily; avoid people, places and things
mood disorders
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mood is distorted or inconsistent with your circumstances and interferes with ability to function, hopelessness, inadequacy, racing thoughts (not organized), excessive feelings (sad-happy), exaggerated sense of self, talkative, low need for sleep/food