Dr Maxwell Adeyemi
Most people are quite comfortable going about their everyday lives peacefully, either thrust into a routine or completely destabilised for various reasons.
The danger of being destabilised cannot be overemphasized, as the resulting effects of these situations come on very slowly, and usually undetected by the sufferer and those around them.
These situations can go on to a very critical state that could spur the person into external aggression, posing danger to themselves and other people.
When a person behaves out of the norm this may be because of mental illness - a disease that causes mild to severe disturbances in thought and/or behaviour, resulting in an inability to cope with life's ordinary demands and routines.
Mental health problems may be related to excessive stress due to a particular situation or series of events. As with cancer, diabetes and heart disease, mental illnesses are often physical as well as emotional and psychological.
It may 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.
Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders and addictive behaviours.
Many people have mental health concerns from time to time, but a mental health concern becomes a mental illness when ongoing signs and symptoms cause frequent stress and affect your ability to function. A mental illness can make you miserable and can cause problems in your daily life, such as at school or work or in relationships. In most cases, symptoms can be managed with a combination of medications and talk therapy (psychotherapy).
Warning signs
It is especially important to pay attention to sudden changes in thoughts and behaviours. Also keep in mind that the onset of several of the following symptoms of mental illness, and not just any one change, indicates a problem that should be assessed. These symptoms should not be due to recent substance use or another medical condition.
In adults, young adults and adolescents: Confused thinking, prolonged depression (sadness or irritability), feelings of extreme highs and lows, excessive fears, worries and anxieties, social withdrawal, dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits, strong feelings of anger, delusions, hallucinations, growing inability to cope with daily problems and activities, suicidal thoughts, numerous unexplained physical ailments, substance use.
In older children and pre-adolescents: substance use, inability to cope with problems and daily activities, changes in sleeping and eating habits, excessive complaints of physical ailments, changes in ability to manage responsibilities - at home or at school, defiance of authority, truancy, theft, vandalism, intense fear, prolonged negative mood often accom
