Mental Illness & Recovery

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, think, act, and perceive the world. Symptoms of depression symptoms can vary from mild to severe and can appear differently in each person. These symptoms can include:

• Feeling sad, irritable, empty and/or hopeless.
• Losing interest or pleasure in activities you once enjoyed.
• A significant change in appetite (eating much less or more than usual) and/or weight (notable loss or gain unrelated to dieting).
• Sleeping too little or too much.
• Decreased energy or increased tiredness or fatigue.
• Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., inability to sit still, pacing, handwringing) or slowed movements and speech that are enough to be observed by others.
• Feeling worthless or excessively guilty.
• Difficulty thinking or concentrating, forgetfulness, and/or difficulty making minor decisions.
• Thoughts of death, suicidal ideation, or suicide attempts.

Source: American Psychiatric Association

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes dramatic shifts in a person’s mood, energy and ability to think clearly. People with bipolar experience high and low moods—known as mania and depression—which differ from the typical ups-and-downs most people experience.

The average age-of-onset is about 25, but it can occur in the teens, or more uncommonly, in childhood. The condition affects men and women equally, with about 2.8% of the U.S. population diagnosed with bipolar disorder and nearly 83% of cases classified as severe.

If left untreated, bipolar disorder usually worsens. However, with a good treatment plan including psychotherapy, medications, a healthy lifestyle, a regular schedule and early identification of symptoms, many people live well with the condition.

Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. Many people worry about things such as health, money, or family problems. But anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For people with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. The symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, schoolwork, and relationships.

There are several types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and various phobia-related disorders.

Source: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Schizophrenia is a psychiatric condition that has severe effects on your physical and mental well-being. It disrupts how your brain works, interfering with things like your thoughts, memory, senses and behaviors. As a result, you may struggle in many parts of your day-to-day life. Untreated schizophrenia often disrupts your relationships (professional, social, romantic and otherwise). It can also cause you to have trouble organizing your thoughts, and you might behave in ways that put you at risk for injuries or other illnesses.

Source: Cleveland Clinic