What are the symptoms of common mental illnesses

Common symptoms of mental illness include sustained low mood, hallucinations and delusions, anxiety and panic, abnormal behavior, and cognitive decline. Mental illness may be caused by genetic factors, abnormal brain structure, psychological trauma, long-term stress, or substance abuse, and requires professional assessment for diagnosis.

1. Persistent low mood

Depressive patients often exhibit prolonged low mood for more than two weeks, loss of interest in daily activities, accompanied by sleep disorders or changes in appetite. Some people may experience feelings of worthlessness or recurrent suicidal thoughts. Seasonal affective disorder may also lead to periodic emotional fluctuations, especially exacerbated during winter when there is insufficient sunlight.

2. Delusions and hallucinations

Schizophrenia and other diseases may present with auditory hallucinations or paranoid delusions, where patients may hear non-existent sounds or firmly believe that they are being monitored and persecuted. These symptoms are often accompanied by illogical speech and social withdrawal, and should be distinguished from transient stress reactions.

3. Anxiety Panic

Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by excessive worry lasting for more than 6 months, accompanied by physical symptoms such as palpitations and sweating. During a panic attack, there may be a sudden strong sense of fear, similar to a near death experience of a heart attack, which usually lasts for about 20 minutes and resolves on its own.

4. Abnormal behavior

Bipolar disorder: During the manic phase, there may be a surge in activity, a decrease in sleep demand, and adventurous behavior. Obsessive compulsive disorder patients exhibit ritualistic actions such as repeated hand washing or check ups, which they know are unreasonable but cannot control themselves.

5. Cognitive decline

Alzheimer's disease may present with near event forgetting and orientation disorders in the early stages, and may result in loss of basic living abilities in the later stages. Vascular dementia presents a progressive deterioration, directly related to brain tissue damage caused by cerebrovascular disease. When symptoms of mental illness appear, it is recommended to seek medical attention from a cardiology or psychiatry department as soon as possible. Maintaining a regular daily routine and moderate exercise can help alleviate symptoms. Family members should avoid blaming patients for their symptoms and can learn nonviolent communication skills to cooperate with medication and psychological treatment plans developed by doctors. Some symptoms may recur with seasonal changes, and it is necessary to establish a long-term health management plan and seek community mental health service support if necessary.