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If you want to know how to Deteriorate Your Mental Health Over Time, then visit this site. It's all about Mental Health Resolution.Mental health: strengthening our responseMental health is more than the absence of mental disorders.Mental health is an integral part of health; indeed, deteriorate your mental health over time is no health without mental health.Mental health is determined by a range of socioeconomic, biological and environmental factors.Cost-effective public health and intersectoral strategies and interventions exist to promote, protect and restore mental health.Mental health is an integral and essential component of health. deteriorate your mental health over time WHO constitution states: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely deteriorate your mental health over time absence of disease or infirmity." An important implication of this definition is that mental health is more than just deteriorate your mental health over time absence of mental disorders or disabilities.Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with deteriorate your mental health over time normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.Mental health is fundamental to our collective and individual ability as humans to think, emote, interact with each deteriorate your mental health over time, earn a living and enjoy life. On this basis, deteriorate your mental health over time promotion, protection and restoration of mental health can be regarded as a vital concern of individuals, communities and societies throughout deteriorate your mental health over time world.Determinants of mental healthMultiple social, psychological, and biological factors determine deteriorate your mental health over time level of mental health of a person at any point of time. For example, violence and persistent socio-economic pressures are recognized risks to mental health. deteriorate your mental health over time clearest evidence is associated with sexual violence.Poor mental health is also associated with rapid social change, stressful work conditions, gender discrimination, social exclusion, unhealthy lifestyle, physical ill-health and human rights violations.deteriorate your mental health over time are specific psychological and personality factors that make people vulnerable to mental health problems. Biological risks include genetic factors.Mental health promotion and protectionMental health promotion involves actions that improve psychological well-being. This may involve creating an environment that supports mental health.An environment that respects and protects basic civil, political, socio-economic and cultural rights is fundamental to mental health. Without deteriorate your mental health over time security and freedom provided by deteriorate your mental health over time rights, it is difficult to maintain a high level of mental health.National mental health policies should be concerned both with mental disorders and, with broader issues that promote mental health. Mental health promotion should be mainstreamed into governmental and nongovernmental policies and programmes. In addition to deteriorate your mental health over time health sector, it is essential to involve deteriorate your mental health over time education, labour, justice, transport, environment, housing, and welfare sectors.Specific ways to promote mental health include:early childhood interventions (e.g. providing a stable environment that is sensitive to children’s health and nutritional needs, with protection from threats, opportunities for early learning, and interactions that are responsive, emotionally supportive and developmentally stimulating);support to children (e.g. life skills programmers, child and youth development programmers);socio-economic empowerment of women (e.g. improving access to education and microcredit schemes);social support for elderly populations (e.g. befriending initiatives, community and day centres for deteriorate your mental health over time aged);programmers targeted at vulnerable people, including minorities, indigenous people, migrants and people affected by conflicts and disasters (e.g. psycho-social interventions after disasters);mental health promotional activities in schools (e.g.programmers involving supportive ecological changes in schools);mental health interventions at work (e.g. stress prevention programmers);housing policies (e.g. housing improvement);·violence prevention programmers (e.g. reducing availability of alcohol and access to arms);community development programmers (e.g. integrated rural development);poverty reduction and social protection for deteriorate your mental health over time poor;anti-discrimination laws and campaigns;promotion of deteriorate your mental health over time rights, opportunities and care of individuals with mental disorders.Mental health care and treatmentIn deteriorate your mental health over time context of national efforts to develop and implement mental health policy, it is vital to not only protect and promote deteriorate your mental health over time mental well-being of its citizens, but also address deteriorate your mental health over time needs of persons with defined mental disorders.Knowledge of what to do about deteriorate your mental health over time escalating burden of mental disorders has improved substantially over deteriorate your mental health over time past decade. deteriorate your mental health over time is a growing body of evidence demonstrating both deteriorate your mental health over time efficacy and cost-effectiveness of key interventions for priority mental disorders in countries at different levels of economic development. Examples of interventions that are cost-effective, feasible, and affordable include:treatment of depression with psychological treatment and, for moderate to severe cases, antidepressant medicines;treatment of psychosis with antipsychotic medicines and psychosocial support;taxation of alcoholic beverages and restriction of their availability and marketing.A range of effective measures also exists for deteriorate your mental health over time prevention of suicide, prevention and treatment of mental disorders in children, prevention and treatment of dementia, and treatment of substance-use disorders. deteriorate your mental health over time mental health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) has produced evidence based guidance for non-specialists to enable deteriorate your mental health over time to better identify and manage a range of priority mental health conditions.WHO responseWHO supports governments in deteriorate your mental health over time goal of strengthening and promoting mental health. WHO has evaluated evidence for promoting mental health and is working with governments to disseminate this information and to integrate effective strategies into policies and plans.In 2013, deteriorate your mental health over time World Health Assembly approved a "Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan for 2013-2020". deteriorate your mental health over time Plan is a commitment by all WHO’s Member States to take specific actions to improve mental health and to contribute to deteriorate your mental health over time attainment of a set of global targets.deteriorate your mental health over time Action Plan’s overall goal is to promote mental well-being, prevent mental disorders, provide care, enhance recovery, promote human rights and reduce deteriorate your mental health over time mortality, morbidity and disability for persons with mental disorders. It focuses on 4 key objectives to:strengthen effective leadership and governance for mental health;provide comprehensive, integrated and responsive mental health and social care services in community-based settings;implement strategies for promotion and prevention in mental health; andstrengthen information systems, evidence and research for mental health.Particular emphasis is given in deteriorate your mental health over time Action Plan to deteriorate your mental health over time protection and promotion of human rights, deteriorate your mental health over time strengthening and empowering of civil society and to deteriorate your mental health over time central place of community-based care.In order to achieve its objectives, deteriorate your mental health over time Action Plan proposes and requires clear actions for governments, international partners and for WHO. Ministries of Health will need to take a leadership role, and WHO will work with deteriorate your mental health over time and with international and national partners, including civil society, to implement deteriorate your mental health over time plan. As deteriorate your mental health over time is no action that fits all countries, each government will need to adapt deteriorate your mental health over time Action Plan to its specific national circumstances.What Is Mental Health?Main page contentMental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.Over deteriorate your mental health over time course of your life, if you experience mental health problems, your thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected. Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistryLife experiences, such as trauma or abuseFamily history of mental health problemsMental health problems are common but help is available. People with mental health problems can get better and many recover completely.Early Warning SignsNot sure if you or someone you know is living with mental health problems? Experiencing one or more of deteriorate your mental health over time following feelings or behaviors can be an early warning sign of a problem:Eating or sleeping too much or too littlePulling away from people and usual activitiesHaving low or no energyFeeling numb or like nothing mattersHaving unexplained aches and painsFeeling helpless or hopelessSmoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usualFeeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scaredYelling or fighting with family and friendsExperiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationshipsHaving persistent thoughts and memories you can't get out of your headHearing voices or believing things that are not trueThinking of harming yourself or othersInability to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work or schoolLearn more about specific mental health problems and where to find help.Mental Health and WellnessPositive mental health allows people to:Realize their full potentialCope with deteriorate your mental health over time stresses of lifeWork productivelyMake meaningful contributions to their communitiesWays to maintain positive mental health include:Getting professional help if you need itConnecting with othersStaying positiveGetting physically activeHelping othersGetting enough sleepDeveloping coping skillsMental Illness BasicsMental illnesses are diseases or conditions that affect how you think, feel, act, or relate to deteriorate your mental health over time people or to your surroundings. They are very common. Many people have had one or know someone who has.Symptoms can range from mild to severe. They can also vary from person to person. In many cases, it makes daily life hard to handle. But when an expert diagnoses you and helps you get treatment, you can often get your life back on track.CausesDoctors don’t know deteriorate your mental health over time exact cause of most mental illnesses. A combination of things, including your genes, biology, and your life experiences, seem to be involved.Many mental illnesses run in families. But that doesn’t mean you will have one if your mother or father did.Some conditions involve circuits in your brain that are used in thinking, mood, and behavior. For instance, you may have too much, or not enough, activity of certain brain chemicals called “neurotransmitters” within those circuits. Brain injuries are also linked to some mental conditions.Some mental illnesses may be triggered or worsened by psychological trauma that happens when you’re a child or teenager, such as:Severe emotional, physical, or sexual abuseA major loss, such as deteriorate your mental health over time death of a parent, early in lifeNeglectMajor sources of stress, such as a death or divorce, problems in family relationships, job loss, school, and substance abuse, can trigger or aggravate some mental disorders in some people. But not everyone who goes through those things develops a mental illness.It’s normal to have some grief, anger, and deteriorate your mental health over time emotions when you have a major setback in life. A mental illness is different from that.Symptomsdeteriorate your mental health over time are many different mental illnesses, and their symptoms vary. Some common symptoms include:Problems with thinking (like being confused, suspicious, or unusually angry or sad)Keeping to themselvesMood swingsRelationship problemsHallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t deteriorate your mental health over time)Abusing alcohol or drugsFeeling low on hope and not enjoying things that they used to likeThoughts of suicide or harming themselves or othersSleep problems (too much or too little)If you’ve had symptoms like deteriorate your mental health over time, talk to your doctor or a counselor to find out what’s going on and what would help you.What’s deteriorate your mental health over time Treatment?deteriorate your mental health over time treatment depends on deteriorate your mental health over time condition. In many cases, people get one or more of deteriorate your mental health over time treatments:Medication. Prescription drugs help manage deteriorate your mental health over time symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, or psychosis.Psychotherapy. This may be one-on-one with a counselor. Or it may happen with a group. It may include learning different ways to respond to challenging situations.Lifestyle change. In some cases, changing your habits makes a difference. For instance, exercise is one of deteriorate your mental health over time treatments for mild depressionIn some cases, treatment may also include creative therapies (such as art therapy, music therapy, or play therapy), mindfulness and meditation, and brain stimulation therapies, such as:Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). You’re “asleep” under general anesthesia while doctors put electrodes on specific points on your head to stimulate your brain. It’s usually used for major depression, but doctors may consider it for deteriorate your mental health over time conditions, especially in severe cases. Most people get it several times a week for a few weeks, and usually only if deteriorate your mental health over time treatments haven’t worked.Vagus nerve stimulation, in which doctors implant a device that stimulates deteriorate your mental health over time vagus nerve, which relays messages to areas in deteriorate your mental health over time brain that are thought to affect mood and thinking. It’s approved to treat severe cases of depression that don’t respond to two or more antidepressant treatments.Transcranial magnetic stimulation, which uses magnets (outside deteriorate your mental health over time body) to stimulate deteriorate your mental health over time brain. It’s approved to treat major depression if deteriorate your mental health over time treatments haven’t worked. deteriorate your mental health over time research on how well it works is mixed.Some people may need day treatment or hospitalization, at least for a time, for more severe conditions.OutlookWith early diagnosis and treatment, many people fully recover from their mental illness or can manage their symptoms.Although some people become disabled because of a chronic or severe mental illness, many others are able to live full and productive lives. deteriorate your mental health over time key is to get help as soon as deteriorate your mental health over time symptoms start and to keep up with treatment.Women and Mental HealthOverviewMental disorders can affect women and men differently. Some disorders are more common in women such as depression and anxiety. deteriorate your mental health over time are also certain types of disorders that are unique to women. For example, some women may experience symptoms of mental disorders at times of hormone change, such as perinatal depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and perimenopause-related depression. When it comes to deteriorate your mental health over time mental disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, research has not found differences in deteriorate your mental health over time rates at which men and women experience deteriorate your mental health over time illnesses. But women may experience deteriorate your mental health over time illnesses differently – certain symptoms may be more common in women than in men, and deteriorate your mental health over time course of deteriorate your mental health over time illness can be affected by deteriorate your mental health over time sex of deteriorate your mental health over time individual. Researchers are only now beginning to tease apart deteriorate your mental health over time various biological and psychosocial factors that may impact deteriorate your mental health over time mental health of both women and men.Warning SignsWomen and men can develop most of deteriorate your mental health over time same mental disorders and conditions, but may experience different symptoms. Some symptoms include:Persistent sadness or feelings of hopelessnessMisuse of alcohol and/or drugsDramatic changes in eating or sleeping habitsAppetite and/or weight changesDecreased energy or fatigueExcessive fear or worrySeeing or hearing things that are not deteriorate your mental health over timeExtremely high and low moodsAches, headaches, or digestive problems without a clear causeIrritabilitySocial withdrawalSuicidal thoughtsMental disorders can be treated: If you are unsure where to go for help, ask your family doctor or visit NIMH’s Help for Mental Illnesses webpage. Communicating well with your ealth care provider can improve your care and help you both make good choices about your health. Read about tips to help prepare and get deteriorate your mental health over time most out of your visit. For additional resources, including questions to ask your health care provider, visit deteriorate your mental health over time Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.Clinical TrialsClinical research is medical research that involves people like you. People volunteer to participate in carefully conducted investigations that ultimately uncover better ways to treat, prevent, diagnose, and understand human disease. Clinical research includes trials that test new treatments and therapies as well as long–term natural history studies, which provide valuable information about how disease and health progress.Researchers at deteriorate your mental health over time National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) conduct a large number of research studies with patients and healthy volunteers. Our researchers are currently working to identify deteriorate your mental health over time causes of, treatments for, and predictors of risk for reproductive endocrine-related mood disorders including deteriorate your mental health over time following:Postpartum DepressionPremenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD, a severe premenstrual syndrome)Perimenopausal DepressionIn addition to deteriorate your mental health over time disorders, NIMH researchers are also studying deteriorate your mental health over time mental disorders that affect women such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. To find studies being conducted at deteriorate your mental health over time NIMH, visit Join a Study: Adults.Our studies take place at deteriorate your mental health over time NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland and require regular visits. If you don’t live nearby but are interested in finding a clinical trial near you, visitWhy should women participate in a clinical study?Sex and gender can influence health in important ways. You can help scientists learn more about deteriorate your mental health over time differences and make it possible to draw conclusions that advance health for both women and men. NIMH is committed to ensuring that women trying to decide whether to enroll in a clinical study get all deteriorate your mental health over time information they need to feel comfortable and make informed decisions.Mental Health Basics: Types of Mental Illness, Diagnosis, Treatment, and MoreWhat is mental health?Mental health refers to your emotional and psychological well-being. Having good mental health helps you lead a relatively happy and healthy life. It helps you demonstrate resilience and deteriorate your mental health over time ability to cope in deteriorate your mental health over time face of life’s adversities.Your mental health can be influenced by a variety of factors, including life events or even your genetics.deteriorate your mental health over time are many strategies that can help you establish and keep good mental health. deteriorate your mental health over time can include:keeping a positive attitudestaying physically activehelping deteriorate your mental health over time peoplegetting enough sleepeating a healthy dietasking for professional help with your mental health if you need itsocializing with people whom you enjoy spending time withforming and using effective coping skills to deal with your problemsWhat is mental illness?A mental illness is a broad term which encompasses a wide variety of conditions which affect deteriorate your mental health over time way you feel and think. It can also affect your ability to get through day-to-day life. Mental illnesses can be influenced by several different factors, including:geneticsenvironmentdaily habitsbiologyMental health statisticsMental health issues are common in deteriorate your mental health over time United States. About one in five American adults experience at least one mental illness each year. And around one in five young people ages 13 to 18 experience a mental illness at some point in their lives, too.Although mental illnesses are common, they vary in severity. About one in 25 adults experience a serious mental illness (SMI) each year. A SMI can significantly reduce your ability to carry out daily life. Different groups of people experience SMIs at different rates.According to deteriorate your mental health over time National Institute of Mental Health, women are more likely to experience SMI than men. Those ages 18 to 25 are most likely to experience an SMI. People with a mixed-race background are also more likely to experience an SMI than people of deteriorate your mental health over time ethnicities.Mental health disordersdeteriorate your mental health over time Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) helps mental health professionals diagnose mental illnesses. deteriorate your mental health over time are many types of mental health disorders. In fact, almost 300 different conditions are listed in DSM-5.deteriorate your mental health over time are some of deteriorate your mental health over time most common mental illnesses affecting people in deteriorate your mental health over time United States:Bipolar disorderBipolar disorder is a chronic mental illness that affects about 2.6 percent of Americans each year. It is characterized by episodes of energetic, manic highs and extreme, sometimes depressive lows.deteriorate your mental health over time can affect a person’s energy level and ability to think reasonably. Mood swings caused by bipolar disorder are much more severe than deteriorate your mental health over time small ups and downs most people experience on a daily basis.Persistent depressive disorderPersistent depressive disorder is a chronic type of depression. It is also known as dysthymia. While dysthymic depression isn’t intense, it can interfere with daily life. People with this condition experience symptoms for at least two years.About 1.5 percent of American adults experience dysthymia each year.Generalized anxiety disorderGeneralized anxiety disorder (GAD) goes beyond regular everyday anxiety, like being nervous before a presentation. It causes a person to become extremely worried about many things, even when deteriorate your mental health over time’s little or no reason to worry.Those with GAD may feel very nervous about getting through deteriorate your mental health over time day. They may think things won’t ever work in their favor. Sometimes worrying can keep people with GAD from accomplishing everyday tasks and chores. GAD affects about 3 percent of Americans every year.Major depressive disorderMajor depressive disorder (MDD) causes feelings of extreme sadness or hopelessness that lasts for at least two weeks. This condition is also called also called clinical depression.People with MDD may become so upset about their lives that they think about or try to commit suicide. About 7 percent of Americans experience at least one major depressive episode each year.Obsessive-compulsive disorderObsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) causes constant and repetitive thoughts, or obsessions. deteriorate your mental health over time thoughts happen with unnecessary and unreasonable desires to carry out certain behaviors, or compulsions.Many people with OCD realize that their thoughts and actions are unreasonable, yet they cannot stop deteriorate your mental health over time. More than 2 percent of Americans are diagnosed with OCD at some point in their lifetime.Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness that’s triggered after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Experiences that can cause PTSD can range from extreme events, like war and national disasters, to verbal or physical abuse.Symptoms of PTSD may include flashbacks or being easily startled. It’s estimated that 3.5 percent of American adults experience PTSD.SchizophreniaSchizophrenia impairs a person’s perception of reality and deteriorate your mental health over time world around deteriorate your mental health over time. It interferes with their connection to deteriorate your mental health over time people. It’s a serious condition that needs treatment.They might experience hallucinations, have delusions, and hear voices. deteriorate your mental health over time can potentially put deteriorate your mental health over time in a dangerous situation if left untreated. It’s estimated that 1 percent of deteriorate your mental health over time American population experiences schizophrenia.Social anxiety disorderSocial anxiety disorder, sometimes called social phobia, causes an extreme fear of social situations. People with social anxiety may become very nervous about being around deteriorate your mental health over time people. They may feel like they’re being judged.This can make it hard to meet new people and attend social gatherings. Approximately 15 million adults in deteriorate your mental health over time United States experience social anxiety each year.Coping with mental illnessesdeteriorate your mental health over time symptoms of many mental illnesses may get worse if they’re left untreated. Reach out for psychological help if you or someone you know may have a mental illness.If you’re unsure where to start, visit your primary care doctor. They can help with deteriorate your mental health over time initial diagnosis and provide a referral to a psychiatrist.It’s important to know that you can still have a full and happy life with a mental illness. Working with a therapist and deteriorate your mental health over time members of your mental health team will help you learn healthy ways to manage your condition.Mental health symptomsEach type of mental illness causes its own symptoms. But many share some common characteristics.Common signs of several mental illnesses may include:not eating enough or overeatinghaving insomnia or sleeping too muchdistancing yourself from deteriorate your mental health over time people and favorite activitiesfeeling fatigue even with enough sleepfeeling numbness or lacking empathyexperiencing unexplainable body pains or achinessfeeling hopeless, helpless or lostsmoking, drinking, or using illicit drugs more than ever beforefeeling confusion, forgetfulness, irritability, anger, anxiety, sadness, or frightconstantly fighting or arguing with friends and familyhaving extreme mood swings that cause relationship problemshaving constant flashbacks or thoughts that you can’t get out of your headhearing voices in your head that you can’t stophaving thoughts of hurting yourself or deteriorate your mental health over time peoplebeing unable to carry out day-to-day activities and choresStress and periods of emotional distress can lead to an episode of symptoms. That may make it difficult for you to maintain normal behavior and activities. This period is sometimes called a nervous or mental breakdown. Read more about deteriorate your mental health over time episodes and deteriorate your mental health over time symptoms they cause.Mental health diagnosisDiagnosing a mental health disorder is a multi-step process. During a first appointment, your doctor may perform a physical exam to look for signs of physical issues that could be contributing to your symptoms.Some doctors may order a series of laboratory tests to screen for underlying or less obvious possible causes.Your doctor may ask you to fill out a mental health questionnaire. You may also undergo a psychological evaluation. You might not have a diagnosis after your first appointment.Your doctor may refer you to a mental health expert. Because mental health can be complex and symptoms may vary from person to person, it may take a few appointments for you to get a full diagnosis.Mental health treatmentTreatment for mental health disorders is not one size fits all, and it does not offer a cure. Instead, treatment aims to reduce symptoms, address underlying causes, and make deteriorate your mental health over time condition manageable.You and your doctor will work together to find a plan. It may be a combination of treatments because some people have better results with a multi-angle approach. Here are deteriorate your mental health over time most common mental health treatments:Medicationsdeteriorate your mental health over time four main categories of medications used to treat mental health disorders are antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, antipsychotic medications, and mood-stabilizing medications.Which type is best for you will depend on deteriorate your mental health over time symptoms you experience and deteriorate your mental health over time health issues you may face. People may try a few medications at different doses before finding something that’s right for deteriorate your mental health over time.PsychotherapyTalk therapy is an opportunity for you to talk with a mental health provider about your experiences, feelings, thoughts, and ideas. Therapists primarily act as a sounding board and neutral mediator, helping you learn coping techniques and strategies to manage symptoms.Hospital and residential treatmentSome people may need brief periods of intensive treatment at hospitals or residential treatment facilities. deteriorate your mental health over time programs allow an overnight stay for in-depth treatment. deteriorate your mental health over time are also daytime programs, where people can participate in shorter periods of treatment.Lifestyle treatments and home remediesAlternative treatments can be used in addition to mainstream treatments as a supplement. deteriorate your mental health over time steps won’t eliminate mental health issues alone, but they can be helpful.They include sticking to your treatment plan as closely as possible, avoiding alcohol and drugs, and adopting a healthy lifestyle that incorporates foods that may be a benefit to your brain. This includes omega-3 fatty acids, a type of fish oil that occurs naturally in some high-fat fish.Mental health therapydeteriorate your mental health over time term therapy refers to several styles of talk therapy. Therapy can be used to treat a variety of disorders, including panic disorders, anxiety, depression, anger issues, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.Therapy helps people identify mental health issues and unhealthy behaviors or thought patterns. During sessions you and your therapist can work to change deteriorate your mental health over time thoughts and behaviors.In most cases, therapists focus on current issues, things that are affecting your daily life, and help you find solutions to what you’re experiencing in real time, but each doctor’s approach is different. Read more about deteriorate your mental health over time different types and what results you might expect from therapy.Mental health first aidMental Health First Aid is a national public education course. It’s designed to teach people about deteriorate your mental health over time warning signs and risk factors of mental health issues. In deteriorate your mental health over time training, participants learn about treatments and approaches that can help people with mental health disorders.This training program is made for people who regularly interact with patients in a healthcare setting. Through scenarios and role-playing, healthcare providers can learn how to help a person in crisis connect with professional and self-help treatment steps.Mental health exercisesPhysical exercise is great for your body. Dancing, swimming, walking, and jogging boost cardio health and strength. They’re also great for your mind. Research shows they can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.However, deteriorate your mental health over time are also “exercises” you can do for your brain. deteriorate your mental health over time include:Striking a power pose. People who use “power poses” (aka hands on hips) may see a temporary drop in feelings of social anxiety.Listening to calming music. A 2013 study of 60 women revealed that people who listen to relaxing music recover faster after stress than people who relax but do not listen to music.Practicing progressive muscle relaxation. This process involves tightening and deteriorate your mental health over time slowly relaxing various muscle groups. It may be combined with deteriorate your mental health over time techniques like listening to calming music or breathing exercises.Finding a yoga pose. One 2017 study showed that just two minutes of performing yoga poses can boost self-esteem and help increase bodily energy.Mental health testWhen you talk with your doctor or therapist about your mental health, they may go through a series of examinations in order to reach a diagnosis. deteriorate your mental health over time steps could include a physical examination, blood or laboratory tests, and a mental health questionnaire.A series of questions helps doctors understand your thoughts, responses, and reactions to events and scenarios. While this test won’t return immediate results, it will help your doctor better understand what you’re experiencing.Avoid taking online mental health tests. While deteriorate your mental health over time may provide some insight into causes of symptoms, they aren’t administered by a healthcare professional. deteriorate your mental health over time questions and answer options may not be as specific as a doctor or therapist might be in an in-person testing environment.Mental health recoveryMost individuals with mental health issues can and will find treatments that are successful. That means you can get better. Some mental health issues, however, are chronic and ongoing, but even deteriorate your mental health over time can be managed with proper treatment and intervention.Recovery from mental health disorders or issues requires ongoing attention to your mental and overall health, as well as adherence to any behavioral therapy techniques learned from a therapist.In some cases, treatments like medication may be needed on an on-going basis; others may be able to stop using deteriorate your mental health over time at some point. What recovery will mean for you is different than recovery for another person.Mental health awarenessMental health is a vital concern for healthcare professionals. Most people know deteriorate your mental health over time signs and symptoms of physical illnesses, like a heart attack or stroke. But, they may not be able to pinpoint deteriorate your mental health over time physical effects of anxiety, PTSD, or panic.Awareness campaigns are designed to help people understand deteriorate your mental health over time common signs and symptoms.More than 40 million Americans experience some form of mental illness every year. Knowing that they’re not alone may invite people to seek treatment from a professional. Treatment is key to relief from symptoms and maintain a healthy, active life.Mental health in teensAround 21 percent of American teenagers between 13 and 18 years old have experienced a severe mental health disorder, according to deteriorate your mental health over time National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Half will develop a disorder by deteriorate your mental health over time time they’re 14 years old.A significant number of youth are affected by depression in particular. According to deteriorate your mental health over time National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), around 13 percent of Americans between 12 and 17 years old had at least one major depressive episode in 2017.In fact, deteriorate your mental health over time American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now endorses universal depression screening for 12- to 18-year-olds. deteriorate your mental health over time screenings can be performed by a primary care physician.Signs and symptoms in teensdeteriorate your mental health over time signs and symptoms of mental illness may be brushed aside as deteriorate your mental health over time angst of deteriorate your mental health over time turbulent teenage years. But, deteriorate your mental health over time may be deteriorate your mental health over time earliest predictors of mental health disorders or issues that require treatment.Signs of mental health issues in teenagers include:loss of self-esteemexcessive sleepingloss of interest in activities or favorite hobbiessudden and unexpected decline in academic performanceweight loss or changes in appetitesudden personality changes, such as anger or aggressionTypes of mental health problemsIf you've been diagnosed with a mental health problem you might be looking for information on your diagnosis, treatment options and where to go for support. Our information pages will help you learn more.AngerExplains what anger is, and how to deal with it in a constructive and healthy way.Anxiety and panic attacksExplains anxiety and panic attacks, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.Bipolar disorderExplains what bipolar disorder is, what kinds of treatment are available, and how you can help yourself cope. Also provides guidance on what friends and family can do to help.Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)Explains body dysmorphic disorder, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.Borderline personality disorder (BPD)Explains what BPD is and what it's like to live with this diagnosis. Also provides information about self-care, treatment and recovery, and gives guidance on how friends and family can help.DepressionExplains depression, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.Dissociation and dissociative disordersExplains dissociative disorders, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.Drugs - recreational drugs & alcoholExplains deteriorate your mental health over time mental health effects of recreational drugs and alcohol, and what might happen if you use recreational drugs and also have a mental health problem. Includes suggestions for where you might find support.Eating problemsExplains eating problems, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.Hearing voicesExplains what it is like to hear voices, where to go for help if you need it, and what others can do to support someone who is struggling with hearing voices.HoardingExplains hoarding, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.Hypomania and maniaExplains hypomania and mania, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.LonelinessExplains loneliness, giving practical suggestions for what you can do and where you can go for support.Mental health problems - introductionExplains what mental health problems are, what may cause deteriorate your mental health over time, and deteriorate your mental health over time many different kinds of help, treatment and support that are available. Also provides guidance on where to find more information, and tips for friends and family.Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)Explains obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.Panic attacksExplains what panic attacks are, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.ParanoiaExplains paranoia, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.Personality disordersExplains personality disorders, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support.PhobiasExplains phobias, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.Postnatal depression & perinatal mental healthExplains postnatal depression and deteriorate your mental health over time perinatal mental health issues, including possible causes, sources of treatment and support. Also gives advice for friends and family.Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)Explains what post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD are, and provides information on how you can access treatment and support. Includes self-care tips and guidance for friends and family.Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)Explains what PMDD is and explores issues around getting a diagnosis. Also provides information on self care and treatment options, and how friends and family can help.PsychosisExplains what psychosis is, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.Schizoaffective disorderExplains what schizoaffective disorder is, including its symptoms and causes. Gives advice on how you can help yourself and what types of treatment and support are available, as well as guidance for friends and family.SchizophreniaExplains schizophrenia, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)Explains seasonal affective disorder, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.Self-esteemExplains how to increase your self-esteem, giving practical suggestions for what you can do and where you can go for support.Self-harmExplains self-harm, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.Sleep problemsExplains insomnia and deteriorate your mental health over time sleep problems, giving practical suggestions for what you can do and where you can go for support.StressExplains what stress is, what might cause it and how it can affect you. Includes information about ways you can help yourself and how to get support.Suicidal feelingsExplains what suicidal feelings are, including possible causes and how you can learn to cope.Tardive dyskinesiaExplains what tardive dyskinesia is, what causes it and what you can do to manage it.TraumaExplains what trauma is and how it affects your mental health, including how you can help yourself, what treatments are available and how to overcome barriers to getting deteriorate your mental health over time right support. Also includes tips for people who want to support someone who has gone through trauma.What is mental health?Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act as we cope with life. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood and aging.What are mental disorders?Mental disorders are serious conditions which can affect your thinking, mood, and behavior. They may be occasional or long-lasting. They can affect your ability to relate to others and function each day. Mental disorders are common; more than half of all Americans will be diagnosed with one at some time in their life. But deteriorate your mental health over time are treatments. People with mental disorders can get better, and many of deteriorate your mental health over time recover completely.Why is mental health important?Mental health is important because it can help you toCope with deteriorate your mental health over time stresses of lifeBe physically healthyHave good relationshipsMake meaningful contributions to your communityWork productivelyRealize your full potentialYour mental health is also important because it can affect your physical health. For example, mental disorders can raise your risk for physical health problems such as stroke, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.What can affect my mental health?deteriorate your mental health over time are many different factors that can affect your mental health, includingBiological factors, such as genes or brain chemistryLife experiences, such as trauma or abuseFamily history of mental health problemsYour lifestyle, such as diet, physical activity, and substance useYou can also affect your mental health by taking steps to improve it, such as doing meditation, using relaxation techniques, and practicing gratitude.Can my mental health change over time?Over time, your mental health can change. For example, you may be dealing with a difficult situation, such as trying to manage a chronic illness, taking care of an ill relative, or facing money problems. deteriorate your mental health over time situation may wear you out and overwhelm your ability to cope with it. This can worsen your mental health. On deteriorate your mental health over time deteriorate your mental health over time hand, getting therapy may improve your mental health.What are deteriorate your mental health over time signs that I might have a mental health problem?When it comes to your emotions, it can be hard to know what is normal and what is not. deteriorate your mental health over time are warning signs that you may have a mental health problem, includingA change in your eating or sleeping habitsWithdrawing from deteriorate your mental health over time people and activities you enjoyHaving low or no energyFeeling numb or like nothing mattersHaving unexplained aches and painsFeeling helpless or hopelessSmoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usualFeeling unusually confused, forgetful, angry, upset, worried, or scaredHaving severe mood swings that cause problems in your relationshipsHaving thoughts and memories that you can't get out of your headHearing voices or believing things that are not trueThinking of harming yourself or othersNot being able to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work or schoolWhat should I do if I think I have a mental health problem?If you think that you may have a mental health problem, get help. Talk therapy and/or medicines can treat mental disorders. If you don't know where to start, contact your primary care provider.Start HereMental Health: Keeping Your Emotional Health (American Academy of Family Physicians)Also in SpanishMind/Body Connection: How Your Emotions Affect Your Health (American Academy of Family Physicians)Also in SpanishWhat Is Mental Health? (Department of Health and Human Services)Diagnosis and TestsMental Health Screening From deteriorate your mental health over time National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)Mental Health: What's Normal, What's Not? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)31 Tips To Boost Your Mental Health1. Track gratitude and achievement with a journal. Include 3 things you were grateful for and 3 things you were able to accomplish each day.2. Start your day with a cup of co­ffee. Coff­ee consumption is linked to lower rates of depression. If you can’t drink coff­ee because of deteriorate your mental health over time caff­eine, try another good-for-you drink like green tea.3. Set up a getaway. It could be camping with friends or a trip to deteriorate your mental health over time tropics. deteriorate your mental health over time act of planning a vacation and having something to look forward to can boost your overall happiness for up to 8 weeks!4, Work your strengths. Do something you're good at to build self-confidence, deteriorate your mental health over time tackle a tougher task.5. Keep it cool for a good night's sleep. deteriorate your mental health over time optimal temperature for sleep is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit.6. "You don't have to see deteriorate your mental health over time whole staircase, just take deteriorate your mental health over time first step." - Martin Luther King, Jr. Think of something in your life you want to improve, and figure out what you can do to take a step in deteriorate your mental health over time right direction.7. Experiment with a new recipe, write a poem, paint or try a Pinterest project. Creative expression and overall well-being are linked.8. Show some love to someone in your life. Close, quality, relationships are key for a happy, healthy life.9. Boost brainpower by treating yourself to a couple pieces of dark chocolate every few days. deteriorate your mental health over time flavanoids, caffeine, and theobromine in chocolate are thought to work together to improve alertness and mental skills.10. “deteriorate your mental health over time is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you.” -Maya Angelou. If you have personal experience with mental illness or recovery, share on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr with #mentalillnessfeelslike. Check out what deteriorate your mental health over time people are saying here.11. Sometimes, we don't need to add new activities to get more pleasure. We just need to soak up deteriorate your mental health over time joy in deteriorate your mental health over time ones we've already got. Trying to be optimistic doesn't mean ignoring deteriorate your mental health over time uglier sides of life. It just means focusing on deteriorate your mental health over time positive as much as possible.12. Feeling anxious? Take a trip down memory lane and do some coloring for about 20 minutes to help you clear your mind. Pick a design that's geometric and a little complicated for deteriorate your mental health over time best effect. Check out hundreds of free printable coloring pages here.13. Take time to laugh. Hang out with a funny friend, watch a comedy or check out cute videos online. Laughter helps reduce anxiety.14. Go off deteriorate your mental health over time grid. Leave your smart phone at home for a day and disconnect from constant emails, alerts, and deteriorate your mental health over time interruptions. Spend time doing something fun with someone face-to-face.15. Dance around while you do your housework. Not only will you get chores done, but dancing reduces levels of cortisol (deteriorate your mental health over time stress hormone), and increases endorphins (deteriorate your mental health over time body's "feel-good" chemicals).16. Go ahead and yawn. Studies suggest that yawning helps cool deteriorate your mental health over time brain and improves alertness and mental efficiency.17. Relax in a warm bath once a week. Try adding Epsom salts to soothe aches and pains and help boost magnesium levels, which can be depleted by stress.18. Has something been bothering you? Let it all out…on paper. Writing about upsetting experiences can reduce symptoms of depression.19. Spend some time with a furry friend. Time with animals lowers deteriorate your mental health over time stress hormone - cortisol, and boosts oxytocin - which stimulates feelings of happiness. If you don’t have a pet, hang out with a friend who does or volunteer at a shelter.20. “What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when you bring what is within out into deteriorate your mental health over time world, miracles happen.” - Henry David Thoreau. Practice mindfulness by staying "in deteriorate your mental health over time present." Try deteriorate your mental health over time tips.21. Be a tourist in your own town. Often times people only explore attractions on trips, but you may be surprised what cool things are in your own backyard.22. Try prepping your lunches or picking out your clothes for deteriorate your mental health over time work week. You'll save some time in deteriorate your mental health over time mornings and have a sense of control about deteriorate your mental health over time week ahead.23. Work some omega-3 fatty acids into your diet–they are linked to decreased rates of depression and schizophrenia among their many benefits. Fish oil supplements work, but eating your omega-3s in foods like wild salmon, flaxseeds or walnuts also helps build healthy gut bacteria.24. Practice forgiveness - even if it's just forgiving that person who cut you off during your commute. People who forgive have better mental health and report being more satisfied with their lives.25. "What appear to be calamities are often deteriorate your mental health over time sources of fortune." - Disraeli. Try to find deteriorate your mental health over time silver lining in something kind of cruddy that happened recently.26. Feeling stressed? Smile. It may not be deteriorate your mental health over time easiest thing to do, but smiling can help to lower your heart rate and calm you down.27. Send a thank you note - not for a material item, but to let someone know why you appreciate deteriorate your mental health over time. Written expressions of gratitude are linked to increased happiness.28. Do something with friends and family - have a cookout, go to a park, or play a game. People are 12 times more likely to feel happy on days that they spend 6-7 hours with friends and family.29. Take 30 minutes to go for a walk in nature - it could be a stroll through a park, or a hike in deteriorate your mental health over time woods. Research shows that being in nature can increase energy levels, reduce depression and boost well-being.30. Do your best to enjoy 15 minutes of sunshine, and apply sunscreen. Sunlight synthesizes Vitamin D, which experts believe is a mood elevator.31. "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." -Albert Einstein. Try something outside of your comfort zone to make room for adventure and excitement in your life.Take a Mental Health TestOnline screening is one of deteriorate your mental health over time quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition.Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, are real, common and treatable. And recovery is possible.How does it work?Following screening, you will be provided with information, resources and tools to help you understand and improve your mental health.Please note: Online screening tools are meant to be a quick snapshot of your mental health. If your results indicate you may be experiencing symptoms of a mental illness, consider sharing your results with someone. A mental health provider (such as a doctor or a therapist) can give you a full assessment and talk to you about options for how to feel better.If you provide us your information and are in need of support, we will do our best to respond. However, we are not a crisis support line. If you are in need of immediate assistance, please call deteriorate your mental health over time National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK, or text “MHA” to 741-741 to talk to a trained counselor from deteriorate your mental health over time Crisis Text Line. Warmlines are also an excellent place for support.For all deteriorate your mental health over time screening-related questions and non-emergency supportMental Health America Inc., sponsors, partners, and advertisers disclaim any liability, loss, or risk incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, from deteriorate your mental health over time use and application of deteriorate your mental health over time screens.MHA Screening is made possible through deteriorate your mental health over time generous contributions of individuals and organizations that share our vision of mental health for all. This program is supported, in part, through philanthropic contributions from Alkermes, deteriorate your mental health over time Anthem Foundation, deteriorate your mental health over time Faas Foundation, Janssen, Neurocrine Biosciences, Sage Therapeutics, Takeda Lundbeck Alliance, and Teva.Learn About Mental HealthWhat is mental illness?Mental illnesses are conditions that affect a person’s thinking, feeling, mood or behavior, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. Such conditions may be occasional or long-lasting (chronic) and affect someone’s ability to relate to others and function each day.two hands iconWhat is mental health?Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.1 Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.Although deteriorate your mental health over time terms are often used interchangeably, poor mental health and mental illness are not deteriorate your mental health over time same things. A person can experience poor mental health and not be diagnosed with a mental illness. Likewise, a person diagnosed with a mental illness can experience periods of physical, mental, and social well-being.stethescope iconWhy is mental health important for overall health?Mental and physical health are equally important components of overall health. Mental illness, especially depression, increases deteriorate your mental health over time risk for many types of physical health problems, particularly long-lasting conditions like stroke, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Similarly, deteriorate your mental health over time presence of chronic conditions can increase deteriorate your mental health over time risk for mental illness.2hourglass iconCan your mental health change over time?Yes, it’s important to remember that a person’s mental health can change over time, depending on many factors. When deteriorate your mental health over time demands placed on a person exceed their resources and coping abilities, their mental health could be impacted. For example, if someone is working long hours,Cdc-pdf caring for an ill relative or experiencing economic hardship they may experience poor mental health.icon showing numerical phrases 1 in 5, 50%, 1 in 25How common are mental illnesses?Mental illnesses are among deteriorate your mental health over time most common health conditions in deteriorate your mental health over time United States.More than 50% will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime.31 in 5 Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year.41 in 5 children, either currently or at some point during their life, have had a seriously debilitating mental illness.51 in 25 Americans lives with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression.6puzzle piecesWhat causes mental illness?deteriorate your mental health over time is no single cause for mental illness. A number of factors can contribute to risk for mental illness, such asEarly adverse life experiences, such as trauma or a history of abuse (for example, child abuse, sexual assault, witnessing violence, etc.)Experiences related to deteriorate your mental health over time ongoing (chronic) medical conditionCdc-pdf, such as cancer or diabetes.Biological factors, such as genes or chemical imbalances in deteriorate your mental health over time brainUse of alcohol or recreational drugsHaving few friendsHaving feeling of loneliness or isolationBuilding Better Mental HealthLooking to boost your mood, handle your emotions better, or build resilience? deteriorate your mental health over time six life-changing strategies for improving mental health and well-being can show you how.Understanding good mental healthYour mental health influences how you think, feel, and behave in daily life. It also affects your ability to cope with stress, overcome challenges, build relationships, and recover from life’s setbacks and hardships.Strong mental health isn’t just deteriorate your mental health over time absence of mental health problems. Being mentally or emotionally healthy is much more than being free of depression, anxiety, or deteriorate your mental health over time psychological issues. Rather than deteriorate your mental health over time absence of mental illness, mental health refers to deteriorate your mental health over time presence of positive characteristics.People who are mentally healthy have:A sense of contentment.A zest for living and deteriorate your mental health over time ability to laugh and have fun.deteriorate your mental health over time ability to deal with stress and bounce back from adversity.A sense of meaning and purpose, in both their activities and their relationships.deteriorate your mental health over time flexibility to learn new skills and adapt to change.A balance between work and play, rest and activity, etc.deteriorate your mental health over time ability to build and maintain fulfilling relationships.Self-confidence and high self-esteem.deteriorate your mental health over time relationship between resilience and mental healthHaving solid mental health doesn’t mean that you never go through bad times or experience emotional problems. We all go through disappointments, loss, and change. And while deteriorate your mental health over time are normal parts of life, they can still cause sadness, anxiety, and stress. But just as physically healthy people are better able to bounce back from illness or injury, people with strong mental health are better able to bounce back from adversity, trauma, and stress. This ability is called resilience.People who are emotionally and mentally resilient have deteriorate your mental health over time tools for coping with difficult situations and maintaining a positive outlook. They remain focused, flexible, and productive, in bad times as well as good. Their resilience also makes deteriorate your mental health over time less afraid of new experiences or an uncertain future. Even when they don’t immediately know how a problem will get resolved, they are hopeful that a solution will eventually be found.Whether you’re looking to cope with a specific mental health problem, handle your emotions better, or simply to feel more positive and energetic, deteriorate your mental health over time are plenty of ways to take control of your mental health—starting today.How to boost your mental healthAnyone can suffer from mental or emotional health problems—and over a lifetime most of us will. This year alone, about one in five of us will suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. Yet, despite how common mental health problems are, many of us make no effort to improve our situation.We ignore deteriorate your mental health over time emotional messages that tell us something is wrong and try toughing it out by distracting ourselves or self-medicating with alcohol, drugs, or self-destructive behaviors. We bottle up our problems in deteriorate your mental health over time hope that others won’t notice. We hope that our situation will eventually improve on its own. Or we simply give up—telling ourselves this is “just deteriorate your mental health over time way we are.”deteriorate your mental health over time good news is: you don’t have to feel bad. deteriorate your mental health over time are practices you can adopt to elevate your mood, become more resilient, and enjoy life more. But just as it requires effort to build and maintain physical health, so it is with mental health. We have to work harder deteriorate your mental health over time days to ensure strong mental health, simply because deteriorate your mental health over time are so many ways that life takes a toll on our emotional well-being.Why we often neglect our mental health needsEven in today’s advanced world, many of us are often reluctant—or unable—to address our mental health needs. This can stem from a variety of reasons, including:In some societies, mental and emotional issues are seen as less legitimate than physical issues. They’re seen as a sign of weakness or somehow as being our own fault.Some people mistakenly see mental health problems as something we should know how to “snap out of.” Men, especially, would often rather bottle up their feelings than seek help.In our fast-paced world, we’re obsessed with seeking quick, simple answers to complex problems. We look for connection with others by compulsively checking social media instead of reaching out to people in deteriorate your mental health over time real world, for example. Or to boost our mood and ease depression, we’d rather pop a pill rather tackle deteriorate your mental health over time underlying issues.Many people think that if they do seek help for mental and emotional problems, deteriorate your mental health over time only treatment options available are medication (which comes with unwanted side effects) or therapy (which can be lengthy and expensive). deteriorate your mental health over time truth is that, whatever your issues, deteriorate your mental health over time are steps you can take to improve deteriorate your mental health over time way you feel and experience greater mental and emotional well-being. And you can start today!Make social connection a priority—especially face-to-faceNo matter how much time you devote to improving your mental and emotional health, you will still need deteriorate your mental health over time company of others to feel and function at your best. Humans are social creatures with emotional needs for relationships and positive connections to others. We’re not meant to survive, let alone thrive, in isolation. Our social brains crave companionship—even when experience has made us shy and distrustful of others.Why is face-to-face connection so important?Phone calls and social networks have their place, but nothing can beat deteriorate your mental health over time stress-busting, mood-boosting power of quality face-to-face time with deteriorate your mental health over time people.deteriorate your mental health over time key is to interact with someone who is a “good listener”—someone you can regularly talk to in person, who will listen to you without their own conceptions of how you should think or feel. A good listener will listen to deteriorate your mental health over time feelings behind your words, and won’t interrupt, judge, or criticize you.Reaching out is not a sign of weakness and it won’t make you a burden to others. Most people are flattered if you trust deteriorate your mental health over time enough to confide in deteriorate your mental health over time. If you don’t feel that you have anyone to turn to, deteriorate your mental health over time are good ways to build new friendships and improve your support network. In deteriorate your mental health over time meantime, deteriorate your mental health over time is still a great benefit to interacting face-to-face with acquaintances or people you encounter during deteriorate your mental health over time day, such as neighbors, people in deteriorate your mental health over time checkout line or on deteriorate your mental health over time bus, or deteriorate your mental health over time person serving you your morning coffee. Make eye contact and exchange a smile, a friendly greeting, or small talk.Tips for connecting to othersCall a friend or loved one now and arrange to meet up. If you both lead busy lives, offer to run errands or exercise together. Try to make it a regular get-together.If you don’t feel that you have anyone to call, reach out to acquaintances. Lots of deteriorate your mental health over time people feel just as uncomfortable about making new friends as you do—so be deteriorate your mental health over time one to break deteriorate your mental health over time ice. Reconnect with an old friend, invite a coworker out for lunch, or ask a neighbor to join you for coffee.Get out from behind your TV or computer screen. Communication is a largely nonverbal experience that requires you to have direct contact with deteriorate your mental health over time people, so don’t neglect your real-world relationships in favor of virtual interaction.Be a joiner. Join networking, social, or special interest groups that meet on a regular basis. deteriorate your mental health over time groups offer wonderful opportunities for meeting people with common interests.Don’t be afraid to smile and say hello to strangers you cross paths with. Making a connection is beneficial to both of you—and you never know where it may lead!Staying active is as good for deteriorate your mental health over time brain as it is for deteriorate your mental health over time bodydeteriorate your mental health over time mind and deteriorate your mental health over time body are intrinsically linked. When you improve your physical health, you’ll automatically experience greater mental and emotional well-being. Physical activity also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals that lift your mood and provide added energy. Regular exercise or activity can have a major impact on mental and emotional health problems, relieve stress, improve memory, and help you to sleep better.But what if I hate to exercise?Well, you’re not alone. Pounding weights in a gym or jogging on a treadmill isn’t everyone’s idea of a great time. But you don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to reap deteriorate your mental health over time benefits of being more active. Take a walk at lunchtime through a park, walk laps in an air-conditioned mall while window shopping, throw a Frisbee with a dog, dance to your favorite music, play activity-based video games with your kids, cycle or walk to an appointment rather than drive.You don’t have to exercise until you’re soaked in sweat or every muscle aches. Even modest amounts of physical activity can make a big difference to your mental and emotional health—and it’s something you can engage in right now to boost your energy and outlook and help you regain a sense of control.Tips for starting an exercise routineAim for 30 minutes of activity on most days. If it’s easier, three 10-minute sessions can be just as effective. Start now by taking a walk or dancing to a favorite song.Try rhythmic exercise that engages both your arms and legs, such as walking, running, swimming, weight training, martial arts, or dancing.Add a mindfulness element to your workouts. Instead of focusing on your thoughts, focus on how your body feels as you move—how your feet hit deteriorate your mental health over time ground, for example, deteriorate your mental health over time rhythm of your breathing, or deteriorate your mental health over time feeling of wind on your skin.Learn how to keep your stress levels in checkStress takes a heavy toll on mental and emotional health, so it’s important to keep it under control. While not all stressors can be avoided, stress management strategies can help you brings things back into balance.Talk to a friendly face. Face-to-face social interaction with someone who cares about you is deteriorate your mental health over time most effective way to calm your nervous system and relieve stress. Interacting with another person can quickly put deteriorate your mental health over time brakes on damaging stress responses like “fight-or-flight.” It also releases stress-busting hormones, so you’ll feel better even if you’re unable to alter deteriorate your mental health over time stressful situation itself.Appeal to your senses. Does listening to an uplifting song make you feel calm? Or smelling ground coffee or a favorite scent? Or maybe squeezing a stress ball works quickly to make you feel centered? Everyone responds to sensory input a little differently, so start experimenting now to find what works best for you. Once you discover how your nervous system responds to sensory input, you’ll be able to quickly calm yourself no matter where or when stress hits.Make leisure time a priority. Partake in your favorite activities for no reason deteriorate your mental health over time than that they make you feel good. Go to a funny movie, take a walk on deteriorate your mental health over time beach, listen to music, read a good book, or talk to a friend. Doing things just because they are fun is no indulgence. Play is an emotional and mental health necessity.Make time for contemplation and appreciation. Think about deteriorate your mental health over time things you’re grateful for. Mediate, pray, enjoy deteriorate your mental health over time sunset, or simply take a moment to pay attention to what is good, positive, and beautiful as you go about your day.Take up a relaxation practice. While sensory input can relieve stress in deteriorate your mental health over time moment, relaxation techniques can help reduce your overall levels of stress—although they’re likely to take more time to learn effectively. Yoga, mindfulness meditation, deep breathing, or progressive muscle relaxation can put deteriorate your mental health over time brakes on stress and bring your mind and body back into a state of balance.Manage your emotions to relieve stressUnderstanding and accepting your emotions—especially those unpleasant ones many of us try to ignore—can make a huge difference in your ability to manage stress and balance your moods. HelpGuide’s free Emotional Intelligence Toolkit can show you how.Eat a brain-healthy diet to support strong mental healthUnless you’ve tried to change your diet in deteriorate your mental health over time past, you may not be aware how much of what you eat—and don’t eat—affects deteriorate your mental health over time way you think and feel. An unhealthy diet can take a toll on your brain and mood, disrupt your sleep, sap your energy, and weaken your immune system. Conversely, switching to a wholesome diet, low in sugar and rich in healthy fats, can give you more energy, improve your sleep and mood, and help you to look and feel your best.People respond slightly differently to certain foods, depending on genetics and deteriorate your mental health over time health factors, so experiment with how deteriorate your mental health over time food you include in—or cut from—your diet changes deteriorate your mental health over time way you feel. deteriorate your mental health over time best place to start is by cutting out deteriorate your mental health over time “bad fats” that can damage your mood and outlook, and replace deteriorate your mental health over time with “good fats” that support brain-health.Foods that adversely affect moodCaffeine.Alcohol.Trans fats or anything with “partially hydrogenated” oil.Foods with high levels of chemical preservatives or hormones.Sugary snacks.Refined carbs (such as white rice or white flour).Fried food.Foods that boost moodFatty fish rich in Omega-3s such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, tuna.Nuts such as walnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts.Avocados.Flaxseed.Beans.Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, Brussel’s sprouts.Fresh fruit such as blueberries.Don’t skimp on sleep—it matters more than you thinkIf you lead a busy life, cutting back on sleep may seem like a smart move. But when it comes to your mental health, getting enough sleep is a necessity, not a luxury. Skipping even a few hours here and deteriorate your mental health over time can take a toll on your mood, energy, mental sharpness, and ability to handle stress. And over deteriorate your mental health over time long-term, chronic sleep loss can wreak havoc on your health and outlook.While adults should aim for seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night, it’s often unrealistic to expect sleep to come deteriorate your mental health over time moment you lay down and close your eyes. Your brain needs time to unwind at deteriorate your mental health over time end of deteriorate your mental health over time day. That means taking a break from deteriorate your mental health over time stimulation of screens—TV, phone, tablet, computer—in deteriorate your mental health over time two hours before bedtime, putting aside work, and postponing arguments, worrying, or brainstorming until deteriorate your mental health over time next day.Tips for getting better sleepIf anxiety or chronic worrying dominates your thoughts at night, deteriorate your mental health over time are steps you can take to learn how to stop worrying.To wind down, calm deteriorate your mental health over time mind, and prepare for sleep, try taking a warm bath, reading by a soft light, listening to soothing music, or practicing a relaxation technique before bed.To help set your body’s internal clock and optimize deteriorate your mental health over time quality of your sleep, stick to a regular sleep-wake schedule, even on weekends.Make sure your bedroom is dark, cool, and quiet. Curtains, white noise machines, and fans can help.Find purpose and meaning in lifeEveryone derives meaning and purpose in different ways that involve benefitting others, as well as yourself. You may think of it as a way to feel needed, feel good about yourself, a purpose that drives you on, or simply a reason to get out of bed in deteriorate your mental health over time morning. In biological terms, finding meaning and purpose is essential to brain health as it can help generate new cells and create new neural pathways in deteriorate your mental health over time brain. It can also strengthen your immune system, alleviate pain, relieve stress, and keep you motivated to pursue deteriorate your mental health over time deteriorate your mental health over time steps to improve mental and emotional health. However you derive meaning and purpose in life, it’s important to do it every day.What gives you meaning and purpose?Engaging work that provides meaning to yourself and others. Partake in activities that challenge your creativity and make you feel productive, whether or not you get paid for deteriorate your mental health over time. Some ideas are gardening, drawing, writing, playing an instrument, or building something in your workshop.Relationships. Spending quality time where you give of yourself to people who matter to you, whether they’re friends, grandkids, or elderly relatives, can support both your health and theirs, while also providing a sense of purpose.Caring for a pet. Yes, pets are a responsibility, but caring for one makes you feel needed and loved. deteriorate your mental health over time’s no love quite as unconditional as deteriorate your mental health over time love a pet can give. Animals can also get you out of deteriorate your mental health over time house for exercise and expose you to new people and places.Volunteering. Just as we’re hard-wired to be social, we’re also hard-wired to give to others. deteriorate your mental health over time meaning and purpose derived from helping others or deteriorate your mental health over time community can enrich and expand your life—and make you happier. deteriorate your mental health over time’s no limit to deteriorate your mental health over time individual and group volunteer opportunities you can explore. Schools, churches, nonprofits, and charitable organizations of all sorts depend on volunteers for their survival.Caregiving. Taking care of an aging parent, a handicapped spouse, or a child with a physical or mental illness is an act of kindness, love, and loyalty—and can be as rewarding and meaningful as it is challenging.When to seek professional helpIf you’ve made consistent efforts to improve your mental and emotional health and still aren’t functioning optimally at home, work, or in your relationships, it may be time to seek professional help. Following deteriorate your mental health over time self-help steps will still benefit you, though. In fact, input from a caring professional can often help motivate us to take better care of ourselves.Authors: Melinda Smith, M.A., Robert Segal, M.A., Lawrence Robinson, and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D.Will you help keep HelpGuide free for all?One in four people will struggle with mental health at some point in their lives. And with deteriorate your mental health over time coronavirus pandemic and troubled economy, many are in crisis right now. More than ever, people need a trustworthy place to turn to for guidance and hope. That is our mission at HelpGuide. Our free online resources ensure that everyone can get deteriorate your mental health over time help they need when they need it—no matter what health insurance they have, where they live, or what they can afford. But as a nonprofit that doesn’t run ads or accept corporate sponsorships, we need your help. If you have already contributed, thank you. If you haven’t, please consider helping us reach those who need it: Donate today from as little as $3.Mental Health and Mental IllnessMental health and mental illness factsMental health is more than just being free of a mental illness. It is more of an optimal level of thinking, feeling, and relating to others.Mentally healthy individuals tend to have better medical health, productivity, and social relationships.Mental illness refers to all of deteriorate your mental health over time diagnosable mental disorders and is characterized by abnormalities in thinking, feelings, or behaviors.Some of deteriorate your mental health over time most common types of mental illness include anxiety, depressive, behavioral, and substance-abuse disorders.deteriorate your mental health over time is no single cause for mental illness. Rather, it is deteriorate your mental health over time result of a complex group of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors.While everyone experiences sadness, anxiety, irritability, and moodiness at times, moods, thoughts, behaviors, or use of substances that interfere with a person's ability to function well physically, socially, at work, school, or home are characteristics of mental illness.deteriorate your mental health over time is no one test that definitively indicates whether someone has a mental illness. Therefore, health-care practitioners diagnose a mental disorder by gathering comprehensive medical, family, and mental-health information.Talk therapy (psychotherapy) is usually considered deteriorate your mental health over time first line of care in helping a person with a mental illness. It is an important part of helping individuals with a mental disorder achieve deteriorate your mental health over time highest level of functioning possible.Psychotherapies that have been found to be effective in treating many mental disorders include family focused therapy, psycho-education, cognitive therapy, interpersonal therapy, and social rhythm therapy.Medications may play an important role in deteriorate your mental health over time treatment of a mental illness, particularly when deteriorate your mental health over time symptoms are severe or do not adequately respond to psychotherapy.A variety of factors can contribute to deteriorate your mental health over time prevention of mental-health disorders.Individuals with mental illness are at risk for a variety of challenges, but deteriorate your mental health over time risks can be greatly reduced with treatment, particularly when it is timely.What is mental health?Although it might seem easy to define mental health as deteriorate your mental health over time absence of mental illness, most experts agree that deteriorate your mental health over time is more to being mentally healthy. deteriorate your mental health over time U.S. Surgeon General has defined mental health as "a state of successful performance of mental function, resulting in productive activities, fulfilling relationships with people, and deteriorate your mental health over time ability to adapt to change and to cope with adversity." deteriorate your mental health over time state of being mentally healthy is enviable given deteriorate your mental health over time advantages it affords. For example, mentally healthy adults tend to report deteriorate your mental health over time fewest health-related limitations of their routine activities, deteriorate your mental health over time fewest full or partially missed days of work, and deteriorate your mental health over time healthiest social functioning (for example, low helplessness, clear life goals, high resilience, and high levels of intimacy in their lives).What is mental illness?Mental illness refers to all of deteriorate your mental health over time diagnosable mental disorders. Mental disorders are characterized by abnormalities in thinking, feelings, or behaviors. Highly common, about 46% of Americans can expect to meet deteriorate your mental health over time formal diagnostic criteria for some form of anxiety, depressive, behavioral, thought, or substance-abuse disorder during their lifetime.What are common types of mental illness?Some of deteriorate your mental health over time most common types of mental illness include anxiety, depressive, behavioral, and substance-abuse disorders. Examples of anxiety disorders include phobias, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive worry to deteriorate your mental health over time point of interfering with deteriorate your mental health over time sufferer's ability to function. Examples of anxiety disorders include deteriorate your mental health over time following:Phobias: involve severe, irrational fear of a thing or situation. Examples of phobias include fear of heights (acrophobia), spiders (arachnophobia), and of venturing away from home (agoraphobia).Social anxiety disorder is deteriorate your mental health over time fear of being in social situations or feeling scrutinized, like when speaking in public.Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) tends to result in deteriorate your mental health over time person either worrying excessively about many aspects of their life (like about money, family members, deteriorate your mental health over time future) or having a free-floating anxiety that is otherwise hard to describe. GAD is quite common, affecting about 10% of deteriorate your mental health over time population.Panic disorder is characterized by recurring episodes of sudden, severe, debilitating anxiety (panic) attacks that are immobilizing. Those episodes usually include symptoms like racing heart beat, shortness of breath, stomach upset, and trouble thinking. In order to be diagnosed as having panic disorder, deteriorate your mental health over time person must also either worry about having another attack or about what deteriorate your mental health over time attack means (for example, wondering if deteriorate your mental health over time symptoms of panic indicate they are having a heart attack).Behavioral disorders (like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], oppositional defiant disorder, or conduct disorder) are characterized by problems conforming to deteriorate your mental health over time tenets of acceptable behavior. deteriorate your mental health over time most common behavior disorder is ADHD; this condition includes symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity. While it used to be considered primarily a disorder of boys, it is now understood to be just as likely to occur in girls and that it can persist into adulthood in about half of children with ADHD.Dementia, including Alzheimer's dementia, is characterized by a problem with thinking, involving both memory problems and deteriorate your mental health over time forms of thinking. deteriorate your mental health over time are also known as cognitive problems and include difficulties with language or with identifying or recognizing things despite having no medical cause for deteriorate your mental health over time issues such as stroke or a brain tumor.Depressive disorders involve feelings of sadness that interfere with deteriorate your mental health over time individual's ability to function or, as with adjustment disorder, persist longer than most people experience in reaction to a particular life stressor. Examples of depressive disorders include deteriorate your mental health over time following:Major depression involves deteriorate your mental health over time sufferer feeling depressed most days and for most of each day for at least two weeks in a row. Along with sadness, deteriorate your mental health over time individual with major depression experiences a number of deteriorate your mental health over time associated symptoms, like irritability, loss of motivation or interest in activities they usually enjoy, hopelessness, and increased or decreased sleep, appetite, and/or weight. deteriorate your mental health over time person might also exhibit thoughts, plans, or attempts to harm themselves. Women with postpartum depression tend to experience many of deteriorate your mental health over time above symptoms for weeks to months after giving birth.Dysthymia sufferers experience depression and milder levels of deteriorate your mental health over time symptoms of major depression. In dysthymia, deteriorate your mental health over time symptoms are fairly consistent for more than two years in adults and one year in children and adolescents.Bipolar disorder, also called manic depression, is a mental illness that is characterized by severe mood swings, repeated episodes of depression, and at least one episode of mania in deteriorate your mental health over time person's lifetime. Bipolar disorder is one kind of mood disorder that afflicts more than 1% of adults in deteriorate your mental health over time United States, up to as many as 4 million people.Substance use disorders, like substance abuse and substance dependence, involve deteriorate your mental health over time use of a substance that interferes with deteriorate your mental health over time social, emotional, physical, educational, or vocational functioning of deteriorate your mental health over time person using it. deteriorate your mental health over time disorders afflict millions of people and a variety of legal (for example, alcohol and inhalants like household cleaners) and/or illegal (for example, marijuana in most states, cocaine, Ecstasy, and opiates) substances may be involved.Developmental disorders, like a learning disability, Asperger's disorder, or mental retardation, are often included in diagnostic manuals for mental disorders, but this group of conditions does not by definition mean deteriorate your mental health over time person involved has a problem with their mood.It is important to understand that deteriorate your mental health over time list of conditions above is by no means exhaustive. This article focuses on deteriorate your mental health over time more common mental illnesses; illnesses like eating disorders and schizophrenia, that are less common but perhaps quite devastating to deteriorate your mental health over time life of deteriorate your mental health over time person with deteriorate your mental health over time condition, are omitted.What are deteriorate your mental health over time causes and risk factors for mental illness?One frequently asked question about mental illness is if it is hereditary. Most mental disorders are not directly passed from one generation to another genetically, and deteriorate your mental health over time is no single cause for mental illness. Rather, it is deteriorate your mental health over time result of a complex group of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors. Genetically, it seems that more often than not, deteriorate your mental health over time seems to be a genetic predisposition to developing a mental illness. Everything from mood, behavioral, developmental, and thought disorders are thought to have a genetic risk for developing deteriorate your mental health over time condition.Medical conditions may predispose an individual to developing a mental illness. For example, depression is more likely to occur with certain medical illnesses. deteriorate your mental health over time "co-occurring" conditions include heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, hormonal disorders (especially perimenopause or hypothyroidism, known as "low thyroid"), Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. While it does not appear that allergies cause depression or visa versa, people who suffer from nonfood allergies have been found to be somewhat more vulnerable to also having depression compared to people who do not have allergies. Some medications used for long periods, such as prednisone, certain blood pressure medicines, sleeping pills, antibiotics, and even birth control pills, in some cases, can cause depression or make an existing depression worse. Some antiseizure medications, like lamotrigine (Lamictal), topiramate (Topamax), and gabapentin (Neurontin), may be associated with a higher risk of suicide. Despite deteriorate your mental health over time impact that taking certain medications or having a medical illness can have on a person's emotional state, clinical depression should not be considered a normal or natural reaction to either issue. It should therefore always be aggressively treated.Environmentally, deteriorate your mental health over time risks of developing mental illness can even occur before birth. For example, deteriorate your mental health over time risk of schizophrenia is increased in individuals whose mother had one of certain infections during pregnancy. Difficult life circumstances during childhood, like deteriorate your mental health over time early loss of a parent, poverty, bullying, witnessing parental violence; being deteriorate your mental health over time victim of emotional, sexual, or physical abuse or of physical or emotional neglect; and insecure attachment have all been associated with deteriorate your mental health over time development of schizophrenia as well. Even factors like how well represented an ethnic group is in a neighborhood can be a risk or protective factor for developing a mental illness. For example, some research indicates that ethnic minorities may be more at risk for developing mental disorders if deteriorate your mental health over time are fewer members of deteriorate your mental health over time ethnic group to which deteriorate your mental health over time individual belongs in their neighborhood.Stress has been found to be a significant contributor to deteriorate your mental health over time development of most mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder. For example, gay, lesbian, and bisexual people are thought to experience increased emotional struggles associated with deteriorate your mental health over time multiple social stressors associated with coping with reactions to their homosexuality or bisexuality in society. Unemployment significantly increases deteriorate your mental health over time odds ratio of an individual developing a psychiatric disorder. It almost quadruples deteriorate your mental health over time odds of developing drug dependence and triples deteriorate your mental health over time odds of having a phobia or a psychotic illness like schizophrenia. Being unemployed more than doubles deteriorate your mental health over time chances of experiencing depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder.What are symptoms and signs of mental illness?While everyone experiences sadness, anxiety, irritability, and moodiness at times, moods, thoughts, behaviors, or use of substances that interfere with a person's ability to function well physically, socially, at work, school, or home are characteristics of mental illness. Mental illness can have virtually any physical symptom associated with it, from insomnia, headaches, stomach upset to even paralysis. Socially, deteriorate your mental health over time person with a mental illness may avoid or have trouble making or keeping friends. Emotional problems can result in deteriorate your mental health over time person being unable to focus and therefore perform at work or school.How is mental illness diagnosed?deteriorate your mental health over time is no one test that definitively indicates that someone has a mental illness. Therefore, health-care practitioners diagnose a mental disorder by gathering comprehensive medical, family, and mental-health information. Patients tend to benefit when deteriorate your mental health over time professional takes into account their client's entire life and background. This includes but is not limited to deteriorate your mental health over time person's gender, sexual orientation, cultural, religious and ethnic background, and socioeconomic status. deteriorate your mental health over time symptom sufferer might be asked to fill out a self-test that deteriorate your mental health over time professional will review if deteriorate your mental health over time person being evaluated is able to complete it. deteriorate your mental health over time practitioner will also either perform a physical examination or request that deteriorate your mental health over time individual's primary-care doctor or deteriorate your mental health over time medical professional perform one. deteriorate your mental health over time medical examination will usually include lab tests to evaluate deteriorate your mental health over time person's general health and to explore whether or not deteriorate your mental health over time individual has a medical condition that might produce psychological symptoms.In asking questions about mental-health symptoms, deteriorate your mental health over time counselor or deteriorate your mental health over time mental-health professional often explores if deteriorate your mental health over time individual suffers from hallucinations or delusions, depression and/or manic symptoms, anxiety, substance abuse, as well as some personality disorders (for example, schizotypal personality disorder) and developmental disorders (for example, autism spectrum disorders). Since some of deteriorate your mental health over time symptoms of any one mental disorder can also occur in deteriorate your mental health over time mental illnesses, deteriorate your mental health over time mental-health screening is to determine if deteriorate your mental health over time individual suffers from a psychotic depressive, bipolar, anxiety, behavioral, substance abuse, or personality disorder.In addition to providing treatment that is appropriate to deteriorate your mental health over time diagnosis, determining deteriorate your mental health over time presence of mental illnesses that may co-occur (be comorbid) and addressing those issues is important when trying to improve deteriorate your mental health over time life of individuals with a mental illness. For example, people with schizophrenia are at increased risk of having a substance abuse, depressive, or anxiety disorder and of committing suicide.What is deteriorate your mental health over time treatment for a mental health problem?PsychotherapiesTalk therapy (psychotherapy) is usually considered deteriorate your mental health over time first line of care in helping a person with a mental illness. It is an important part of helping individuals with a mental disorder achieve deteriorate your mental health over time highest level of functioning possible. deteriorate your mental health over time interventions are therefore seen by some as being forms of occupational therapy for people with mental illness. While medication can be quite helpful in alleviating and preventing overt symptoms for many psychiatric conditions, they do not address deteriorate your mental health over time many complex social and psychological issues that can play a major role in how deteriorate your mental health over time person with such a disease functions at work, at home, and in his or her relationships. For example, since about 60% of people with bipolar disorder take less than 30% of their medications as prescribed, any support that can promote compliance with treatment and otherwise promote deteriorate your mental health over time health of individuals in deteriorate your mental health over time mentally disordered population is valuable.Psychotherapies that have been found to be effective in treating many mental disorders include family focused therapy, psycho-education, cognitive therapy, interpersonal therapy, and social rhythm therapy. Family focused therapy involves education of family members about deteriorate your mental health over time disorder and how to help (psycho-education), communication-enhancement training, and teaching family members problem-solving skills training. Psycho-education services involve teaching deteriorate your mental health over time person with deteriorate your mental health over time illness and their family members about deteriorate your mental health over time symptoms of deteriorate your mental health over time sufferer, as well as any warning signs (for example, change in sleep pattern or appetite, increased irritability) that deteriorate your mental health over time person is beginning to experience another episode of deteriorate your mental health over time illness, when applicable. In cognitive behavioral therapy, deteriorate your mental health over time mental-health professional works to help deteriorate your mental health over time person with a psychiatric condition identify, challenge, and decrease negative thinking and otherwise dysfunctional belief systems. deteriorate your mental health over time goal of interpersonal therapy tends to be identifying and managing problems deteriorate your mental health over time sufferers of a mental illness may have in their relationships with others. Social rhythm therapy encourages stability of sleep-wake cycles, with deteriorate your mental health over time goal of preventing or alleviating deteriorate your mental health over time sleep disturbances that may be associated with a psychiatric disorder.MedicationsMedications may play an important role in deteriorate your mental health over time treatment of a mental illness, particularly when deteriorate your mental health over time symptoms are severe or do not adequately respond to psychotherapy. For example, treatment of bipolar disorder with medications tends to address two aspects: relieving already existing symptoms of mania or depression and preventing symptoms from returning. Medications that are thought to be particularly effective in treating manic and mixed symptoms include olanzapine (Zyprexa), risperidone (Risperdal), quetiapine (Seroquel), ziprasidone (Geodon), aripiprazole (Abilify), paliperidone (Invega), and asenapine (Saphis). deteriorate your mental health over time medications belong to a group of medications called neuroleptics and are known for having deteriorate your mental health over time ability to work quickly compared to many deteriorate your mental health over time psychiatric medications. As a group of medications, side effects that occur most often include sleepiness, dizziness, and increased appetite. Weight gain, which may be associated with higher blood sugar, higher lipid levels, and sometimes increased levels of a hormone called prolactin may also occur. Although older medications in this class that were not mentioned here are more likely to cause muscle stiffness, shakiness, and very rarely uncoordinated muscle twitches (tardive dyskinesia) that can be permanent, health-care practitioners appropriately monitor deteriorate your mental health over time people they treat for deteriorate your mental health over time potential side effects as well. Mood-stabilizer medications like lithium, divalproex (Depakote), carbamazepine (Tegretol), and lamotrigine (Lamictal) can be useful in treating active (acute) symptoms of manic or mixed episodes. deteriorate your mental health over time medications may take a bit longer to work compared to deteriorate your mental health over time neuroleptic medications, and some (for example, lithium, divalproex, and carbamazepine) require monitoring of medication blood levels. Further, some of deteriorate your mental health over time medications can be associated with birth defects when taken by pregnant women.Antidepressant medications are deteriorate your mental health over time primary medical treatment for deteriorate your mental health over time anxiety characterized by anxiety disorders, as well as deteriorate your mental health over time depressive symptoms of depressive disorders and bipolar disorder. Examples of those medications that are commonly prescribed for those purposes include serotonergic (SSRI) medications like fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), citalopram (Celexa), and escitalopram (Lexapro) and combination serotonergic/adrenergic medications (SNRIs) like venlafaxine (Effexor) and duloxetine (Cymbalta), as well as buproprion (Wellbutrin), which is a dopaminergic antidepressant.Medications like clonazepam (Klonopin) and lorazepam (Ativan) from deteriorate your mental health over time benzodiazepine group are often used to treat anxiety, particularly when it is sudden and severe, as in panic attacks. This class of medications does have addictive properties. Medications from deteriorate your mental health over time beta-blocker family (for example, propranolol [Inderal]) are sometimes used to treat deteriorate your mental health over time physical symptoms associated with anxiety as well.Alzheimer's and deteriorate your mental health over time forms of dementia are often treated with medications like memantine (Namenda), galantamine (Razadyne), donezepil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), and tacrine (Cognex). deteriorate your mental health over time medications tend to slow deteriorate your mental health over time progression of dementia, thereby helping sufferers of dementia remain functional longer than they would without treatment.Despite its stigmatized history, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can be a viable treatment for people whose symptoms of depression, bipolar, or thought disorder have inadequately responded to psychotherapies and a number of medication trials. Although alternative treatments for mood disorders like St. John's wort or ginkgo biloba are not recognized standard care for bipolar disorder, as many as one-third of some patients being treated for a mental illness use deteriorate your mental health over time.Can mental health disorders be prevented?A variety of factors can contribute to deteriorate your mental health over time prevention of mental-health disorders. For example, people who feel less isolated and alone tend to be less likely to develop a mental-health disorder. Those who engage in regular practice of endurance exercise seem to have a more favorable self-image, more resistance to drug and alcohol addiction, and a higher sense of general physical and psychological well-being compared to those who do not exercise regularly. Adolescents who engage regularly in physical activity are characterized by lower levels of anxiety and depression compared to their more sedentary counterparts.Clear communication by parents about deteriorate your mental health over time negative effects of alcohol, as well as about their expectations regarding drug use, has been found to significantly decrease alcohol and deteriorate your mental health over time drug use in teens. Adequate parental supervision has also been found to be a deterrent to substance use in children and adolescents. Alcohol and deteriorate your mental health over time drug use has been found to occur most often between deteriorate your mental health over time hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., immediately after school and prior to parents' arrival home from work. Teen participation in extracurricular activities has therefore been revealed to be an important measure in preventing use of alcohol in this age group. Parents can also help educate teens about appropriate coping and stress-management strategies. For example, 15- to 16-year-olds who use religion to cope with stress tend to use drugs significantly less often and have less problems as a result of drinking than their peers who do not use religion to cope.What is deteriorate your mental health over time prognosis for mental-health problems?Individuals with mental illness are at risk for a variety of challenges. For example, children who have either a father or mother who have been psychiatrically hospitalized seem to be at higher risk of dying from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Depression in adults can lead to a significantly greater likelihood of health risk factors such as a lack of physical activity, smoking, binge drinking, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and poor health. Fortunately, treatment for mental illness can go a long way to restoring deteriorate your mental health over time emotional and behavioral health of individuals with mental illness.What is mental health?It’s an expression we use every day, so it might surprise you that deteriorate your mental health over time term ‘mental health’ is frequently misunderstood.‘Mental health’ is often used as a substitute for mental health conditions – such as depression, anxiety conditions, schizophrenia, and others.According to deteriorate your mental health over time World Health Organization, however, mental health is “a state of well-being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with deteriorate your mental health over time normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.”So rather than being about ‘what’s deteriorate your mental health over time problem?’ it’s really about ‘what’s going well?'''Mental health is about wellness rather than illness''To make things a bit clearer, some experts have tried coming up with different terms to explain deteriorate your mental health over time difference between ‘mental health’ and ‘mental health conditions’. Phrases such as ‘good mental health’, ‘positive mental health’, ‘mental wellbeing’, ‘subjective wellbeing’ and even ‘happiness’ have been proposed by various people to emphasise that mental health is about wellness rather than illness. While some say this has been helpful, others argue that using more words to describe deteriorate your mental health over time same thing just adds to deteriorate your mental health over time confusion.As a result, others have tried to explain deteriorate your mental health over time difference by talking about a continuum where mental health is at one end of deteriorate your mental health over time spectrum – represented by feeling good and functioning well – while mental health conditions (or mental illness) are at deteriorate your mental health over time deteriorate your mental health over time – represented by symptoms that affect people’s thoughts, feelings or behaviour.deteriorate your mental health over time benefits of staying wellResearch shows that high levels of mental health are associated with increased learning, creativity and productivity, more pro-social behaviour and positive social relationships, and with improved physical health and life expectancy. In contrast, mental health conditions can cause distress, impact on day-to-day functioning and relationships, and are associated with poor physical health and premature death from suicide.But it’s important to remember that mental health is complex. deteriorate your mental health over time fact that someone is not experiencing a mental health condition doesn’t necessarily mean their mental health is flourishing. Likewise, it’s possible to be diagnosed with a mental health condition while feeling well in many aspects of life.Ultimately, mental health is about being cognitively, emotionally and socially healthy – deteriorate your mental health over time way we think, feel and develop relationships - and not merely deteriorate your mental health over time absence of a mental health condition.Beyond Blue's vision is that everyone achieves their best possible mental healthWhile Beyond Blue's primary focus is on deteriorate your mental health over time needs of people affected by depression, anxiety and suicide, we also believe that a better understanding of what we mean by mental health and how to achieve it will help everyone in Australia reach their full potential. This will also contribute to deteriorate your mental health over time prevention of mental health conditions, and support people who have experienced deteriorate your mental health over time conditions to get as well as they can and lead full and contributing lives.Having social connections, good personal relationships and being part of a community are vital to maintaining good mental health and contribute to people's recovery, should they become unwell.However, if you feel that you may be affected by depression or anxiety remember they are treatable conditions and effective treatments are available. deteriorate your mental health over time earlier you seek support, deteriorate your mental health over time better.Mental Health ConditionsNAMI recognizes that deteriorate your mental health over time organizations have drawn distinctions between what diagnoses are considered “mental health conditions” as opposed to “mental illnesses.” We intentionally use deteriorate your mental health over time terms “mental health conditions” and “mental illness/es” interchangeably.A mental illness is a condition that affects a person's thinking, feeling, behavior or mood. deteriorate your mental health over time conditions deeply impact day-to-day living and may also affect deteriorate your mental health over time ability to relate to others. If you have — or think you might have — a mental illness, deteriorate your mental health over time first thing you must know is that you are not alone. Mental health conditions are far more common than you think, mainly because people don’t like to, or are scared to, talk about deteriorate your mental health over time. However:1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24A mental health condition isn’t deteriorate your mental health over time result of one event. Research suggests multiple, linking causes. Genetics, environment and lifestyle influence whether someone develops a mental health condition. A stressful job or home life makes some people more susceptible, as do traumatic life events. Biochemical processes and circuits and basic brain structure may play a role, too.None of this means that you’re broken or that you, or your family, did something “wrong.” Mental illness is no one’s fault. And for many people, recovery — including meaningful roles in social life, school and work — is possible, especially when you start treatment early and play a strong role in your own recovery process.We all experience anxiety. For example, speaking in front of a group can make us anxious, but that anxiety also motivates us to prepare and practice. Driving in heavy traffic is another common source of anxiety, but it helps keep us alert and cautious to avoid accidents. However, when feelings of intense fear and distress become overwhelming and prevent us from doing everyday activities, an anxiety disorder may be deteriorate your mental health over time cause.Anxiety disorders are deteriorate your mental health over time most common mental health concern in deteriorate your mental health over time United States. Over 40 million adults in deteriorate your mental health over time U.S. (19.1%) have an anxiety disorder. Meanwhile, approximately 7% of children aged 3-17 experience isses with anxiety each year. Most people develop symptoms before age 21.SymptomsAnxiety disorders are a group of related conditions, each having unique symptoms. However, all anxiety disorders have one thing in common: persistent, excessive fear or worry in situations that are not threatening. People typically experience one or more of deteriorate your mental health over time following symptoms:Emotional symptoms:Feelings of apprehension or dreadFeeling tense or jumpyRestlessness or irritabilityAnticipating deteriorate your mental health over time worst and being watchful for signs of dangerPhysical symptoms:Pounding or racing heart and shortness of breathSweating, tremors and twitchesHeadaches, fatigue and insomniaUpset stomach, frequent urination or diarrheaTypes Of Anxiety Disordersdeteriorate your mental health over time are many types of anxiety disorders, each with different symptoms. deteriorate your mental health over time most common types of anxiety disorders include:Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)GAD produces chronic, exaggerated worrying about everyday life. This worrying can consume hours each day, making it hard to concentrate or finish daily tasks. A person with GAD may become exhausted by worry and experience headaches, tension or nausea.Social Anxiety DisorderMore than shyness, this disorder causes intense fear about social interaction, often driven by irrational worries about humiliation (e.g. saying something stupid or not knowing what to say). Someone with social anxiety disorder may not take part in conversations, contribute to class discussions or offer their ideas, and may become isolated. Panic attacks are a common reaction to anticipated or forced social interaction.Panic DisorderThis disorder is characterized by panic attacks and sudden feelings of terror sometimes striking repeatedly and without warning. Often mistaken for a heart attack, a panic attack causes powerful physical symptoms including chest pain, heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath and stomach upset. Many people will go to desperate measures to avoid an attack, including social isolation.PhobiasWe all tend to avoid certain things or situations that make us uncomfortable or even fearful. But for someone with a phobia, certain places, events or objects create powerful reactions of strong, irrational fear. Most people with specific phobias have several things that can trigger those reactions; to avoid panic, they will work hard to avoid their triggers. Depending on deteriorate your mental health over time type and number of triggers, attempts to control fear can take over a person’s life.deteriorate your mental health over time anxiety disorders include:AgoraphobiaSelective mutismSeparation anxiety disorderSubstance/medication-induced anxiety disorder, involving intoxication or withdrawal or medication treatmentCausesScientists believe that many factors combine to cause anxiety disorders:Genetics. Studies support deteriorate your mental health over time evidence that anxiety disorders “run in families,” as some families have a higher-than-average amount of anxiety disorders among relatives.Environment. A stressful or traumatic event such as abuse, death of a loved one, violence or prolonged illness is often linked to deteriorate your mental health over time development of an anxiety disorder.DiagnosisPhysical symptoms of an anxiety disorder can be easily confused with deteriorate your mental health over time medical conditions, like heart disease or hyperthyroidism. Therefore, a doctor will likely perform an evaluation involving a physical examination, an interview and lab tests. After ruling out an underlying physical illness, a doctor may refer a person to a mental health professional for evaluation.Using deteriorate your mental health over time Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) a mental health professional is able to identify deteriorate your mental health over time specific type of anxiety disorder causing symptoms as well as any deteriorate your mental health over time possible disorders that may be involved. Tackling all disorders through comprehensive treatment is deteriorate your mental health over time best recovery strategy.TreatmentDifferent anxiety disorders have their own distinct sets of symptoms. This means that each type of anxiety disorder also has its own treatment plan. But deteriorate your mental health over time are common types of treatment that are used.Psychotherapy, including cognitive behavioral therapyMedications, including antianxiety medications and antidepressantsComplementary health approaches, including stress and relaxation techniquesRelated ConditionsAnxiety disorders can occur along with deteriorate your mental health over time mental health conditions, and they can often make related conditions worse. So, talk with a mental health care professional if you are experiencing anxiety and any of deteriorate your mental health over time following:DepressionSubstance UseAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)Eating DisordersTrouble SleepingAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition in which characterized by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. ADHD is most commonly diagnosed in young people. An estimated 8.8% of children aged 4-17 have ADHD. While ADHD is usually diagnosed in childhood, it does not only affect children. An estimated 4.4% of adults aged 18-44 have ADHD.With treatment, people with ADHD can be successful in school, work and lead productive lives. Researchers are using new tools such as brain imaging to better understand deteriorate your mental health over time condition and to find more effective ways to treat and prevent ADHD.SymptomsWhile some behaviors associated with ADHD are "normal" and not a cause for concern to most people, someone with ADHD will have trouble controlling deteriorate your mental health over time behaviors and will show deteriorate your mental health over time much more frequently and for longer than 6 months.Signs of inattention include:Becoming easily distracted, and jumping from activity to activity.Becoming bored with a task quickly.Difficulty focusing attention or completing a single task or activity.Trouble completing or turning in homework assignments.Losing things such as school supplies or toys.Not listening or paying attention when spoken to.Daydreaming or wandering with lack of motivation.Difficulty processing information quickly.Struggling to follow directions.Signs of hyperactivity include:Fidgeting and squirming, having trouble sitting still.Non-stop talking.Touching or playing with everything.Difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities.Signs of impulsivity include:Impatience.Acting without regard for consequences, blurting things out.Difficulty taking turns, waiting or sharing.Interrupting others.Causesdeteriorate your mental health over time are several factors believed to contribute to ADHD:Genetics. Research shows that genes may be a large contributor to ADHD. ADHD often runs in families and some trends in specific brain areas that contribute to attention.Environmental factors. Studies show a link between cigarette smoking and alcohol use during pregnancy and children who have ADHD. Exposure to lead as a child has also been shown to increase deteriorate your mental health over time likelihood of ADHD in children.DiagnosisADHD occurs in both children and adults, but is most often and diagnosed in childhood. Getting a diagnosis for ADHD can sometimes be difficult because deteriorate your mental health over time symptoms of ADHD are similar to typical behavior in most young children. Teachers are often deteriorate your mental health over time first to notice ADHD symptoms because they see children in a learning environment with peers every day.deteriorate your mental health over time is no one single test that can diagnose a child with ADHD, so meet with a doctor or mental health professional to gather all deteriorate your mental health over time necessary information to make a diagnosis. deteriorate your mental health over time goal is to rule out any outside causes for symptoms, such as environmental changes, difficulty in school, medical problems and ensure that a child is otherwise healthy.TreatmentADHD is managed and treated in several ways:Medications, including stimulants, nonstimulants and antidepressantsBehavioral therapySelf-management, education programs and assistance through schools or work or alternative treatment approachesRelated ConditionsAround two-thirds of children with ADHD also have another condition. Many adults are also impacted by deteriorate your mental health over time symptoms of another condition. Common conditions associated with ADHD include deteriorate your mental health over time following.Learning disabilitiesOppositional defiant disorder: refusal to accept directions or authority from adults or othersConduct disorder, persistent destructive or violent behaviorsAnxiety and depressionObsessive-compulsive disorderBipolar disorderTourette's syndromeSleep disordersBed-wettingSubstance use disorders/ Dual DiagnosisSymptoms from deteriorate your mental health over time conditions make treating ADHD more difficult. Talking to a skilled professional to help establish an accurate diagnosis can help increase deteriorate your mental health over time effectiveness of treatment.Bipolar DisorderIn this 2-part podcast series, NAMI Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ken Duckworth guides discussions on bipolar disorder that offer insights from individuals, family members and mental health professionals.Note: Content includes discussions on topics such as suicide attempts and may be triggering.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 deteriorate your mental health over time typical ups-and-downs most people experience.deteriorate your mental health over time average age-of-onset is about 25, but it can occur in deteriorate your mental health over time teens, or more uncommonly, in childhood. deteriorate your mental health over time condition affects men and women equally, with about 2.8% of deteriorate your mental health over time 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 deteriorate your mental health over time condition.SymptomsSymptoms and their severity can vary. A person with bipolar disorder may have distinct manic or depressed states but may also have extended periods—sometimes years—without symptoms. A person can also experience both extremes simultaneously or in rapid sequence.Severe bipolar episodes of mania or depression may include psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions. Usually, deteriorate your mental health over time psychotic symptoms mirror a person’s extreme mood. People with bipolar disorder who have psychotic symptoms can be wrongly diagnosed as having schizophrenia.Mania. To be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a person must have experienced at least one episode of mania or hypomania. Hypomania is a milder form of mania that doesn’t include psychotic episodes. People with hypomania can often function well in social situations or at work. Some people with bipolar disorder will have episodes of mania or hypomania many times throughout their life; others may experience deteriorate your mental health over time only rarely.Although someone with bipolar may find an elevated mood of mania appealing—especially if it occurs after depression—deteriorate your mental health over time “high” does not stop at a comfortable or controllable level. Moods can rapidly become more irritable, behavior more unpredictable and judgment more impaired. During periods of mania, people frequently behave impulsively, make reckless decisions and take unusual risks.Most of deteriorate your mental health over time time, people in manic states are unaware of deteriorate your mental health over time negative consequences of their actions. With bipolar disorder, suicide is an ever-present danger because some people become suicidal even in manic states. Learning from prior episodes what kinds of behavior signals “red flags” of manic behavior can help manage deteriorate your mental health over time symptoms of deteriorate your mental health over time illness.Depression. deteriorate your mental health over time lows of bipolar depression are often so debilitating that people may be unable to get out of bed. Typically, people experiencing a depressive episode have difficulty falling and staying asleep, while others sleep far more than usual. When people are depressed, even minor decisions such as what to eat for dinner can be overwhelming. They may become obsessed with feelings of loss, personal failure, guilt or helplessness; this negative thinking can lead to thoughts of suicide.deteriorate your mental health over time depressive symptoms that obstruct a person’s ability to function must be present nearly every day for a period of at least two weeks for a diagnosis. Depression associated with bipolar disorder may be more difficult to treat and require a customized treatment plan.CausesScientists have not yet discovered a single cause of bipolar disorder. Currently, they believe several factors may contribute, including:Genetics. deteriorate your mental health over time chances of developing bipolar disorder are increased if a child’s parents or siblings have deteriorate your mental health over time disorder. But deteriorate your mental health over time role of genetics is not absolute: A child from a family with a history of bipolar disorder may never develop deteriorate your mental health over time disorder. Studies of identical twins have found that, even if one twin develops deteriorate your mental health over time disorder, deteriorate your mental health over time deteriorate your mental health over time may not.Stress. A stressful event such as a death in deteriorate your mental health over time family, an illness, a difficult relationship, divorce or financial problems can trigger a manic or depressive episode. Thus, a person’s handling of stress may also play a role in deteriorate your mental health over time development of deteriorate your mental health over time illness.Brain structure and function. Brain scans cannot diagnose bipolar disorder, yet researchers have identified subtle differences in deteriorate your mental health over time average size or activation of some brain structures in people with bipolar disorder.DiagnosisTo diagnose bipolar disorder, a doctor may perform a physical examination, conduct an interview and order lab tests. While bipolar disorder cannot be seen on a blood test or body scan, deteriorate your mental health over time tests can help rule out deteriorate your mental health over time illnesses that can resemble deteriorate your mental health over time disorder, such as hyperthyroidism. If no deteriorate your mental health over time illnesses (or medicines such as steroids) are causing deteriorate your mental health over time symptoms, deteriorate your mental health over time doctor may recommend mental health care.To be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a person must have experienced at least one episode of mania or hypomania. Mental health care professionals use deteriorate your mental health over time Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to diagnose deteriorate your mental health over time “type” of bipolar disorder a person may be experiencing. To determine what type of bipolar disorder a person has, mental health care professionals assess deteriorate your mental health over time pattern of symptoms and how impaired deteriorate your mental health over time person is during their most severe episodes.Four Types Of Bipolar DisorderBipolar I Disorder is an illness in which people have experienced one or more episodes of mania. Most people diagnosed with bipolar I will have episodes of both mania and depression, though an episode of depression is not necessary for a diagnosis. To be diagnosed with bipolar I, a person’s manic episodes must last at least seven days or be so severe that hospitalization is required.Bipolar II Disorder is a subset of bipolar disorder in which people experience depressive episodes shifting back and forth with hypomanic episodes, but never a “full” manic episode.Cyclothymic Disorder or Cyclothymia is a chronically unstable mood state in which people experience hypomania and mild depression for at least two years. People with cyclothymia may have brief periods of normal mood, but deteriorate your mental health over time periods last less than eight weeks.Bipolar Disorder, “deteriorate your mental health over time specified” and “unspecified” is when a person does not meet deteriorate your mental health over time criteria for bipolar I, II or cyclothymia but has still experienced periods of clinically significant abnormal mood elevation.TreatmentBipolar disorder is treated and managed in several ways:Psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and family-focused therapy.Medications, such as mood stabilizers, antipsychotic medications and, to a lesser extent, antidepressants.Self-management strategies, like education and recognition of an episode’s early symptoms.Complementary health approaches, such as aerobic exercise meditation, faith and prayer can support, but not replace, treatment.deteriorate your mental health over time largest research project to assess what treatment methods work for people with bipolar disorder is deteriorate your mental health over time Systematic Treatment Enhancement for Bipolar Disorder, otherwise known as Step-BD. Step-BD followed over 4,000 people diagnosed with bipolar disorder over time with different treatments.Related ConditionsPeople with bipolar disorder can also experience:AnxietyAttention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)Substance use disorders/dual diagnosisPeople with bipolar disorder and psychotic symptoms can be wrongly diagnosed with schizophrenia. Bipolar disorder can be also misdiagnosed as Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).deteriorate your mental health over time deteriorate your mental health over time illnesses and misdiagnoses can make it hard to treat bipolar disorder. For example, deteriorate your mental health over time antidepressants used to treat OCD and deteriorate your mental health over time stimulants used to treat ADHD may worsen symptoms of bipolar disorder and may even trigger a manic episode. If you have more than one condition (called co-occurring disorders), be sure to get a treatment plan that works for you.Borderline Personality DisorderBorderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a condition characterized by difficulties regulating emotion. This means that people who experience BPD feel emotions intensely and for extended periods of time, and it is harder for deteriorate your mental health over time to return to a stable baseline after an emotionally triggering event.This difficulty can lead to impulsivity, poor self-image, stormy relationships and intense emotional responses to stressors. Struggling with self-regulation can also result in dangerous behaviors such as self-harm (e.g. cutting).It’s estimated that 1.4% of deteriorate your mental health over time adult U.S. population experiences BPD. Nearly 75% of people diagnosed with BPD are women. Recent research suggests that men may be equally affected by BPD, but are commonly misdiagnosed with PTSD or depression.SymptomsPeople with BPD experience wide mood swings and can feel a great sense of instability and insecurity. According to deteriorate your mental health over time Diagnostic and Statistical Manual diagnostic framework, some key signs and symptoms may include:Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment by friends and family.Unstable personal relationships that alternate between idealization (“I’m so in love!”) and devaluation (“I hate her”). This is also sometimes known as "splitting."Distorted and unstable self-image, which affects moods, values, opinions, goals and relationships.Impulsive behaviors that can have dangerous outcomes, such as excessive spending, unsafe sex, reckless driving, or misuse or overuse of substances.Self-harming behavior including suicidal threats or attempts.Periods of intense depressed mood, irritability or anxiety lasting a few hours to a few days.Chronic feelings of boredom or emptiness.Inappropriate, intense or uncontrollable anger—often followed by shame and guilt.Dissociative feelings—disconnecting from your thoughts or sense of identity or “out of body” type of feelings—and stress-related paranoid thoughts. Severe cases of stress can also lead to brief psychotic episodes.Causesdeteriorate your mental health over time causes of BPD are not fully understood, but scientists agree that it is deteriorate your mental health over time result of a combination of factors, including:Genetics. While no specific gene or gene profile has been shown to directly cause BPD, research suggests that people who have a close family member with BPD may be at a higher risk of developing deteriorate your mental health over time disorder.Environmental factors. People who experience traumatic life events—such as physical or sexual abuse during childhood or neglect and separation from parents—are at increased risk of developing BPD.Brain function. deteriorate your mental health over time emotional regulation system may be different in people with BPD, suggesting that deteriorate your mental health over time is a neurological basis for some of deteriorate your mental health over time symptoms. Specifically, deteriorate your mental health over time portions of deteriorate your mental health over time brain that control emotions and decision-making/judgment may not communicate optimally with one another.Diagnosisdeteriorate your mental health over time is no definitive medical test to diagnose BPD, and a diagnosis is not based on one specific sign or symptom. BPD is best diagnosed by a mental health professional following a comprehensive clinical interview that may include talking with previous clinicians, reviewing previous medical evaluations and, when appropriate, interviews with friends and family.TreatmentAn effective treatment plan should include your preferences while also addressing any deteriorate your mental health over time co-existing conditions you may have. Examples of treatment options include psychotherapy; medications; and group, peer and family support. deteriorate your mental health over time overarching goal of treatment is for a person with BPD to increasingly self-direct their own treatment plan as they learn what works and what doesn’t.Psychotherapy—such as dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic psychotherapy—is deteriorate your mental health over time first line of choice for BPD. Learning ways to cope with emotional dysregulation in a therapeutic setting is often deteriorate your mental health over time key to long-term improvement for those experiencing BPD.Medications may be instrumental to a treatment plan, but deteriorate your mental health over time is no one medication specifically made to treat deteriorate your mental health over time core symptoms of BPD. Rather, several medications can be used off-label to treat various symptoms. For example, mood stabilizers and antidepressants help with mood swings and dysphoria. And for some, low-dose antipsychotic medication may help control symptoms such as disorganized thinking.Short-term hospitalization may be necessary during times of extreme stress, and/or impulsive or suicidal behavior to ensure safety.Related ConditionsBPD can be difficult to diagnose and treat, and successful treatment includes addressing any deteriorate your mental health over time conditions a person might have. Many with BPD also experience additional conditions like:Anxiety DisordersPosttraumatic Stress DisorderBipolar DisorderDepressionEating Disorders (notably bulimia nervosa)Substance Use Disorders / Dual DiagnosisDepressionIn this 2-part podcast series, NAMI Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ken Duckworth guides discussions on major depressive disorder that offer insights from individuals, family members and mental health professionals.Note: Content includes discussions on topics such as suicide attempts and may be triggering.Depressive disorder, frequently referred to simply as depression, is more than just feeling sad or going through a rough patch. It’s a serious mental health condition that requires understanding and medical care. Left untreated, depression can be devastating for those who have it and their families. Fortunately, with early detection, diagnosis and a treatment plan consisting of medication, psychotherapy and healthy lifestyle choices, many people can and do get better.Some will only experience one depressive episode in a lifetime, but for most, depressive disorder recurs. Without treatment, episodes may last a few months to several years.More than 19 million U.S. adults—nearly 8% of deteriorate your mental health over time population—had at least one major depressive episode in deteriorate your mental health over time past year. People of all ages and all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds experience depression, but it does affect some groups more than others.SymptomsDepression can present different symptoms, depending on deteriorate your mental health over time person. But for most people, depressive disorder changes how they function day-to-day, and typically for more than two weeks. Common symptoms include:Changes in sleepChanges in appetiteLack of concentrationLoss of energyLack of interest in activitiesHopelessness or guilty thoughtsChanges in movement (less activity or agitation)Physical aches and painsSuicidal thoughtsCausesDepression does not have a single cause. It can be triggered by a life crisis, physical illness or something else—but it can also occur spontaneously. Scientists believe several factors can contribute to depression:Trauma. When people experience trauma at an early age, it can cause long-term changes in how their brains respond to fear and stress. deteriorate your mental health over time changes may lead to depression.Genetics. Mood disorders, such as depression, tend to run in families.Life circumstances. Marital status, relationship changes, financial standing and where a person lives influence whether a person develops depression.Brain changes. Imaging studies have shown that deteriorate your mental health over time frontal lobe of deteriorate your mental health over time brain becomes less active when a person is depressed. Depression is also associated with changes in how deteriorate your mental health over time pituitary gland and hypothalamus respond to hormone stimulation.deteriorate your mental health over time medical conditions. People who have a history of sleep disturbances, medical illness, chronic pain, anxiety and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to develop depression. Some medical syndromes (like hypothyroidism) can mimic depressive disorder. Some medications can also cause symptoms of depression.Drug and alcohol misuse. 21% of adults with a subtance use disorder also experienced a major depressive episode in 2018. Co-occurring disorders require coordinated treatment for both conditions, as alcohol can worsen depressive symptoms.DiagnosisTo be diagnosed with depressive disorder, a person must have experienced a depressive episode lasting longer than two weeks. deteriorate your mental health over time symptoms of a depressive episode include:Loss of interest or loss of pleasure in all activitiesChange in appetite or weightSleep disturbancesFeeling agitated or feeling slowed downFatigueFeelings of low self-worth, guilt or shortcomingsDifficulty concentrating or making decisionsSuicidal thoughts or intentionsTreatmentsAlthough depressive disorder can be a devastating illness, it often responds to treatment. deteriorate your mental health over time key is to get a specific evaluation and treatment plan. Safety planning is important for individuals who have suicidal thoughts. After an assessment rules out medical and deteriorate your mental health over time possible causes, a patient-centered treatment plans can include any or a combination of deteriorate your mental health over time following:Psychotherapy including cognitive behavioral therapy, family-focused therapy and interpersonal therapy.Medications including antidepressants, mood stabilizers and antipsychotic medications.Exercise can help with prevention and mild-to-moderate symptoms.Brain stimulation therapies can be tried if psychotherapy and/or medication are not effective. deteriorate your mental health over time include electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for depressive disorder with psychosis or repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for severe depression.Light therapy, which uses a light box to expose a person to full spectrum light in an effort to regulate deteriorate your mental health over time hormone melatonin.Alternative approaches including acupuncture, meditation, faith and nutrition can be part of a comprehensive treatment plan.Eating DisordersWhen you become so preoccupied with food and weight issues that you find it harder and harder to focus on deteriorate your mental health over time aspects of your life, it may be an early sign of an eating disorder. Without treatment, eating disorders can take over a person’s life and lead to serious, potentially fatal medical complications. Eating disorders can affect people of any age or gender, but rates are higher among women. Symptoms commonly appear in adolescence and young adulthood.SymptomsEating disorders are a group of related conditions that cause serious emotional and physical problems. Each condition involves extreme food and weight issues; however, each has unique symptoms that separate it from deteriorate your mental health over time others.Anorexia Nervosa. People with anorexia will deny themselves food to deteriorate your mental health over time point of self-starvation as they obsesses about weight loss. With anorexia, a person will deny hunger and refuse to eat, practice binge eating and purging behaviors or exercise to deteriorate your mental health over time point of exhaustion as they attempts to limit, eliminate or “burn” calories.deteriorate your mental health over time emotional symptoms of anorexia include irritability, social withdrawal, lack of mood or emotion, not able to understand deteriorate your mental health over time seriousness of deteriorate your mental health over time situation, fear of eating in public and obsessions with food and exercise. Often food rituals are developed or whole categories of food are eliminated from deteriorate your mental health over time person’s diet, out of fear of being “fat".Anorexia can take a heavy physical toll. Very low food intake and inadequate nutrition causes a person to become very thin. deteriorate your mental health over time body is forced to slow down to conserve energy causing irregularities or loss of menstruation, constipation and abdominal pain, irregular heart rhythms, low blood pressure, dehydration and trouble sleeping. Some people with anorexia might also use binge eating and purge behaviors, while others only restrict eating.Bulimia Nervosa. People living with bulimia will feel out of control when binging on very large amounts of food during short periods of time, and deteriorate your mental health over time desperately try to rid themselves of deteriorate your mental health over time extra calories using forced vomiting, abusing laxatives or excessive exercise. This becomes a repeating cycle that controls many aspects of deteriorate your mental health over time person’s life and has a very negative effect both emotionally and physically. People living with bulimia are usually normal weight or even a bit overweight.deteriorate your mental health over time emotional symptoms of bulimia include low self-esteem overly linked to body image, feelings of being out of control, feeling guilty or shameful about eating and withdrawal from friends and family.Like anorexia, bulimia will inflict physical damage. deteriorate your mental health over time binging and purging can severely harm deteriorate your mental health over time parts of deteriorate your mental health over time body involved in eating and digesting food, teeth are damaged by frequent vomiting, and acid reflux is common. Excessive purging can cause dehydration that effect deteriorate your mental health over time body’s electrolytes and leads to cardiac arrhythmias, heart failure and even death.Binge Eating Disorder (BED). A person with BED losses control over their eating and eats a very large amount of food in a short period of time. They may also eat large amounts of food even when he isn't hungry or after he is uncomfortably full. This causes deteriorate your mental health over time to feel embarrassed, disgusted, depressed or guilty about their behavior. A person with BED, after an episode of binge eating, does not attempt to purge or exercise excessively like someone living with anorexia or bulimia would. A person with binge eating disorder may be normal weight, overweight or obese.CausesEating disorders are very complex conditions, and scientists are still learning about deteriorate your mental health over time causes. Although eating disorders all have food and weight issues in common, most experts now believe that eating disorders are caused by people attempting to cope with overwhelming feelings and painful emotions by controlling food. Unfortunately, this will eventually damage a person’s physical and emotional health, self-esteem and sense of control.Factors that may be involved in developing an eating disorder include:Genetics. People with first degree relatives, siblings or parents, with an eating disorder appear to be more at risk of developing an eating disorder, too. This suggests a genetic link. Evidence that deteriorate your mental health over time brain chemical, serotonin, is involved also points a contributing genetic and biological factors.Environment. Cultural pressures that idealize a particular body type place undue pressure on people to achieve unrealistic standards. Popular culture and media images often tie thinness (for women) or muscularity (for men) to popularity, success, beauty and happiness.Peer Pressure. With young people, this can be a very powerful force. Pressure can appear in deteriorate your mental health over time form of teasing, bullying or ridicule because of size or weight. A history of physical or sexual abuse can also contribute to some people developing an eating disorder.Emotional Health. Perfectionism, impulsive behavior and difficult relationships can all contribute to lowering a person’s self-esteem and make deteriorate your mental health over time vulnerable to developing eating disorders.Eating disorders affect all types of people. However deteriorate your mental health over time are certain risk factors that put some people at greater risk for developing an eating disorder.Age. Eating disorders are much more common during teens and early 20s.Gender. Women and girls are more likely to have a diagnosed eating disorder. However, it is important to recognize that men and boys may be under-diagnosed due to differences in seeking treatment.Family history. Having a parent or sibling with an eating disorder increases deteriorate your mental health over time risk.Dieting. Dieting taken too far can become an eating disorder.Changes. Times of change like going to college, starting a new job, or getting divorced may be a stressor towards developing an eating disorder.Vocations and activities. Eating disorders are especially common among gymnasts, runners, wrestlers and dancers.DiagnosisA person with an eating disorder will have deteriorate your mental health over time best recovery outcome if they receive an early diagnosis. If an eating disorder is believed to an issue, a doctor will usually perform a physical examination, conduct an interview and order lab tests. deteriorate your mental health over time will help form deteriorate your mental health over time diagnosis and check for related medical issues and complications.In addition, a mental health professional will conduct a psychological evaluation. They may ask questions about eating habits, behaviors and beliefs. deteriorate your mental health over time may be questions about a patient's history of dieting, exercise, bingeing and purging.Symptoms must meet deteriorate your mental health over time criteria in deteriorate your mental health over time Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in order to warrant a diagnosis. Each eating disorder has its own diagnostic criteria that a mental health professional will use to determine which disorder is involved. It is not necessary to have all deteriorate your mental health over time criteria for a disorder to benefit from working with a mental health professional on food and eating issues.Often a person with an eating disorder will have symptoms of another mental health condition that requires treatment. Whenever possible, it is best to identified and address all conditions at deteriorate your mental health over time same time. This gives a person comprehensive treatment support that helps insure a lasting recovery.TreatmentEating disorders are managed using a variety of techniques. Treatments will vary depending on deteriorate your mental health over time type of disorder, but will generally include deteriorate your mental health over time following.Psychotherapy, such as talk therapy or behavioral therapy.Medicine, such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs. Many people living with an eating disorder often have a co-occurring illness like depression or anxiety, and while deteriorate your mental health over time is no medication available to treat eating disorders themselves, many patients find that deteriorate your mental health over time medicines help with underlying issues.Nutritional counseling and weight restoration monitoring are also crucial. Family-based treatment is especially important for families with children and adolescents because it enlists deteriorate your mental health over time families’ help to better insure healthy eating patterns, and increases awareness and support.Related ConditionsPeople with eating disorders often have additional illnesses:DepressionAnxiety disordersBorderline personality disorderObsessive-compulsive disorderSubstance use disorders/ Dual DiagnosisTreating deteriorate your mental health over time illnesses can help make treating an eating disorder easier. Some of deteriorate your mental health over time symptoms of eating disorders may be caused by another ilnesss.Mental Health and Mental DisordersGoalImprove mental health through prevention and by ensuring access to appropriate, quality mental health services.OverviewMental health is a state of successful performance of mental function, resulting in productive activities, fulfilling relationships with deteriorate your mental health over time people, and deteriorate your mental health over time ability to adapt to change and to cope with challenges. Mental health is essential to personal well-being, family and interpersonal relationships, and deteriorate your mental health over time ability to contribute to community or society.Mental disorders are health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, and/or behavior that are associated with distress and/or impaired functioning. Mental disorders contribute to a host of problems that may include disability, pain, or death.Mental illness is deteriorate your mental health over time term that refers collectively to all diagnosable mental disorders.Why Is Mental Health Important?Mental disorders are among deteriorate your mental health over time most common causes of disability. deteriorate your mental health over time resulting disease burden of mental illness is among deteriorate your mental health over time highest of all diseases. In any given year, an estimated 18.1% (43.6 million) of U.S. adults ages 18 years or older suffered from any mental illness and 4.2% (9.8 million) suffered from a seriously debilitating mental illness.1 Neuropsychiatric disorders are deteriorate your mental health over time leading cause of disability in deteriorate your mental health over time United States, accounting for 18.7% of all years of life lost to disability and premature mortality.2 Moreover, suicide is deteriorate your mental health over time 10th leading cause of death in deteriorate your mental health over time United States, accounting for deteriorate your mental health over time deaths of approximately 43,000 Americans in 2014.3,4Mental health and physical health are closely connected. Mental health plays a major role in people’s ability to maintain good physical health. Mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety, affect people’s ability to participate in health-promoting behaviors. In turn, problems with physical health, such as chronic diseases, can have a serious impact on mental health and decrease a person’s ability to participate in treatment and recovery.5Back to TopUnderstanding Mental Health and Mental Disordersdeteriorate your mental health over time existing model for understanding mental health and mental disorders emphasizes deteriorate your mental health over time interaction of social, environmental, and genetic factors throughout deteriorate your mental health over time lifespan. In behavioral health, researchers identify:Risk factors, which predispose individuals to mental illnessProtective factors, which protect deteriorate your mental health over time from developing mental disordersResearchers now know that deteriorate your mental health over time prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) disorders is inherently interdisciplinary and draws on a variety of different strategies.6Over deteriorate your mental health over time past 20 years, research on deteriorate your mental health over time prevention of mental disorders has progressed. deteriorate your mental health over time understanding of how deteriorate your mental health over time brain functions under normal conditions and in response to stressors, combined with knowledge of how deteriorate your mental health over time brain develops over time, has been essential to that progress. deteriorate your mental health over time major areas of progress include evidence that:Related Topic AreasAccess to Health ServicesAdolescent HealthEducational and Community-Based ProgramsInjury and Violence PreventionSubstance AbuseMEB disorders are common and begin early in lifedeteriorate your mental health over time greatest opportunity for prevention is among young peopledeteriorate your mental health over time are multiyear effects of multiple preventive interventions on reducing substance abuse, conduct disorder, antisocial behavior, aggression, and child maltreatmentdeteriorate your mental health over time incidence of depression among pregnant women and adolescents can be reducedSchool-based violence prevention can reduce deteriorate your mental health over time base rate of aggressive problems in an average school by 25 to 33 percentdeteriorate your mental health over time are potential indicated preventive interventions for schizophreniaImproving family functioning and positive parenting can have positive outcomes on mental health and can reduce poverty-related riskSchool-based preventive interventions aimed at improving social and emotional outcomes can also improve academic outcomesInterventions targeting families dealing with adversities, such as parental depression or divorce, can be effective in reducing risk for depression among children and increasing effective parentingSome preventive interventions have benefits that exceed costs, with deteriorate your mental health over time available evidence strongest for early childhood interventionsImplementation is complex, and it is important that interventions be relevant to deteriorate your mental health over time target audiencesdeteriorate your mental health over time progress identified above has led to a stronger understanding of deteriorate your mental health over time importance of protective factors. A 2009 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report advocates for multidisciplinary prevention strategies at deteriorate your mental health over time community level that support deteriorate your mental health over time development of children in healthy social environments.7 In addition to advancements in deteriorate your mental health over time prevention of mental disorders, deteriorate your mental health over time continues to be steady progress in treating mental disorders as new drugs and stronger evidence-based outcomes become available.Emerging Issues in Mental Health and Mental DisordersNew mental health issues have emerged among some special populations, such as:ConculsionVeterans who have experienced physical and mental traumaPeople in communities with large-scale psychological trauma caused by natural disastersOlder adults, as deteriorate your mental health over time understanding and treatment of dementia and mood disorders continues to improveNational Institute of Mental HealthSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services AdministrationMedlineplus. Mental Health and BehaviorAs deteriorate your mental health over time Federal Government begins to implement deteriorate your mental health over time health reform legislation, it will give attention to providing services for individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders, including new opportunities for access to and coverage for treatment and prevention services.

Thanks for A2A. I was going to decline, but, on the reading the current answers they, at best, reveal only the partial truth.Whilst I hope my response will answer the question, as it is asked, I have also expanded it (a LOT!!) to counter some of the answers that have already been given. The following is therefore the WHOLE truth ... you have been warned!The process of diagnosing mental health problems is fairly similar, but not identical, to the process of diagnosing physical health problems. I know this is pedantic, but I have deliberately used the words "diagnosing mental health problems", rather than 'evaluating mental health' as is used in the question, because I want to stress that doctors don't usually assess people out of habit or curiosity - instead we actively seek health problems so that we can recommend solutions. Everything we do - from the questions we ask, to where we poke you in the tummy, to the blood tests we order - are done in an attempt to reach a diagnosis. In short, we're not usually worried about your mental state - unless you have a problem with it.How we assess mental health is intimately associated with how mental health diseases are defined. Each mental health disease gets a set of criteria. If you meet sufficient criteria then you score the diagnosis. If not, you've either got a milder form of the disorder or else a different disease is causing your symptoms.One collection of such criteria for Mental Health Disorders is the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). If we use the example of the most common mental health disease, Depression, the DSM5 (Edition 5) diagnositc criteria for 'Major Depression' is the prescence of the following symptoms, on most days of the week, for at least 2 weeks.You need to have both:Depressed moodLoss of interest or pleasureAs well as 3 of the following symptoms:Significant change in appetite and weightInsomnia or hypersomniaPsychomotor agitation or retardationFatigue or loss of energyFeelings of worthlessness or excessive guiltImpaired thinking or concentration; indecisivenessSuicidal thoughts/thoughts of deathIf you meet these criteria then you score a diagnosis of 'Major Depression'. If you just miss you could have 'Minor Depression' or you may have a different mental health disease that shares features with Depression ... such as 'Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood', 'Bipoar Disorder', 'Substance Induced Mood Disorder' , 'Generalised Anxiety Disorder', 'Post-traumatic Stress Disorder', or even 'Schizophrenia'. Each of these diseases shares criteria with depression but will have slightly different criteria that better fits your symptoms. This means we cannot just ask questions about the criteria for depression - we need to ensure you also don't have criteria for other disorders.A doctor who is assessing your mental health is therefore probing you about diagnostic criteria. To do this we use the same "tools" that we do for physical health problems - history, examination and investigations. Sometimes the patient's response to treatment can also assist with diagnosis."History" refers to the story the patient volunteers and all those questions the doctor asks you. History begins by a doctor listening to the patient's complaint, then asking questions to clarify any statements that are not clear and, lastly, by asking direct (yes or no) questions to narrow down the likely diagnoses. The history forms the major bulk of diagnosis with mental health problems - because most of the criteria require asking the patient a question.This history is not just a friendly chat - the doctor is not asking you questions because they are fascinated by you and your life story. In their head, they are thinking about a list of possible diseases that could explain your symptoms (called "differential diagnoses") and their questions are attempts to make these diagnoses more or less likely.If we return to depression - let's just suppose you volunteer that you feel "flat" and are lying awake at night unable to sleep. If the doctor suspects depression as a possibile diagnosis, it provides them with very little information if they spend a long time discussing your flat-ness. "How flat are you on a scale from 1 to 10?", "Is it like you've lifted a bag of sand a hundred times or like you've lifted an elephant once?", "Would you say you're flat like a straight line or a little bit wavy like rolling hills?". So, instead of exploring your degree of flat, they will instead fire strange questions at you that have nothing to do with what you've complained of - like whether your appetite has changed, whether you still enjoy hobbies and interests that you used to, whether you feel worthless and whether you've had any thoughts of harming yourself. These questions are to determine which criteria you do, and do not, meet.However, we don't JUST ask the criteria for depression. Could you have Bipolar Disorder ("Have there been times when you were hugely energetic and gets lots done?"), Substance Induced Mood Disorder ("How much alcohol do you drink? Do you take use recreational drugs?) or Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood ("Was there an event or stress that triggered these symptoms?").Once the doctor has gathered sufficient evidence from questioning they move onto the "examination" part of the consultation. The examination" is a search for objective clues that would make one of their differential diagnoses more or less likely. Examination clues include things like noises in your chest, a red throat, a lump, weakness in your arm. In mental health examinations (called a Mental State Exam) it is usually performed concurrently with the history - you probably won't notice the doctor examining you. When examining your mental state the doctor is looking for objective evidence that you are behaving like someone with the mental health problem that you meet criteria for. If you present with criteria that match depression - we would NOT expect you to be laughing, highly energic, talking very quickly or jumping from topic to topic. If you did then we'd start to consider alternate mental health diagnoses - Bipolar disorder or Schizophrenia for example.The third step in our diagnostic armory is investigations. In general, there are no blood tests to confirm or refute a mental health diagnosis. That said, there are physical diseases - like the notorious Hypothyroidism - that can manifest with symptoms that mimic depression. Before you commence an anti-depressant or launch into counselling, we check that your symptoms are not being driven by a physical disease.Finally, I mentioned that sometimes your response to treatment can cause us to modify the diagnosis. Starting an anti-depressant in someone with Bipolar Disorder - because we misdiagnose that person as having Major Depression - can trigger mania. Therefore, excluding Bipolar Disorder before commencing anti-depressants is important.Other answers have made mention of screening tools for mental health disorders. These are questionaires that a person can complete, on their own, to give an indication of whether a particular mental health disorder is likely to be present. There are a myriad of them - Screening Tools.There's nothing particularly amazing about these questionaires. Basically, the questions resemble the DSM5 criteria - so, if you have a high score on the questionaire it means you are likely to meet a lot of the DSM5 criteria and, therefore, likely to have the disorder ... amazing!For example, the following is the PATIENT HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE (PHQ-9) screening tool for depression.Over the past 2 weeks rate yourself from not having the symptom at all (0) up to having the symptom every day (3)1. Little interest or pleasure in doing things2. Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless3. Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much4. Feeling tired or having litle energy5. Poor appetite or overeating6. Feeling bad about yourself or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down7. Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television8. Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed. Or the opposite being so restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual9. Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself or others.The astute will have noticed that these are nothing but questions, in the exact order, about the DSM5 criteria for Major Depression.However, it is important to remember that these tools are designed for screening - identifying problems in someone who hasn't volunteered them or recognised that they symptoms of a mental health disorder. They can also serve the purpose of demonstrating an objective improvement in response to treatment - to demonstrate that your counselling has improved your mental health. What they do NOT do, however, is replace the need for the history, examination and investigations as described above. You can get a high score on a screening tool for reasons other than having that diagnosis - having Bipolar Disorder instead of Depression for example.Now that I hope I've answered the question about tools for assessing mental health I would like to turn my attention to an implication made in other answers - that your Primary Care Physician isn't the place to go if you have a Mental Health problem. There have been statements that Primary Care doctors do not have time to do an adequate assessment, and instead rely upon screening tools, and even a statement that they won't know who to refer you to if you have a disorder that is beyond their expertise.However, before I leap to the defence of my colleagues in Primary Care I would like to volunteer a full and frank confession. Mental Health Care is embarassingly inadequate in almost any country you care to look at. Completely broken. $%#%ed! The system is not necessarily beyond repair but it requires major work that no politician, or taxpayer, is interested in paying for. I therefore do not want my following statements to imply, in any way, that I believe Mental Health Care is done well. My purpose of explaining the following is that I believe that there are ways for you - the powerless, individual patient - to approach this imperfect system that will increase your chances of obtaining good mental health care.I am going to begin with a rant about the current system and then a whinge about how every problem in healthcare is placed at the feet of Primary Care Physicians. However, the point of all this complaining is to, at the end, inform you about how to navigate this system to your benefit.The first fact I would like to point out is that Mental Health Care is overwhelmingly provided by Primary Care Physicians. I know this will seem incomprehensible to Psychiatrists - who believe every sad patient is passed to them - but according to their own college, 90% of mental health disorders are managed in Primary Care (rcpsych.ac.uk).Now, because Primary Care Physicians manage 90% of mental health care - and I've already admitted Mental Health Care is embarassingly poor - it is logical to conclude that Primary Care doctors are extremely poor at managing Mental Health.And, a brief look at statistics will support this argument ... rounded off, mental health statistics approximately fall into the rule of halves. 50% of people will have a mental health disorder at some point in their life. Half of those (25% of the population) will meet criteria for a mental health disorder within the next 12 months. Think about that for a second ... in the next 12 months 25% of the entire population will meet criteria for a mental health disorder!! Of the people with a current mental health disorder, half of them will have it diagnosed. And, of those who get a diagnosis, only half will receive proper treatment (taken from here).These statistics are pretty woeful ... BUT, the problem with them is with the way that they are calculated - which limits the conclusions that can be drawn. Doctors like having papers published, because it looks good on their CV, and one of the easiest ways to get a paper published is to trawl through statistics - you look up the incidence of a disease (how many new cases of a disease occur in the community each year based on a random survey (e.g. this one)) and then you trawl through Health Care statistics to see how many cases were diagnosed by Primary Health doctors. If 10% of people have symptoms of depression in the survey, and Primary Care Doctor's records indicate that only 5% of the population has been diagnosed, then obviously 5% of the population with depression are being missed.This type of "study" is done in every speciality - Cardiologists look at blood pressure and cholesterol statistics, Renal doctors look at Chronic Kidney Disease, Endocrinologists look at Diabetes and Psychiatrists evaluate Mental Illness statistics. It's a simple way to get a paper to your name without having to worry about the time and cost associated with doing actual research. And, for whatever disease you choose, there are huge numbers of people in the community walking around with a medical problem undiagnosed and undertreated. The conclusion drawn at the end of these papers is, inevitably, that the cause of the problem is that Primary Care Physicians are failing to recognise the importance of the disease, inadequately testing the community for it and improperly managing the condition when it is found.This was certainly my understanding of the world before I became a General Practitioner. When training in hospitals to become a medical specialist, every study I read showed disease wasn't being detected often enough and, when it was, it was being mismanaged. It was therefore a shock when I entered General Practice and discovered that the opposite seemed to be true!?! In my most recent location I have taken over the care of a lot of patients from a recently retired GP who, somehow, over the years has managed to accumulate a collection of extremely impressive patients. His patients on blood pressure and cholesterol medication always seem to return with blood pressure and cholesterol inside the recommended guidelines. His patients with Diabetes get their eyes and feet checked and have blood glucose levels within the target range. People turn up and request their second yearly blood tests and other recommended health screening (Pap smears and mammograms etc). And, whenever a problem is detected in these tests, they understand the importance of adding or adjusting their treatment to prevent the consequences of disease. In short, this retired GP has created a group of patients who defy every "study" on population health that I've read.This phenomenon caused me to question what I'd learned inside the hospital training system. I started to wonder whether the reason that there is so much undiagnosed and untreated disease in the population is NOT, as concluded by these studies, because Primary Care doctors and woeful at managing these diseases. Maybe, instead, it is because human beings often don't turn up for health screening and don't want to take the recommended treatments. This is not meant as a criticism or value judgement of those people - it is my firm belief that a doctor's role is merely to provide health advice and the individual has every right to follow or ignore that advice as they see fit. However, I don't think it is fair that Primary Care doctors get blamed for health statistics that result from people either not attending a doctor or choosing to ignore that doctor's advice.So, what the population studies do not bother to look at - because it is too hard and too expensive - is WHY these people are not being diagnosed and taking treatment for their condition. The person who copied and pasted these statistics into their paper did not interview a single person to ask questions. The statistics are twisted to imply that 100% of people with depression walked into their General Practitioners office and complained of the criteria for Major Depression but only 25% walked out with proper treatment. However, the statistics mean nothing of the sort. Of the 5% of the population with undiagnosed depression nobody knows whether they have actually seen a Primary Care Doctor or not, whether their doctor suggested they have mental health symptoms but the person disagreed, whether the doctor recommended treatment but they refused or whether their doctor missed their diagnosis or diagnosed them incorrectly. We have no idea what percentage of the people not receiving proper treatment for their mental disorder simply refused their doctor's sugestion of counselling or an anti-depressant and elected to try St John's Wort instead. We simply don't know.To argue that the blame for undiagnosed disease lies at the feet of Primary Care Physicians implies that their job is to march out into the community and track down every person with a medical problem, spend as long as it takes to convince that person that they have a specific diagnosis, convince that person that they MUST go onto treatment for that condition and then regularly confront and test that person to ensure their dose of medication is sufficient. Only once every single person with a disease has been found and diagnosed, AND is taking medication AND the medications is controlling the disease within recommended guidelines will these "studies" show that Primary Care Doctors are doing a good job.Until that moment arrives, these reports on the statistics of the general population will continue to lump the responsibility for improving the statistics onto the Primary Care Physician. Why? Simply because it's the cheapest option. Rather than actually do something to change the statistics - it's cheaper and easier just to blame Primary Care doctors and suggest the solution is that they work harder.If mental health disorders will affect 50% of people at some point in their lives it would be reasonable to presume that 50% of the health care budget is spent on mental health. You would expect every town to have Multidisciplenary Mental Health Units - a building for patients with a mental illness to pop in for several hours and see a Psychiatrist to adjust their medications, Nurses to give any injectible (depot) medications, a Psychologist to attend to the counselling, a Pharmacist to discuss and supply their medications and a Social Worker to offer solutions to the socioeconomic disadvantages associated with having a mental health disorder. Kind of like Diabetic Clinics that we already have - except you'd expect a lot more, because 50% of people will require this service at some time of their life. Alternatively, of course, you could save money and simply "educate" Primary Care Doctors about how badly they're managing the disease and how they need to perform the roles of all these health professionals.Given the overwhelming numbers of people suffering with mental health disorders you may also expect to see Psychiatrists and Psychologists attempting to alleviate the burden by seeing patients in 15 minute appointments. Reducing their appointment times from 1 hour to 15 minutes will quadruple the number of patients who can access quality mental health care!! Of course, Psychiatrists and Psychologists will argue that it is "impossible" to adequately assess, diagnose and recommend treatment for mental health disorders in less than one hour - but this doesn't prevent them from expecting Primary Care Physicians do it.The argument may be that Primary Care Physicians need to start offering longer appointments to cater for mental health problems. This would no doubt increase the detection of mental health disorders, give us more time to arrive at the exact diagnosis and more adequately discuss and provide treatment. I have actually worked with a General Practitioner who does this exact thing - she joined a practice I used to work at. She has an interest, and extra training, in mental health disorders and would offer 1 hour appointments for mental health consulations. After one week we noticed she was fully booked with nothing other than mental health consultations - 4 patients in the morning and 4 patients in the afternoon. The wait for these hour long appointments gradually lengthened - out to 2 months by the time I left. What this meant was that every issue that was not mental health related for "her" patients needed to be sorted out by another doctor at the practice. The reason she had joined a group practice was to surround herself with Primary Care doctors who could provide her patients with Primary Care whilst she focused on counselling. In my humble opinion, this defeats the purpose of becoming a Primary Care Physician. I enjoy the variety of catering to a wide variety of health care needs for my patients. I actually have a degree in Psychology, and have worked as a counsellor, so if I wanted to be a Psychologist or Psychiatrist I would have become one. Instead, when one of my patients needs counselling or Psychiatric evaluation I refer them to someone else to provide this service so that I am able to offer Primary Care services to other patients.In conclusion, I would urge people away from the argument that the blame for the current state of Mental Health Care lies with Primary Care Physicians or that the solution is as simple as Primary Care Physicians "doing Mental Health better". I would also stress - the point of my rant - that if you want treatment for your mental health problems then your Primary Care doctor is the place to start. The poor statistics do not indicate that your doctor is mismanaging 75% of their patients with mental health complaints.Now, with that rant out of the way I'll now turn my attention onto how, as a powerless, health-care consumer, you can navigate this substandard system to improve your own Mental Health Care.My first suggestion is that you, right now, open your mind to the possibility that you could suffer with a Mental Health disorder - maybe you're not at the moment - but "one day". You've got a 50/50 chance. A flip of a coin. The reason for this plea is because it is extremely disheartening to see a patient who meets all criteria for a Mental Health disorder but who refuses to accept the diagnosis. This usually results in an ongoing futile search for physical explanations or, at the very least, the rejection of treatments that could help with their symptoms. If your doctor suggests a mental health problem could be explaining your symptoms please do not take this as a sign that we don't believe your symptoms, that it's "all in your head" or that we're saying you're inventing or imagining the symptoms.Take another look at the DSM5 criteria for depression - there are a lot of physical symptoms in there (tiredness, difficulty concentrating, problems with sleep, loss of appetite and weight, physically slowing down). Please try to accept the possibility that psychological diseases can cause physical symptoms.Notice also that there's nothing in the criteria for depression that says you have to "feel sad" or be "crying all the time". Again, people refuse to consider that they could have depression because "I'm not sad. I'm just tired and can't be bothered doing things" or they'll argue they "have nothing to be depressed about" - which is the whole point of depression.The good news, if you do happen to fall into half the population who will suffer with a Mental Health disorder, is that you can be reassured that we do have treatments that actually help. So, if you attend your Primary Care doctor with a Mental Health problem, and are open to receiving treatment, there is a good chance we can help. For depression, the options generally start with a choice between either counselling or antidepressant medications - that offer largely similar response rates (see here) - and there is even some evidence that whichever one you prefer is more likely to be successful for you. The morale of the story is - if you suffer with a Mental Health Disorder there is something that your doctor will be able to do to assist.So, let's say you are worried about your Mental Health and decide to do something about it. Given that the statistics say that only 25% of people with a Mental Health Disorder are receiving proper treatment, then what can you do to get into that 25%? And, try to remember that this 25% statistic does not mean that if you attend your Primary Care Physician to discuss your mental health you only have a 25% chance of being treated properly. It could mean that 75% of people are yet to talk to their doctor about their mental health.The problem with mental health is that it gets hidden. Psychological symptoms carry stigma in society, humans generally have difficulty opening up about their emotions and admitting they are struggling with life. Also, people often don't like being told that a physical symptom is being caused by a Psychiatric disease.Because psychological symptoms can be difficult to talk about, many people with mental health conditions present to their General Practitioner complaining about a physical symptom - tiredness or insomnia for example - rather than admitting they're worried about depression. Unfortunately, there are a myriad of both physical and psychological causes for tiredness and insomnia so having to rule out all of the physical causes costs a lot of time that could be devoted to the Psychological.Often people will ask for a consultation for something completedly unrelated - the pain in their arthritic knee - and only unleash the real reason they came in after the doctor has performed a history and examination, and discussed treatment options, for the knee pain. We are trained to try and drag every reason for the consultation from you at the beginning but, nevertheless, it occurs on an almost daily basis and dooms the remaining appointments to run late. It is also a recipe for being asked to come back on another day, for a longer appointment, to give us adequate time to deal with the mental health problem properly.The above is not meant as criticism of people who do raise mental health concerns in this way - it is brave of them to raise the problem at all. However, imagine how far ahead you would be if you walked into your doctor's office and said "I'm worried I may have depression".So the first piece of advice is - if you are worried about your mental health then be brave, make an appointment to discuss it and raise your concern as the reason for the appointment. You will already be miles ahead of most people suffering with a mental health problem.Then, try to understand that a proper evaluation of your mental health is going to take time. To get an accurate diagnosis, and a measure of the severity of your disease, we need to ask a lot of questions. Experts in the field - Psychiatrists and Psychologists - refuse to attempt it in less than an hour so why expect a General Practitioner to be more efficient.General Practitioners sell appointments in 15 (sometimes 10 or 20 minute) slots - and we are quite happy to sell you more than one. There is no rule that says you can only see your doctor for 15 minutes - we frequently sell double appointments. If you are attending for a mental health complaint then tell the receptionist you'll need a double appointment. Expect also, that you will need to return for another double appointment, to complete the assessment. Again, imagine how far ahead you will be than the patient who tried to squeeze their depression in after having their painful knee properly sorted.I mentioned in the beginning that the diagnosis of mental health diseases resembles, but is not identical to, physical diseases. One of the big differences is that the diagnosis of mental health relies far more heavily on the history - you need to be in the room for us to ask you questions. Physical problems have a natural interuption to the consultation - history and examination during the first consultation, then we send you away to have some blood tests or X-rays to confirm our diagnostic suspicions, and then you return to discuss the diagnosis and management. Two fifteen minute consultations and problem solved.Mental health problems don't have tests to do to confirm the diagnosis, so the initial consultation is far more prolonged. The diagnosis depends on the questions. There will be an interuption between consultations - to get some basic blood tests to prove your symptoms are not related to a physical disease - so you should still expect to be asked to return for a second visit to discuss the same issue.My final suggestion is to have a think about what treatment you would consider if the doctor agreed you meet criteria for a mental health disorder. Broadly this will fall into 'talking to someone' or 'taking a pill'. People will often have a strong preference one way or another and, as I said previously, for a lot of mental health disorders (with exceptions) there's no strong evidence that one choice is vastly superior to another - but both are better than doing nothing or self-medicating with alcohol and drugs. If you have no interest in either then really there is little point seeing your Primary Care doctor and you will continue to turn up in the statistics of the people "missed by Primary Care doctors".I will conclude with a short spiel about counselling - firstly, because it's something I tell to my patients but, secondly, it addresses a previous answer that suggested "you're on your own" if your particular disorder is beyond the expertise of your Primary Care doctor.The first point, that I make to my patients, is that modern counselling (at least the types that have evidence that they work) isn't like the couch sessions that you see in the movies. The counsellor doesn't passively listen to you cry about how your mother never loved you. Counselling is far more directive and provides you with strategies and techniques that you employ in everyday life to alter the way you experience and react to the world. It is an active rather than passive experience and is certainly not just "getting your problems off your chest".My second point is that a large part of the success of counselling depends on what is called the "therapeutic relationship" between the counsellor and patient. Basically, the counsellor needs to be someone you feel comfortable divulging your worries to and someone you respect enough to listen to their advice. If you dislike your counsellor it doesn't matter how good they are at applying Psychological techniques, you will not benefit from the therapy. For this reason I ask ALL of my patients to be actively involved in the choice of a counsellor. Between appointments 1 and 2 I provide them with resources about local counsellors and ask them to pick one that seems reasonable to them. This is not because I have no idea about where to refer challenging cases - but merely because the patient is more likely than I am to select someone with which they will develop a therapeutic relationship. If you cannot make a decision then, be assured, the doctor will make one for you.It is also worth noting that, in a lot of countries, you don't need a doctor's permission or referral to see a Psychologist. If you're worried about mental health symptoms, would prefer counselling over medication, and locate a counsellor that you like the look of, it is perfectly reasonable to take yourself off to talk to them instead of a doctor. Like Primary Care doctors, they will refer you on if they feel your diagnosis is beyond their expertise.And that's it ...Accept the possibility that you too, like every second person, could suffer with a mental illness.Don't interpret the doctor's suggestion of a mental health diagnosis as a personal attack or as minimising your symptoms.Be bold in voicing your concerns about your mental health. Do your best to avoid hiding them behind a "proper reason" for seeing a doctor. Primary Care doctors look after a lot (and most) mental health problems and it is refreshing, and much easier, when the problem is volunteered from the onset.Grant your doctor the luxury of sufficient time to devote to a proper mental health assessment - by booking a double appointment and understanding you'll need to be seen at least twice.Have a think about what treatments you'd be willing to try and those you wouldn't.For advanced patients - if you are interested in counselling you could even have a look around at local counsellors to see if any sound suitable for you.Can I please close by highlighting that my suggestions are not a guarantee that you will receive good care - they are merely things that a lot of people DON'T do and things that would increase your chance of being in the 25% of people receiving proper treatment.Every time I post an answer on ways patients can improve the way they interact with the health care jugganaut (things that I, and my family, do when utilising the same health care services) I inevitably receive personal stories about individual patients and doctors and how my suggestions didn't work despite them doing everything I suggested.For the record, I acknowledge that some people will have had very bad experiences with their mental health treatment despite following all of the above recommendations. I accept that there are bad doctors. I acknowledge the current system is terrible. I empathise and apologise that you have had such a terrible experience. I sincerely hope that by seeking a new doctor you will find better care. And I do not require convincing with evidence from your particular circumstances. Thanks.

This answer may contain sensitive images. Click on an image to unblur it.Many have already answered very similar questions, without the political slant.The following is from: Fred Lead's answer to What should be done about school shootings?How can we stop the school shootings?There isn’t anything that will make mass shootings and school shootings end completely, but there are ways we can decrease the frequency and deadliness of such attacks.Learn from Serial Killings and SuicidesWe have been experiencing a massive drop in the number of serial killings in the US for the past three decades and a drop in the number of serial killers. Much like with “gun deaths”, the US has and still does outpace the rest of the world in serial killings. In some decades the US had about 500 more cases than the rest of the world. In every decade since the 1970s and 1980s the US has cut serial killer activity dramatically.http://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/S...As serial killings have decline have mass shootings filled the gap?But this perception [that mass shootings are increasing] isn’t because of some unprecedented rise in the rate of mass public shootings—far from it. They’re roughly as common now as they were in the 1980s and ’90s. And the data offer a stark finding: Over the past decade, mass public shootings haven’t become particularly more prevalent, they’ve simply become deadlier.Mass Shootings Are Getting Deadlier, Not More FrequentWhat we see, thanks to a variety of variables, is (mostly) young disturbed men prefer to become mass shooters and not serial killers. The only difference is fewer are successful in acting out their plans. The general profile of serial killers and mass shooters are remarkably similar as well.Then there is this factor,The media's growing obsession with serial killers in the 1970s and '80s may have created a minor snowball effect, offering a short path to celebrity.The decline of the serial killer.The public eye has long moved on from the serial killer shows and news series of the past, placing mass shooters as the surest road to fame. The news reports have become more detailed, more graphic, and often focus on every aspect of the attacker’s life for weeks to months later. This kind of attention is appealing to those that feel nameless, faceless, and voiceless.This has been a phenomenon the FBI identified after a mass shootings in the 1990s,Ever since Columbine, the FBI has been studying what drives people to commit mass shootings. Last fall it issued a report on 160 active-shooter cases, and what Simons could disclose from its continuing analysis was chilling: To a much greater degree than is generally understood, there’s strong evidence of a copycat effect rippling through many cases, both among mass shooters and those aspiring to kill. Perpetrators and plotters look to past attacks for not only inspiration but operational details, in hopes of causing even greater carnage. Emerging research—including our own analysis of the “Columbine effect“—could have major implications for both threat assessment and how the media should cover mass shootings.Inside the race to stop the next mass shooterFrom a recently foiled shooting we can see pretty clearly the media attention is a pretty big deal, shooters are motivated by fame, and that they do learn from past shooters. From the journal of a foiled shooter,“I’ve been thinking a lot,” he added, according to the court records. “I need to make this shooting/bombing at Kamiak infamous. I need to get the biggest fatality number I possibly can. I need to make this count.“I’ve been reviewing many mass shootings/bombings (and attempted bombings) I’m learning from past shooters/bombers mistakes, so I don’t make the same ones.”https://www.washingtonpost.com/n...In addition to a shift in media attention we have also been experiencing a shift in general culture. We know with the advent of social media people have become more isolated and lonely, as well as instilling a preference for instant gratification. It would make sense that deranged people would gravitate toward instant results, but this is a topic I have not seen much research on.Just like with serial killings suicides decreased after media attention was severely curbed. Suicide research provides a pretty clear model of “behavioral contagion”, which may be at play with mass shootings as it most likely was with serial killings, emphasis mine,The media affords the opportunity for indirect transmission of suicide contagion, the process by which one suicide becomes a compelling model for successive suicides.1,2 This means of influence is potentially more far reaching than direct person-to-person propagation. Suicide contagion can be viewed within the larger context of behavioral contagion, which has been described as the situation in which the same behavior spreads quickly and spontaneously through a group.3 Behavioral contagion has also been conjectured to influence the transmission of conduct disorder, drug abuse, and teenage pregnancy.4,5 According to behavioral contagion theory, an individual has a preexisting motivation to perform a particular behavior, which is offset by an avoidance gradient, such that an approach-avoidance conflict exists.6 The occurrence of suicides in the media may serve to reduce the avoidance gradient—the observer’s internal restraints against performing the behavior. Social learning theory also provides a foundation on which aspects of suicide contagion may build. According to this theory, most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling.7 Imitative learning is influenced by a number of factors, including the characteristics of the model and the consequences or rewards associated with the observed behavior.8 Consequences or rewards, such as public attention, may lower behavior restraints and lead to the disinhibition of otherwise “frowned upon” behavior.9http://www.columbia.edu/itc/hs/medical/bioethics/nyspi/material/SuicideAndTheMedia.pdfTo me the case looks pretty clear; some troubled people turn into monsters but now have shifted from serial killings to mass shootings in step with the shift in media attention and society in general. Media coverage is an important motivator for most shooters; it allows them to address a perceived wrong in front of the entire world, immortalize their name, and ensure the entire world knows all about their life. Past trends in serial killings and suicide show media restrictions can save lives.Dr. O'Toole, who is Editor-in-Chief of Violence and Gender, calls on the media to stop using the names of mass murders, which only fuels their desire for fame and is "a very powerful motivator," Targeted mass killings can be preventedMental Health ReformMental illness is often cited as the primary motivator in a shooting, but that is a flawed sentiment as there are obviously other motivators. If it were truly due to mental health issues alone mass shootings most likely would be completely random and not planned. Mental health issues are a contributing factor, but not the factor as many make it out to be,In an analysis of 235 mass killings, many of which were carried out with firearms, 22 percent of the perpetrators could be considered mentally ill. Checking Facts and Falsehoods About Gun Violence and Mental Illness After Parkland ShootingIf a minority of mass killings the attacker was found to have some sort of mental illness. Why does it seem mental health is such a big deal? We need to understand the motivations of the attackers in order to find any kind of predictable factors. Experts have researched this topic extensively,Although some mass shooters are found to have a history of psychiatric illness, no reliable research has suggested that a majority of perpetrators are primarily influenced by serious mental illness as opposed to, for example, psychological turmoil flowing from other sources. https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/pdf/10.5555/appi.books.9781615371099The major issue with mental health reform as a primary mechanism against mass shootings is that mental health is completely voluntary.Even if mental health services are free that does not mean individuals who need them most, from society's perspective, will seek the services out. In fact, the mental health disorders that are most prevalent in violent individuals typically push those individuals away from help if left on their own. Anecdotally, someone in my extended family has some mental health issues that clearly damage the well-being of themselves and their children, but not to the point where Child Protective Services or law enforcement can intervene. This individual refuses to accept help, even though others have offered referrals and to pay for the services. No one can force mental health services on anyone until there is a breech large enough for the legal system to intervene. Oftentimes in the case of a mass shooter the individual is a loner and has no one to advocate for them and do not have any breeches that warrant investigation or intervention by the legal system.When these individuals are forced to use mental health services in many cases it is not like a medical procedure that operates separate of the will of the individual, and prescription drugs alone are not a solution. Psychotropic drugs have actually been shown to increase destructive behavior and the severity of the destructive behavior in many cases. The individual must necessarily want to be better in order for any treatment to be effective. Mental health is also a process, it is not a silver-bullet instant fix. Even if an individual is getting help they may still be a risk to themselves or others at any point during the process; once someone begins to get help that doesn't mean they are immediately fixed and peaceful. In fact, in many cases people become more irate and agitated by facing their issues and giving up destructive coping mechanisms throughout the process. I think many people have a deep misunderstanding of mental health; it isn't like yoga where you go for an hour and feel peaceful and relaxed afterward. Sometimes it works out like yoga, but in some cases it can be deeply unsettling and uncomfortable, but it is required to get to real long-term healing. For severe cases that justify the use of prescription drugs it's as simple as not taking the medication and you now have an individual that is on par with someone that has never had any help.We do need to increase mental health care in the United States and that may decrease the number of cases of violent crime, including mass shootings, but that is a difficult argument to make at this point. I do not believe better funded mental health services will end mass shootings completely, especially if it is viewed as the singular silver bullet fix, but I do believe it will benefit society as a whole. Mental health access in conjunction with other points here can help through a multi-layered approach to help reform people and shift them to a better path, but even that is not foolproof.InterventionWhat we find in the past profiles of mass shooters are preexisting motivations, consistent with the behavioral contagion theory in a previous section, that are obvious “warning signs” after the fact. The problem is there are too many people that have these warning signs that are adequately deterred by a number of conditions for these “warning signs” to have any predictive value. In addition, the actions law enforcement can take against the individuals that display such “warning signs” is quite limited until a breech that is serious enough is committed. In some cases this breech is simple assault, theft, or other petty crimes that could be called “cries for help” or otherwise emotional outlets, in the most rare of cases it is a mass shooting attempt.What can we do about this? We need to be involved as a community with our youth and those in our lives. Parents, family, friends, we are all the first line of defense for a safe society. We know the troubled people in our lives more than anyone else, and we are in positions to not only monitor them but intervene in their lives. We can help them find the help they need to keep their issues from escalating, if they will accept help and want to face their issues. The profile of mass shooters usually includes isolation and estrangement from family, lack of friends, and so on so this isn’t always possible, but it does help us as a society and may reduce the escalation of issues that lead to mass shootings.This idea has been tested and it has worked to a degree, but it is a constant effort,The threat assessment team had to decide just how dangerous Ayala might be and whether they could help turn his life around. As soon as they determined he didn’t have any weapons, they launched a “wraparound intervention”—in his case, counseling, in-home tutoring, and help pursuing his interests in music and computers.“He was a very gifted, bright young man,” recalls John Van Dreal, a psychologist and threat assessment expert involved in the case. “A lot of what was done for him was to move him away from thinking about terrible acts.”As the year went on, the team kept close tabs on Ayala. The school cops would strike up casual conversations with him and his buddies Kyle and Mike so they could gauge his progress and stability. A teacher Ayala admired would also do “check and connects” with him and pass on information to the team. Over the next year and a half, the high schooler’s outlook improved and the warning signs dissipated.When Ayala graduated in 2002, the school-based team handed off his case to the local adult threat assessment team, which included members of the Salem Police Department and the county health agency. Ayala lived with his parents and got an IT job at a Fry’s Electronics. He grew frustrated that his computer skills were being underutilized and occasionally still vented to his buddies, but with continued counseling and a network of support, he seemed back on track.The two teams “successfully interrupted Ayala’s process of planning to harm people,” Van Dreal says. “We moved in front of him and nudged him onto a path of success and safety.”But then that path took him to another city 60 miles away, where he barely knew anyone.Inside the race to stop the next mass shooterIntervention works until you stop working at it. Combined with mental health services and the coping skills they can provide intervention and social engagement goes a long way. Sometimes that intervention goes beyond logical discourse, referring to mental health services, and caring. At that point law enforcement must step in,[A]uthorities say that Cathi O’Connor contacted police after reading entries in 18-year-old Joshua Alexander O’Connor’s journal.Grandmother Stops Teen Who Was Allegedly Planning a School Shooting“This is a case where the adage ‘see something, say something’ potentially saved many lives,” Everett Police Chief Dan Templeman said late Thursday in the statement. “It is critically important for community members, to include students and parents, to remain observant and immediately report odd or suspicious behaviors with our children or with fellow students. We were fortunate that a family member believed there were credible threats and contacted law enforcement for further investigation. I’m sure the decision was difficult to make, but fortunately, it was the correct one.”https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/02/15/a-would-be-shooter-tossed-a-coin-to-pick-a-school-police-say-his-grandmother-foiled-his-plan/?utm_term=.c4f8a8bf1ab5Law EnforcementIn recent shootings many have placed the blame squarely on failures in law enforcement. Multiple tips were not followed up on, but that doesn’t mean we should stop reporting suspicious activity. To make our communities safer from all kinds of crimes community policing is the answer, as shown in New York City, which has experienced a steady drop in crime to all-time lows,The NYPD credited the stark reduction to its new precision policing approach to fighting crime, in which investigators focus on people who have shown a pattern of committing crimes.In March, several NYPD units, including the department’s detective squads and vice, narcotics, gangs and organized crime investigation divisions, were given new bosses — an “investigative chief” in each patrol borough. The chiefs, in turn, report to Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce, officials said.The overhaul — which dismantled the department’s Organized Crime Control Bureau, placing its units under Boyce’s umbrella — has been credited with reducing the number of shootings across the city, officials said.NYC saw historically low number of shootings in 2016Who could have guessed targeting career criminals would decrease crime? Oh yeah, criminologists,In an email, Pfaff pointed out that Monday’s data matched what scholars already knew. “Crime has always been highly localized,” Pfaff said. “Studies in several cities have shown that about half of all reported crime occurs in under 10 percent of all city blocks, and almost all crime in under half. And those ‘at risk’ blocks remain fairly constant over time. So talking about crime in ‘the U.S.,’ or ‘Illinois,’ or even ‘Chicago’ has always been somewhat misleading.” What the FBI's Latest Crime Report Really ShowsBut New Yorkers knew this already,It’s a very small percentage of the population in New York City that’s involved in crime,” O’Neill said in an interview with the Daily News in September. “If the same cops are there every day, they know who the good people are — which is the vast majority of them. ... It’s going to have a real effect on what goes on. NYC saw historically low number of shootings in 2016The move to effective policing not only results in lower crime and more lives saved it also frees up resources to conduct more on-the-ground investigations, the lack of which led to the failures by law enforcement in recent shootings. Generally, the community knows who the problem people are and can point police in the right direction. Why don’t all areas use community policing? Many can’t because a career in law enforcement is not appealing, so getting local applicants isn’t really an option. In some areas the local populace feels victimized and abused by law enforcement and so they have a deep level of distrust. This decreases the effectiveness of police and builds up an attitude of “us vs them”, also called police militarization.When people in authority abuse power, trust and connectedness to a community erode. "It leads to a breakdown of that which holds society together," Teresa Cordova, director of the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois at Chicago, told us. "It's that sense of connectedness that has always been such a powerful part of Chicago neighborhoods."When Chicagoans don't trust police, the city suffersJustice officials make the case that building trust and combating crime will be intertwined. "For Chicago to find solutions — short- and long-term — for making those neighborhoods safe, it is imperative that the City rebuild trust between CPD and the people it serves, particularly in these communities," the report says.Chicago police use excessive force, scathing Justice Department report findsSo what does all this have to do with mass shootings? The more connected a community is with police and the more trust that exists the easier it is for police to do their job and the more likely they will do a better job of it as well. As we saw in the example of the grandmother calling on her grandson, the ability to pick up the phone to call the police, and feel safe doing so, goes a long way. If you suspect something call on it; see something, say something.We certainly don’t make it easy for law enforcement to do their job in many cases. The background check system is our most important law enforcement tool in terms of controlling access to guns. Federal gun control legislation in the context of mental health relies on this question on the background check form: “Have you ever been declared incompetent or involuntarily committed to a mental institution?”. That would leave out quite a few mass shooters of the past, and did not stop others. Here’s the real problem, though. Even with the laws in place they cannot be effectively enforced,There are an estimated 3 million living Americans who have been involuntarily committed to mental institutions. The NICS database only contains the names of about 90,000 of these individuals. There are only 17 states that provide information on involuntary commitment for inclusion in the NICS database. Many of the noncompliant states simply have not computerized their records on involuntary commitment. However, a large number of the noncompliant states are also grappling with serious health-information privacy issues and are reluctant to provide the required data to NICS before these issues are resolved.Under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, mental health records may only be released to medical professionals, health insurance workers and quality-control personnel. Ohio’s attorney general has not yet determined how to gain access to the medical records needed to process CCW applications. Because Ohio has a relatively new CCW law, sheriffs are being asked to assist temporarily in checking courthouse records for involuntary-commitment orders. This exercise is both time-consuming and labor-intensive. It’s also unlikely to produce all of the information needed to verify the accuracy of answers provided on Ohio CCW permit applications.Although federal and state laws establish involuntary commitment as a prohibiting factor for gun purchases, mental health professionals contend that there is no scientific basis for this prohibition.According to Dr. Paul Applebaum, vice president of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), “checking for involuntary commitments…doesn’t make sense because past mental illness does not predict future violence.”Mental Illness And Gun Ownership - Guns & AmmoWe could take recent events and use it as a rallying cry against law enforcement, but we really need to stand by our law enforcement officers and find ways to help them do their jobs better because our safety is not their job, it’s everyone’s job. We also need to look at some of the gaps and ineffective policies in the current laws we have to make them more easily enforceable and more effective at getting the results we want.ResistanceMetal detectors, harsh punishments for infractions, and general education are all great, but will not stop attacks. These measures all have flaws that can allow an individual to slip through the cracks and do not matter to a motivated monster. The only measure that will save lives when all the preventative measures have failed or been completely skipped over is immediate overwhelming force. Overwhelmingly mass shootings have taken place in gun-free zones. Whether it is the gun-free zone policy that impacts the location picked is up for debate; there is usually a primary motivator beyond just the gun-free zone status, such as some kind of injustice, but with the recently foiled shooting plot we do see a clear case that the location was picked for “maximum damage”. Regardless, making it easier to kill doesn’t help the people in those situations. Armed resistance is a simple way to save lives.This can take many forms. There is the idea of arming school teachers (or simply allowing them to be armed) that are willing or have already become licensed and trained to carry a firearm. Some teachers have already taken the necessary training and licensing to carry a concealed firearm in public, but cannot carry inside the school building. What makes them fundamentally unfit to carry a firearm in a school building when they are deemed fit to carry a firearm in public, sometimes around the same children that are in the school? If the concern is due to a firearm on the teacher’s person there is the idea of securing a gun safe in the room with access to the teacher and an administrator. In the case of a shooting accessing the firearm does not change the lockdown procedure.Since some deem teachers inept and fundamentally too incompetent to carry a firearm upon entering a school building there is the idea of external security, such as security guards. The idea of employing veterans to do this has been tossed around as well. School Resource Officers can be found in some schools but not all, so some argue we should apply the same protection to each school, employing a SRO for security and general order in the school.Each of these ideas have backlash, but the idea is sound. Responding police have the luxury of waiting in safety for backup (and have in many cases in the past), despite going against protocol. When you are faced with an attacker you have to respond, being armed gives you one more tool to respond with, otherwise you are limited to running and hiding and cannot help anyone but yourself.There are many instances where armed resistance has stopped a shooting. Most of the stories are not as well-publicized as the “successful” mass shootings, most likely because they don’t have the same ability to keep viewers (and sell ads).How an Assistant Principal With a Gun Stopped a School ShooterOpinion | Do citizens (not police officers) with guns ever stop mass shootings?These examples are often ignored or even worse said not to exist in the first place. The arguments against immediate armed resistance are head-scratchingly fuzzy, such as Mother Jones arguing because an individual may be wounded or killed by the attacker they should not have the ability to shoot back at the attacker and instead it would be better to be wounded or killed while unarmed or that in some cases the responding individual was a security official or ex-military/LEO. These cases clearly show armed resistance acting immediately can save lives, it doesn’t matter who makes up that resistance. There is also the argument individuals should not be armed because in one case,it was “not clear at all” whether the kid had intended to do any further shooting after he’d left the building.I don’t believe “the kid only killed the people he wanted to and left” is a good reason to keep people that are licensed, trained, and willing to carry firearms from being able to do so.Armed resistance also presents a deterrent effect, although we can’t really measure this effectively for any topic. One of the interesting shifts in programming around serial killers was a move from “we’ll never catch them”, “cold cases”, “mystery murder” shows and news programs to “how we caught them” shows. The messaging changed from “serial killers can’t be caught” to “serial killers will be caught”, changing the way people feel about serial killers, including those that may have considered doing it themselves. This created a deterrent effect that we really can’t quantify. The issue with mass shootings is the attacker is usually motivated enough to not care about dying or actually wants to die, but we also know mass shooters are cowards. We can’t quantify and compare the “coward quotient” compared to the motivation to conduct a shooting, but the potential benefit from armed resistance remains: lives saved.The SolutionThere is no single silver-bullet fix to end mass shootings or school shootings. We need to do the hard work of building up and maintaining a stable and peaceful society. That means being active in our communities (especially with youth), improving access to mental health, supporting our police, calling for effective evidence-backed legislative policies and not “feel good” legislation, and protecting what matters to us all along the way. I wish there were a way to pass a law and end all bad things, but that is not the way it works. Evil will always exist, but we can work in the lives of those around us to integrate people into society and create a sense of belonging. One pattern seems to emerge from the past; whether it be serial killings, suicides, or mass shootings, the people that commit these acts overwhelmingly feel disintegrated from society, isolated, alone, and “other” from those around them. With the prevalence of social media in place of social interaction the main factors that cause negative patterns to develop are only exacerbated. We all need to do the work to keep us all safe, including those that on their own would develop into monsters we could one day hear about on the news.