Five Mental Disorder Early Warning Signs to Watch Out For

<p>26% of Americans 18 or older have a mental disorder diagnosis, that's 1 in 4 adults that suffer from a diagnosable mental health disorder in a given year. That's a lot of people!</p> <p>A diagnosable mental disorder is a mental illness that has been diagnosed by a doctor or a licensed therapist.</p> <p>Example diagnosable mental disorders:</p> <ul> <li>Generalized Anxiety Disorder</li> <li>Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder</li> <li>Borderline Personality Disorder</li> <li>Major Depressive Disorder</li> <li>Bipolar Disorder</li> <li>Phobias</li> </ul> <p>Many people who have a mental disorder also have co-existing disorders, such as anxiety and depression. And this can lead to a downward spiral of despair and loneliness.</p> <p>Here are the 5 Mental Disorder Early Warning Signs to Watch Out For:</p> <ol> <li>Isolation and withdrawal for others for a long period of time.</li> <li>An increase in the use of drugs and/or alochol.</li> <li>Frequent running away and staying away for long periods of time.</li> <li>Feelings of hopelessness for many days in a row.</li> <li>Letting fear keep you from doing things you want or need to do.</li> </ol> <p>If you answered "yes" to any of these warning signs of a mental disorder, I recommend you find a therapist.</p> <p>Just because you may have one or more of these warning signs does not mean you have a mental illness, but you should not ignore them.</p> <p>Thank you for listening to the Mental Health Today Show,</p> <p>John Cordray, Board Certified Counselor</p> <p> </p>