Warning Signs
It’s not always easy to spot the early warning signs of a possible mental health condition. Many of the signals we’ve listed below can also be normal reactions to life changes or side effects of medication or physical illnesses. However, any sudden changes in behaviour should be observed and if a family member or friend starts to show some worrying thoughts or actions, it’s important you speak to them to decide on the right course of action to help.
As with all aspects of mental health, the journey is a personal one and each individual will have unique symptoms, but here are some of the common signs of mental illness that you should watch out for:
- Feeling overly sad or down
- Excessive and unnecessary worrying or fear
- Finding it hard to sleep and feeling overly tired
- Difficulty in concentrating on daily activities or learning
- Confused thoughts
- Extreme mood swings – from feeling very down to incredibly high
- Strong feelings of irritability or anger
- Distancing yourself from friends and/or activities you normally enjoy
- Not feeling like eating or wanting to eat much more than normal
- Increases or decreases in sex drive
- Not understanding what is real and what is not (e.g. hallucinations, delusions or believing something that is not happening)
- Substance abuse such as overuse of alcohol or drugs
- Suicidal thoughts
- An obsession with weight or appearance
Getting Help
If you have any concerns about your mental health, don’t panic, help is here for you. We understand that it can be really difficult to seek help for the first time. It’s also difficult to know where to turn. In the first instance, remember, you are not alone and suffering from mental ill-health is nothing to be ashamed of and is experienced by at least 1 in every 3 people at some time or another.
Your Doctor
It’s a good idea to share your concerns with your GP. They can assess your symptoms and, if necessary, refer you to a psychiatrist, therapist, or counsellor. They may suggest other treatment options such as medication. Your doctor is there to help and will not judge you, but reaching out to a GP can sometimes feel challenging, and getting the right support may take time.
Peer Support
Sometimes it helps to talk to someone you trust or connect with, someone who has faced similar challenges. That’s where our peer supporters can make a difference. Each of them has personal experience with mental health difficulties and/or substance misuse and have learned strategies to manage their condition and cope in everyday life. They can share their own experiences, offer practical information, suggest self-care approaches, or simply provide a listening, understanding ear. For more details, visit our Discovery College.
Helplines and Listening Services:
There are a number of phonelines available for help and support. Here we list a few of them.
Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on: 116 123
If your affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts, you can contact CALM on 0800 58 58 58 or if you prefer not to speak on the phone, you can try the CALM webchat service
If your under 35 and struggling with suicidal feelings, or concerned about a young person who might be struggling, you can contact Papyrus HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141
If your a student you can look at the Nightline Website to see if your university or college offers night time listening services.
If you identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, you can call Switchboard on 0800 0119 100.
Phone 111 if you’re:
- feeling distressed
- in a state of despair
- suicidal
- in need of emotional support
For an emergency ambulance phone 999
see: Mental health services at NHS 24 (nhsinform.scot)
Student Services
Higher education institutions usually have a student wellbeing centre where enrolled students can go for support.
To find out more see our pages on student mental health.
Mental health Apps
There are various apps available that you could use to help yourself day-to-day. But you need to know they are providing you with the right advice. MIND have put together a library of safe apps that meet their high quality standards and these are the ons that we would recommend.