What’s Normal When It Comes to Mental Health?

Unfortunately, when it comes to mental health, it’s hard to know what you’re experiencing is normal or from a mental illness. Some symptoms are obvious. It’s not normal to hear voices in your head or see things that aren’t there, but for some, the difference isn’t so obvious and as of yet, there is no medical test that can be given and then sent to a lab to see if it’s mental illness.

When it comes to diagnosing mental illness, professionals in the psychology and medical fields use four main areas to diagnose: behavior, feelings, unusual thoughts, and physical signs (such as sweating, hyperventilation, or racing heartbeat).

To work on a diagnosis, mental health professionals rely on what you can tell them about the symptoms you’re experiencing. By putting these symptoms together, it can create a picture of what’s going on and what is happening. This still doesn’t always lead to the right diagnosis because some illnesses have similar symptoms, but it can give you and your doctor a starting point.

Another tool that doctors use is talking to you about how you perceive things including your own thoughts and behaviors. These could include no longer wanting to do activities that you used to find enjoyable. Behaviors could include staying in bed and not being motivated to do anything.

It’s sometimes necessary to find others who can give insight to your behaviors as well such as a parent, friend, sibling, or spouse. For example, those with bipolar disorder may think that everything is fine, but for those around you, they can see that something is not right.

Typically, mental health professionals will use a book called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which outlines over 300 types of mental disorders and is published by the American Psychiatric Association. Having the most specific diagnosis possible can help get the right benefits for you as well as give you the right treatment. If you believe that you may be suffering from a mental, illness, seek help and get diagnosed. Doing so can improve your life with medication and treatments.

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Mental Health is a Vital Part of Life

When it comes to staying healthy, most people focus on the physical. They work out, they eat right, and they do all sorts of things that they feel are valuable to staying in shape. Unfortunately, they ignore their mental health. Not only do they not work on their mental abilities so they can continue to learn and grow, but they lose a lot of what they already know because they don’t use it. Some knowledge really doesn’t have much point. Some of the things a person learned in grade school, for example, aren’t really needed in later life. However, there are a lot of things that are learned and are very important and valuable. Letting them go and not being concerned about your mental health can leave you feeling lost, unintelligent, or like you’re losing your mind.

You can avoid those kinds of feelings and the problems that inevitably come with them by paying attention to your mental health. Keep learning and exploring your world. Don’t stop growing and creating, because it’s hard to get your momentum back once you lose it. That doesn’t mean you can’t get it back, but it does take more work than it would if you’d have kept up with your momentum the entire time, and never let it lapse. The way you improve upon your mental health and stay active can really vary based on the kinds of things you like to do.

Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box a little bit, and try something you’ve never done before. Maybe you could learn a new language, take a class in something unique and different, or study something that’s interested you for years but you’ve just not had time for. All of those are good ways for you to enjoy your learning time and keep your mind active. When you work toward both mental and physical health you’ll have a better chance of staying active on all fronts throughout your life. You’ll generally feel better, and staying mentally alert can help to prepare you to grow older more gracefully.

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Understand Lithium Side Effects

Many Americans face the challenges of mental illness and regularly take medications to control the effects of their illnesses. A commonly prescribed drug for manic-depressive disorder, or Bipolar disorder, is Lithium. The medication was first discovered to have mood-stabilizing effects in the late 19th century when doctors prescribed it for gout. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) didn’t allow widespread use of Lithium until around 1970.

Lithium is an element found in nature that can help doctors treat manic-depressive patients. A lithium deficiency will not create a Bipolar disorder, but it can help with the chemical imbalances that do cause the condition. Lithium is quite effective in treating this disorder, but has some noteworthy side effects.

A common Lithium side effect is an increase in urinary frequency. This occurs more in women than men and generally surfaces after two years of treatment. Sometimes you can lose bladder control, but not always. Increased thirst is another side effect, and drinking to quench thirst may lead to an increase in urination. Mild nausea and shaking hands are common. If any of these side effects are worrisome, contact your doctor.

Some lesser occurring side effects are an increase in acne and a rash on the skin. Some patients have reported feeling bloated or pressure on their stomachs along with twitching muscles. These symptoms should not alarm you, but if they are bothersome, contact your doctor.

Some Lithium side effects warrant an immediate call to the doctor: loss of appetite, weak muscles, slurred speech, widespread trembling, drowsiness, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. Any of these could be early signs of Lithium toxicity, and you need to address them immediately. Taking Lithium can make a person struggling with bipolar disorder feel human again. While some side effects can be troublesome, they are not always present. Many people take Lithium and experience no side effects from it.

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