Ultimately, only a mental health professional can diagnose a mental illness. Thus, the only way to find a definitive answer to the question, “Do I have a mental illness, or am I overreacting?” is to reach out to a specialized treatment center for a psychiatric evaluation.
It's important to note that only a mental health professional can diagnose a mental health condition. Therefore, the only way to receive a definite answer to the question, “Do I have a mental illness, or am I overreacting?”, is to get in touch with a professional at an accredited treatment center.
If you are noticing thoughts around that you “shouldn't” be feeling or acting a certain way, this could be an indication there is some presence of anxiety, depression, or other mental illness. Also, cultural messages around emotions and expression of emotions and mental health can amplify these thoughts.
Confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrate. Excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt. Extreme mood changes of highs and lows. Withdrawal from friends and activities.
Getting a Diagnosis
Unlike diabetes or cancer there is no medical test that can provide a diagnosis of mental illness. A health care professional can do a number of things in an evaluation including a physical exam and long term monitoring to rule out any underlying medical conditions that may be causing symptoms.
People with factitious disorder make up symptoms or cause illnesses in several ways, such as: Exaggerating existing symptoms. Even when an actual medical or psychological condition exists, they may exaggerate symptoms to appear sicker or more impaired than is true. Making up histories.
Misdiagnosis may mean being prescribed and taking medication unnecessarily. This leaves individuals vulnerable to symptoms getting worse, higher rates of suicide and long-term negative physical side-effects.
People with Ganser syndrome have short-term episodes of odd behavior similar to that shown by people with other serious mental illnesses. The person may appear confused, make absurd statements, and report hallucinations such as the experience of sensing things that are not there or hearing voices.
A psychotic episode or disorder will result in the presence of one or more of the following five categories: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thought, disorganized behavior, negative symptoms.
Common Depression Symptoms
But other, less obvious symptoms also may signal depression, including: Anger, irritability, and impatience. You may feel irritated and angry at family, friends, or co-workers, or overreact to small things.
Anxiety interferes with your ability to function. You often overreact when something triggers your emotions. You can't control your responses to situations.
Passing feelings of depersonalization or derealization are common and aren't necessarily a cause for concern. But ongoing or severe feelings of detachment and distortion of your surroundings can be a sign of depersonalization-derealization disorder or another physical or mental health disorder.
Mental exhaustion is a feeling of extreme tiredness, characterized by other feelings including apathy, cynicism, and irritability. You may be mentally exhausted if you've recently undergone long-term stress, find it hard to focus on tasks, or lack interest in activities you usually enjoy.
Emotional exhaustion is a type of burnout that occurs when accumulated stress leaves you feeling completely drained. People who are emotionally exhausted often feel hopeless, powerless, and with little to no energy to do anything.
People with psychosis typically experience delusions (false beliefs, for example, that people on television are sending them special messages or that others are trying to hurt them) and hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that others do not, such as hearing voices telling them to do something or criticizing them).
A nervous or mental breakdown does not have any defined symptoms, aside from difficulty or inability to function “normally.” But what qualifies as functioning normally or being “fully functioning” differs among people from different regions, cultures, and even families.
BPD is a very different diagnosis than schizophrenia, though the two can co-exist. While BPD is characterized by a pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships; schizophrenia is characterized by a range of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional dysfunctions.
In most people with schizophrenia, symptoms generally start in the mid- to late 20s, though it can start later, up to the mid-30s. Schizophrenia is considered early onset when it starts before the age of 18. Onset of schizophrenia in children younger than age 13 is extremely rare.
The exact causes of schizophrenia are unknown. Research suggests a combination of physical, genetic, psychological and environmental factors can make a person more likely to develop the condition. Some people may be prone to schizophrenia, and a stressful or emotional life event might trigger a psychotic episode.