Are You at Risk for Mental Illness?

Here's what's happening on the HealthyPlace site this week:

• Are You at Risk for Mental Illness?
• From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs
• Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans
• Mental Health Quote

Are You at Risk for Mental Illness?

“Am I at risk for developing a mental illness?” Given the COVID-19 pandemic and racial issues occurring right now, it wouldn’t be surprising if you’re asking yourself that question. After all, extreme stressors can result in anxiety, depression, and other symptoms of mental illness.

When experiencing significant difficulties with emotions, thoughts, or behaviors, people naturally worry that they might have a psychological disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) describes nearly 300 different psychological disorders in 20 different categories. With so many different types of mental illness that people can experience, knowing the risk factors for mental illness and causes can be helpful.

Each type of mental illness is unique with specific causes. Two prominent general causes are

• Biology. Genetics and brain chemistry play a part.
• Environment. Often thought of as risk factors, things outside of a person can contribute to the development of mental illness.

Risk factors that might increase someone’s chances of developing a mental illness include:

• Stressful life circumstances
• Certain chronic medical illnesses
• Traumatic brain injury
• Experiencing traumatic events
• Substance use or abuse
• Poor social support

Having a single causative or risk factor doesn’t mean you will develop a mental illness. It’s the presence of multiple risks and a lack of protective factors (circumstances such as strong social networks or certain personality traits) that can lead to increased mental health difficulties.

Regardless of causes and risk factors, if you are experiencing mental health problems, visiting with your doctor or a mental health professional can help you regain a sense of control and quality of life.

Related Articles Dealing with Mental Illness Causes and Risk Factors?

• What to Do If You Think You Are Mentally Ill
• What Causes Mental Illness? Genetics, Environment, Risk Factors
• Causes of Depression: What Causes Depression?
• What are the Risk Factors for Depression?
• Anxiety Causes: What Causes Anxiety?
• OCD Causes: Is OCD Genetic, Hereditary?
• What Causes Psychosis? Psychosis and the Brain
• Causes of Bipolar Disorder
• What is a Personality Disorder? Definition, Causes, Effects
• PTSD Causes: Causes of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• How Do You Get ADHD? Causes of ADD and ADHD
• Causes of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Your Thoughts

Today's Question: What factors led you to seek mental health help? We invite you to participate by sharing your thoughts, experiences, and knowledge on the HealthyPlace Facebook page.

From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs

On all our blogs, your comments and observations are welcomed.

• My Childhood Trauma Is Worth the Healing Effort
• Talking Back to Your Negative Self-Harm Voice
• Micromanaging Symptoms: A Warning to Family Members
• Exercising Outside, a Pandemic and Schizoaffective Disorder
• Unexpected Addictive Substances that Impacted My Recovery
• Do This to Help Anxiety Amid Uncertainty, Chaos in the World
• Why I Keep My ADHD a Secret from Most People I Know
• Setting Boundaries Protects Self-Esteem
• Why You Shouldn't Take Things Personally
• Black People Suffer from Eating Disorders Too
• How Giving Things Away Helps My Anxiety
• How to Work When a Depressive Episode Impedes Your Progress

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blogs homepage for the latest posts.

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Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans

Here are the top 3 mental health articles HealthyPlace Facebook fans are recommending you read:

1. Interoceptive Exposure for Phobias: Feel Fear and Survive
2. Severely Depressed? How to Stay Productive at Work
3. Being an Introvert with Anxiety Is Easier than Being an Extrovert

If you're not already, I hope you'll join us/like us on Facebook too. There are a lot of wonderful, supportive people there.

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Mental Health Quote

"Your life isnt yours if you always care what someone else think."

Read more bipolar quotes.

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That's it for now. If you know of anyone who can benefit from this newsletter or the HealthyPlace.com site, I hope you'll pass this onto them. You can also share the newsletter on any social network (like facebook or stumbleupon) you belong to by clicking the links below. For updates throughout the week, follow HealthyPlace on Twitter or become a fan of HealthyPlace on Facebook. Also, check out HealthyPlace on Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest, where you can share your mental health pins on our Share Your Mental Health Experiences board.

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