Since 2017, Better Health Wellness has been helping those who are struggling with anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADD, and other forms of mental illness. As founder and CEO, Joseph Mastrando takes a leading role in ensuring that each of his Better Health Wellness locations is best set up to help the members of the community where it is located. One of those services consists of helping community members recognize when a loved one is in need of help.
How Early Signs Can be Missed
“Sometimes it’s not easy to recognize the early signs of mental illness,” says Joseph Mastrando. “We tend to be very forgiving of certain behaviors in those we hold most dear. We don’t like to think that something serious may be amiss. Other times, we may attribute what are actually early warning signs of mental illness to quirks, personality traits, or external forces, such as stress.” But knowing and recognizing early signs of mental illness helps loved ones get the care and attention they need as soon as possible. Often, early detection and treatment are key to successful outcomes. “It’s crucial,” says Mastrando, “not to be dismissive of potential signs that a person is struggling internally.”
Early Signs of Mental Illness
Most mental illnesses share early warning signs. Knowing these can be instrumental in getting loved ones to a mental health care facility. They include:
Waning Interest in Activities
Mentally healthy people are engaged in the day-to-day activities of their loved ones. If someone in your family seems to be disengaging from family activities or family needs, this could be a sign of mental illness. Common examples include:
- “Forgetting” to cook or eat family meals at the appropriate times
- Allowing household chores to pile up
- “Not bothering” to open blinds/curtains in the morning
- Repeatedly calling in sick to work without an obvious physical ailment
- Not asking about children’s schoolwork, extracurricular activities
- Not returning phone calls from friends and family members
Deterioration in Personal Hygiene
Those with mental struggles often stop caring for themselves. You may notice that they:
- Stop bathing, washing hair or shaving
- No longer trim/manicure nails
- Stop wearing makeup (if they previously did)
- Routinely wear clothes out of the dirty hamper
- Stop getting dressed for the day
Uncharacteristic Behavior
Mental illness can cause personality changes. Your loved one who needs help may exhibit uncharacteristic behavior that is unusual, suspicious or even frightening. Examples are:
- Twitching
- Palsy
- Talking to themselves
- Going for long, unexplainable walks alone
- Shaving head
- Staring into space
- Giving hardened looks to loved ones
- Making changes in the home that don’t make sense
- Making threats
- Having unreasonable outbursts of anger
- Blowing small problems out of proportion
“Taking note of the early signs of mental illness doesn’t mean you’re being hypercritical of a loved one,” Joseph Mastrando says. “It simply means that you care enough to pay attention to their needs.” If you see these signs, it pays to take action so that your loved ones can have the healthy life they deserve.
