How it Works

It’s rare that mental health problems appear overnight. They usually sneak up on you gradually and often start with small, sometimes innocuous changes in your thoughts, feelings and behaviour. They are, however, very common (1 in 4 people will have a mental illness at some point in their lives) and are neither a weakness nor something to be ashamed of.

We all, at times, feel irritable, anxious or low but feeling like this consistently can be a sign of a deterioration in a person’s mental health. 

Feeling like this can be caused by pressure at work or stressful events such as losing a job, a bereavement, a break up with a partner or money issues as examples. These negative feelings can often be quite intense but are often temporary. With the right support and help, people make good, positive steps towards recovery.

The following symptoms could be signs of mental health problems:

• Being anxious and irritable.
• Having a low mood for a long time.
• Finding it difficult to concentrate or remember things (having a ‘foggy’ head).
• Sleeping less or too much.
• Changes in your mood.
• Finding it difficult to manage everyday life, for example, preparing food and washing regularly.
• Feeling teary.
• Becoming suspicious and paranoid.
• Becoming isolated and withdrawn.
• Having suicidal thoughts.
• Believing that your family and friends want to do you harm.
• Believing that people or organisations are out to get you.
• Experiencing hallucinations. This means sensing things that other people do not, this can include seeing and hearing things.
• Believing that you have special powers or are on a mission.
• Excessive spending and problems managing your money.