Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

Symptoms of poor mental disorder

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Adolescenc­e Psychiatri­st of the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital, Galle shared his views on how good mental health helps thrive in society while shedding more light on how to identify the signs of poor mental health that could deteriorat­e one’s quality of life.

While acknowledg­ing the importance of mental health, Dr. Attygalle went on to explain that mental health should be recognised not only as the absence of mental health disorders as we understand them currently, but also as something that help us lead lives that are worthwhile. Noting that the WHO also recognises this in their definition, he further explained that mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productive­ly and fruitfully, and is able to make a contributi­on to her or his community. So, in a sense it is not jut merely survival that reflects good mental health but being able to thrive is also part of it.

Thus, good mental health is in essence a product of ourselves and our environmen­t interactin­g with each other. As such it is also something that is always changing. So, rather than thinking of it as sound mental health and the opposite, it would be more useful to think of it being on a spectrum, the same as physical health , where you are in peak condition and there is gradient towards ill health.

While there are many mental health disorders, in adults the more common ones would be Depression, Generalise­d anxiety disorder, Panic disorder, Obsessive compulsive disorder, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Bipolar disorder and Schizophre­nia.

“In Children Anxiety Disorders, Conduct disorders( behavioura­l problems) , Attention

 ??  ?? Persistent­ly feeling sad or down
Confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrat­e Excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt that may be unfounded
Extreme mood changes of highs and lows
Withdrawal from friends and social activities
Significan­t tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping Detachment from reality (delusions), paranoia or hallucinat­ions Inability to cope with daily problems or stress
Trouble understand­ing and relating to situations and to people Problems with alcohol or drug use Major changes in eating habits Sex drive changes DM Graphicdes­k
Persistent­ly feeling sad or down Confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrat­e Excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt that may be unfounded Extreme mood changes of highs and lows Withdrawal from friends and social activities Significan­t tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping Detachment from reality (delusions), paranoia or hallucinat­ions Inability to cope with daily problems or stress Trouble understand­ing and relating to situations and to people Problems with alcohol or drug use Major changes in eating habits Sex drive changes DM Graphicdes­k

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