Mental Health Week – 3 most common mental health disorders at every age

Think mental health issues only crop up in adulthood? Think again! Mental health issues can crop up at any age. Adults and the elderly can suffer from mental health issues, but did you know children and teenagers can be affected as well? Mental disorders in children and teens that are unresolved may worsen in adulthood if left untreated. As a society, we have to rid the stigma of mental health so people may have access to diagnosis and treatment before it is too late. Find out about the 3 most common metal health disorders that affect each of the major age groups.

CHILDREN & TEENS

Social Anxiety Disorder

Teens with Social Anxiety Disorder have an excessive fear of social and/or performance situations. They are overly concerned that they may do something embarrassing or humiliating and others will think badly of them. There are two categories of feared situations: performance-based and interaction-based. Signs and Symptoms: Excessive self-consciousness and anxiety, extreme fear of being watched or judged. Intense worry before a social situation, fear that actions will be embarrassing or humiliating

ADULTS

Anxiety and depression

Up to 12 per cent of adults face lifetime risk of developing Anxiety and Depressive Disorders. The symptoms, particularly anxiety, may be somatic or manifest in physical ailments. Therefore, vigilance is important in detecting the symptoms early to prevent further development of the disorder. Signs and symptoms: loss of motivation, thoughts of death and suicide, feelings of helplessness, neglect responsibilities

ELDERLY

Dementia

Dementia describes a condition where there is progressive loss of global brain function beyond thatwhich would be expected in normal aging. The two most common causes of dementia in our populationnare Alzheimer’s disease as well as multiple strokes or vascular dementia. With dementia, memory, attention, language, abstract thought, problem solving and judgement can be impaired. Signs and Symptoms: Subtle short term memory change and confusion, difficulty following storylines and finding the right word to say, difficulty with abstract reasoning or impaired judgment, changes in mood, depression. If you exhibit a combination of these symptoms or know someone who is suffering from these symptoms, do seek counselling help or talk to someone you trust. Do “Like” us to stay up to date on more health and lifestyle information!