 Hey Psych2Goers, welcome back to another video. Are you worried about someone who might be suffering from a mental illness, or perhaps you're worried about your mental health? Major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder rarely appear out of the blue. Most often, family, friends, teachers, or individuals themselves recognize that something's not quite right about one's thinking, feelings, or behaviors before one of these illnesses appears in its full blown form. Being informed about developing symptoms or early warning signs can lead to intervention that can help reduce the severity of an illness. It may even be possible to delay or prevent a major mental illness altogether. Before we begin, this video is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional guidance, advice, treatment, or diagnosis. We recommend you to reach out to a qualified healthcare provider or mental health professional if you or someone you know are struggling. With that said, let's look at the seven warning signs of a mental illness. Number one, recent social withdrawal and loss of interest in others. Do you know someone who has withdrawn themselves from social interaction? Have they been spending an excessive amount of time alone compared to before? Social withdrawal is defined as the lack of social relations with one's family and friends. Social withdrawal can be a symptom of depression, personality disorder, anxiety disorder, and more, but it could also be caused by other factors in one's life, such as high pressure from family or peers. Number two, an unusual drop in functioning, especially at school or work. Someone who is suffering from a mental illness may experience a sudden drop in their grades or performance in school or work. This can be caused by difficulties in concentrating, lack of self-worth, low mood, joylessness, a lack of activities in interest, social withdrawal, giving up leisure activities, changes in appetite, and sleep disruption. These are all symptoms that could heavily impact someone's ability to do work and could be a sign of mental illness. Number three, problems with concentration, memory, or logical thought and speech. Do you have trouble concentrating no matter how hard you try? According to an article written by Rachel Nall and medically reviewed by Dr. Alana Biggers, all of us rely on concentration to get through work or school every day. When you're unable to concentrate, you can't think clearly, focus on a task, or maintain your attention. This not only affects your performance at school or work, but also your decision-making. Some symptoms you may have experienced due to poor concentration include being unable to remember things that occurred a short time ago, difficulty sitting still, difficulty thinking clearly, frequently losing things, or difficulty remembering where things are, an inability to make decisions, or an inability to perform complicated tasks. Number four, loss of initiative or desire to participate in any activity. Are you uninterested in things that you once enjoyed? Anhedonia, similar to apathy, can refer to the inability to feel pleasure or manifest as a reduced desire and reduced motivation to engage in activities that were once pleasurable. The resulting numbness of this condition can be overwhelming and scary, and it could be a symptom of depression. Another term for anhedonia is emotional flatlining. If you'd like to know more about it, check out our video, Emotional Flatlining. What is it? Number five, a vague feeling of being disconnected from oneself or one surroundings, a sense of unreality. Have you ever had an experience where everyone you know, everything around you, everything that you're thinking and feeling feels fake? Or that instead of being in the here and now, you feel like a detached observer, watching yourself go through life from a disconnected vantage point. This could also be another sign of mental illness, and there are actually a few terms for this. They're called depersonalization, an internal feeling of disconnection from oneself, derealization, an external feeling of disconnection from one's surroundings, and dissociation, detachment from one's physical and emotional experience. Number six, unusual or exaggerated beliefs about personal powers or magical thinking. What is magical thinking, you may ask? Well, it refers to the idea that you can influence the outcome of specific events by doing something that has no bearing on the circumstances. It's pretty common in children. Remember holding your breath, going through a tunnel, or not stepping on sidewalk cracks for the sake of your mom's back, or jumping from sofa to sofa because the floor is lava. Magical thinking can persist into adulthood too. Generally speaking, there's nothing wrong with following rituals or superstitions as long as they do not hurt anyone or they're not done excessively. However, uncontrollable and excessive magical thinking can be a symptom of mental health disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorder. And number seven, rapid or dramatic shifts in feelings or mood swings. Of course, it's normal to have days where you feel sad or days when you're overjoyed. As long as your mood changes don't interfere with your life to an extreme degree, they're generally considered to be healthy. But if your behavior is unpredictable for a number of days or longer, it may be a sign of something more serious. You may feel grumpy one minute and happy the next. You may also have emotions that can cause damage to your life. If you're experiencing severe shifts in mood or mood changes that cause extreme disruption and typical behavior, it's best to talk to your doctor. Professional therapy or medications can help you relieve these life-altering shifts in mood. So have you seen any of these signs in yourself or those around you? If you or someone you know identifies with a lot of these signs, please don't hesitate to reach out to a mental health professional. You're not alone in your struggles. Did you find value in this video? Let us know in the comments below. Please like and share it with friends that might find insight in this video as well. Make sure to subscribe to Psych2Go and hit the notification bell for more content. All the references used are added in the description box below. Thanks for watching and we'll see you next time.