Questions: What are some of the warning signs of mental illness?
Answers: Symptoms of mental health disorders vary depending on the type and severity of the condition. The following is a list of general symptoms that may suggest a mental health disorder, particularly when multiple symptoms are expressed at once.
  In adults:
  Confused thinking
  Long-lasting sadness or irritability
  Extreme highs and lows in mood
  Excessive fear, worrying, or anxiety
  Social withdrawal
  Dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits
  Strong feelings of anger
  Delusions or hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not really there)
  Increasing inability to cope with daily problems and activities
  Thoughts of suicide
  Denial of obvious problems
  Many unexplained physical problems
  Abuse of drugs and/or alcohol
    In older children and pre-teens:
  Abuse of drugs and/or alcohol
  Inability to cope with daily problems and activities
  Changes in sleeping and/or eating habits
  Excessive complaints of physical problems
  Defying authority, skipping school, stealing, or damaging property
  Intense fear of gaining weight
  Long-lasting negative mood, often along with poor appetite and thoughts of death
  Frequent outbursts of anger
    In younger children:
  Changes in school performance
  Poor grades despite strong efforts
  Excessive worrying or anxiety
  Hyperactivity
  Persistent nightmares
  Persistent disobedience and/or aggressive behavior
  Frequent temper tantrums