Mental illness affects more women than men because it is usually passed off as stress or a burnout due to a busy lifestyle that could involve work, raising children or the everyday societal pressure for one to live up to certain expectations. There are ways to tell if it is just stress from long days, or if it is an actual mental illness that needs to be treated by a professional.
There are certain signs unique to women since we internalize mental illness, like loneliness and feeling extreme sadness. Most will retreat from the things they love in life, and hold their emotions in. This combined with other factors show a possibility of mental illness in women. Signs of mental illness in women are difficulty functioning in life, changes in mood and emotions, uncharacteristic behavior and breaks from reality. If you are experiencing any of these, please seek help immediately as it can detrimental to your well being.
Difficulty functioning in life
There are many things that can contribute to you having problems functioning in your day to day life, like stress, but if is an everyday occurrence you may want to reach out to someone. Going from someone who put their best foot forward at work every day to someone who does not even care to go, can really be a sign of your mental health. Small signs like poor performance or problems with relationships can give a leeway to more difficult situations.
Changes in mood and emotions
Another sign that should not be ignored is the drastic changes in mood and emotion. Yes, women are made out to be emotional, but if you are going from one extreme to another; this may be a time to talk to someone. It is not an everyday normality to go from extreme depression, and not wanting to get out of bed, to extreme euphoria. Not only does this come in forms of one drastic emotion to another, but feelings of guilt, shame and/or anger constantly may be a sign that your mental health is suffering.
Breaks from reality
If you have experienced breaks from reality, it is essential that you seek out help. Not only is this a sign of a deteriorating mental health, but it is also a symptom found in a psychotic disorder. This included hallucinations, paranoia and feeling detached from the world.
There are many things you can do as a woman to start the process of getting your mental health under control Therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy for depression and anxiety or dialectical behavioral therapy for borderline personality disorders.
Take the time to remember the signs presented to you in, and if you are experiencing any of these, reach out. Your mental health is important and must be protected by you at all costs in order to live an everyday functioning life.