Are You Normal? The Difference Between Quirks and Mental Illness |
You've been feeling anxious. Should you see a psychiatrist? Your friend's such a perfectionist. Does she have OCD? Awareness about mental-health problems has increased, but figuring out whether you have one is another story. Just what is the difference between the blues and depression? Here are four fictional people with stories like the real ones I hear all the time as a psychiatrist. See if you can tell who needs treatment, and in the process, pick up a few clues for your own life. (Click on the titles or scroll down to see my diagnoses.)
Ever since my daughter was born, I've been feeling down. She's now 3 months old, and I feel like I have no energy. I'm up all night worried about her. I've lost some weight, but that's normal, right, since I put on 40 pounds during the pregnancy? Everyone says it's postpartum blues, but between my crying and exhaustion, I just don't know. If this is what mothering is about, I'm ready to throw in the towel!
Jeannie, I hate to take sides between husband and wife, but it sounds like this time you're right; more than likely you are suffering from panic attacks. Many people, like your husband, believe that panic attacks happen when people worry too much or are under high stress. Sometimes that's true. But often, people have them when they're as mellow as the month of May.
While our ancestors may have needed this reaction when a lion was at the mouth of the cave, today you're more likely to feel the fight-or-flight response when you meet with the boss to discuss why a whole shipment of PlayStation 3s disappeared from the stock room on your shift. Your body feels like it's not its own. But that's perfectly normal.
The good news is that there are many good treatments for panic disorder—with and without medications.
No need to worry, Jim. The state of consciousness just before falling asleep is called hypnagogia. Up to 30 percent of people experience weird mental and bodily sensations during that time. If you see or hear things that aren't there, it's probably just a hypnagogic hallucination, a perfectly normal event. It's understandable that you're worried, though, because you do have a family history of people who have suffered from hearing voices, and some mental illnesses run in families.
![]() MY DIAGNOSIS Jamil, you probably don't have obsessive-compulsive disorder, but that knowledge won't make you less uptight about how your closet looks!
In addition to orderliness, people with OCD may worry about germs (leading to excessive handwashing), catastrophes (leading to checking the gas on the stove) or other potential bad experiences.
People with OCPD tend to be miserly. They may refuse to throw away meaningless things, and they are so preoccupied with rules and regulations that they miss the point of the activity in the first place. Their tendency to be overly conscientious leads to feeling disappointed or judging others' haphazard ways. They're just not that much fun to be around. OCPD doesn't respond to meds all that well, although SSRIs (a type of antidepressant) may be somewhat helpful. The bottom line is that if you have high expectations for orderliness for yourself but are content to let the rest of us be slobs, you've got nothing to worry about. Melissa, you probably do have postpartum depression, and it's important to get treatment as soon as possible.
One reason it's important to seek immediate treatment is postpartum depression presents a risk for you and your new baby. If you're not at your level best, you can't provide the kind of nurturing environment your new bambino needs. A doctor needs to examine you to figure out whether there is a medical cause for your depression (such as an underactive thyroid gland) and also to rule out any psychotic symptoms that often complicate this kind of depression. There are many medication and therapy options that will help. Most importantly, don't lose hope.
For information on other disorders, visit Mental Health America or the National Institute of Mental Health.
Last updated and/or approved: June 2010. Original article appeared in spring 2007 former print magazine. Bio current as of spring 2007. This article is not meant as individual advice. Please see our disclaimer. Comments (5)
![]() ![]() written by Laura , February 12, 2012 Hi im Laura and i am 12 yrs old lately i have been suffering from chest pain and heart racing been to see lots of doctors about this on going problem but just now i have had the most terrible thing happen to me in my life what happened wasi was asleep and i suddenly woke up and it was like i almost went mental no (problems in the past)and my eyes rolled to the back of my head and it was almost like having a mental fit (never had one)and i was thinking about everything in my head speeding throw my head and i just felt like i was going to fall over then my heart was racing and i had bad bad chest pain worsted i have ever had it plz help me i dont no what this is and iam very scared knowing its happened at this time it is now 5:58am i dont feel tired like i did before i woke up plz help! report abuse
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![]() written by Leigh Ann , May 12, 2011 Comment: Thank you for your comment. Please check out this article, which may help alleviate your fears: 3 Myths and Facts About Antidepressants (addresses the withdrawal rumor) If you want more information, you may find this article interesting: How Antidepressants Work (Lexapro is an SSRI; that class of medicines is covered with in this article) And, since your daughter is young, you may find this enlightening: Antidepressants and Suicide: Do Medicines Increase Your Risk? Finally, I'd like to offer my personal thoughts. These are my own and do not represent MyFamilyDoctorMag.com. I applaud your proactiveness in your daughter's care. But I urge everyone with all my heart to listen to a doctor's advice if he or she recommends treatment for a mental disorder. Panic attacks are hell on Earth (and I don't say that flippantly), and antidepressants can fix them. There are so many scary stories online about antidepressants that are based on rumor, misinformation and misunderstanding of the science. I have often said that antidepressants must be the most undeservedly vilified medications out there. If you have concerns, please talk to your doctor about them. He or she can give you the facts. As far as your fears go about your daughter taking antidepressants for the rest of her life, this may not be necessary. If it is, to my knowledge, that will be due to the fact that she continues to have panic attacks without them, not due to withdrawal. If she does need them long-term, this is immeasurably preferable to continuing to have panic attacks. I view antidepressants as a blessing, not something to be feared. If you have to take them for the rest of your life, it's a life-long blessing so that you don't have to go through the hell of a mental disorder. What a wonderful mother to recognize the symptoms early on. Again, the above does not reflect this website; it's my personal opinion, and please talk to your doctor; it's not meant as individual advice to replace a doctor's. (I am not a doctor.) I would urge that the doctor conversation happen ASAP because antidepressants can take a couple of weeks to kick in. I wish the best of luck to you and your daughter. Leigh Ann Otte Managing Editor MyFamilyDoctorMag.com report abuse
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![]() written by Anxious mom , May 12, 2011 my 12yr old daughter was diagnosis with anxiety a year ago since her first attac in past year she may have had an panic attack 2 or three times. Her doctor prescribed her seroquel to help her sleep ans lexapro for the anxiety but i decided against them both because she bagan to sleep well and was not having the attacks very often. Today she had a panic attack and says as she was having the attack that she hears a voice calling her name she said it was faint and then got very loud and this frighten her and made her go deeper into her attack. This frightened me because I am thinking she may have schzophrenia. I do not have a trace of mental behavior in my family and I ask her dad he he says neither does he. I donot want to put her on meds if I don't have too because I read post saying the ugly effects of withdrawal and I don't want her on any meds that she will have to depend on for the rest of her life, but I want her to live a normal healthy life...What do I do? Her dad feel! s the same way I do..I have taught her how to talk her self out of anxiety attacks but I am so afraid for ger where I am afraid to leave her home or anywhere alone for fear of her not being able to handle it because her very first attack a yr ago she said she heard voices(calling her name) and went into a panic and ran outside screaming...WHAT DO I DO PLEASE HELP! report abuse
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![]() written by Leigh Ann Otte , June 28, 2010 Thank you for the feedback, Judy. I'm glad you found it illuminating. Leigh Ann Otte Managing Editor www.MyFamilyDoctorMag.com report abuse
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![]() written by Judy Rodman , June 24, 2010 Thanks so much for this illuminating article. This information can relieve people or move them to needed action instead of vacillating on the not-sure fencepost. Musicians are notorious for being a bit abnormal ![]() report abuse
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