It can be hard to know what to do when you are concerned about mood and behavior changes in a loved one.
The changes may not signify a serious problem, sometimes symptoms of a mental illness can be normal short-term reactions to difficult events. For example, grief mirrors depression in many ways, but it's a normal reaction to loss and something that generally lessons over time.
However, if the changes are connected to something more serious and enduring, raising your concerns can lead to earlier assessment and treatment. This improves the potential outcome as it’s more likely that your loved one wil be able to maintain good relationships with family and friends and there will be less disruption of school, work, and everyday activities.
Behaviours you may need to be concerned about
It’s worth paying attention to any of the following behaviours where they are out of character for your loved one:
- withdrawing completely from family, friends and others
- feeling extremely sad, tearful, anxious or panicky
- eating poorly, changes in appetite or weight
- loss of interest and motivation
- feeling worthless or guilty
- loss of pleasure in activities
- sleeping poorly – for example, sleeping during the day and staying awake all night
- becoming very preoccupied with a particular topic – for example, death, politics or religion
- uncharacteristically neglecting responsibilities, personal hygiene or appearance
- deteriorating performance at school or work
- having difficulty concentrating, following conversation or remembering things
- depressed, or talking about suicide
- having extreme changes in mood for no real reason
- hearing voices that no-one else can hear
- believing, without reason, that others are plotting against or spying on them, and feeling fearful or angry about this
- believing they are being harmed, or influenced to do things against their will
- believing they have special powers or influence
- believing their thoughts are being interfered with, or that they can influence the thoughts of others
- spending extravagant and unrealistic sums of money.
These behaviours could indicate that the person would benefit from speaking with a doctor or mental health professional. This is particularly true if they have been present for some weeks.
In the following sections we guide you through the types of treatment that are available, ways to communicate your concerns and the support that is also available to you.
