DIFFERENT TYPES OF
Mental Health Problems
POST TRAUMATIC STRESS
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can occur after a significant life event that was distressing and/or confusing for a person or group of people. Symptoms can vary but typically involve nightmares, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, feeling on edge, irritability, negative thoughts, and avoidance of reminders of the event. Symptoms can occur shortly after the experience or can be delayed, with the onset of symptoms emerging years later.
ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES
Many people grow up in distressing circumstances, such as poverty, neglect, domestic violence, or abuse. This can have an impact on the individuals self esteem, well being, thinking, and other relationships. Depression and anxiety can often be present, as well as post trauma symptoms.
BIRTH TRAUMA/POST NATAL DEPRESSION
Many women can have frightening and confusing experiences during the birth of their child and this can result in Post Traumatic Stress or other symptoms such as depression, anxiety, or attachment problems. Even if the birth experience was positive, many women can suffer from depression afterwards. Partners can also struggle with PTSD after witnessing a distressing birth, feeling fearful for their loved ones and feeling helpless.
Depression can affect on average 1in 6 people and can vary from mild to severe. Symptoms include feeling down, lack of motivation, little interest in things, sleep problems, irritability, not wanting to socialise, a change in appetite, and reduced activity. The body can often feel 'heavy' with small activities feeling like 'hard work'. Thoughts tend to be negative about the world and about themselves.
Anxiety can be either specific to certain situations or where a person worries about everything. This is known as Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Anxiety can make a person feel on edge, restless, irritable, and afraid something terrible may happen. Anxiety has a number of accompanying physical symptoms such as a pounding heart, breathlessness, sweating, stomach problems, and pins and needles. Social Anxiety causes people to be anxious in social situations and worry about what others may think about them. This can lead people to avoid things or replay conversations and events in their minds again and again.