Mental Health Disorders & Symptoms

These are general symptoms for some mental health disorders. These are not meant to be used to self-diagnose or diagnose a friend. If you have any of these symptoms or other symptoms that you are worried about, please contact the University Counseling office.

Anxiety Symptoms - Depression and anxiety are common among college students, given their level of stress...

• Constant worry and concern about every day routine life events and activities, lasting at least six months.
• Always expecting the worst even though there is little reason to expect it.
• Worrisome thoughts accompanied by physical symptoms such as fatigue, trembling, muscle tension, headache, or nausea.
• Irritability
• Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank

Depression Symptoms - Depression and anxiety are common among college students, given their level of stress...

• Depressed mood most of the day
• Diminished interest or pleasure in all or almost all activities
• Significant weight loss or gain or decrease or increase in appetite
• Restlessness or slowing down of body movement
• Fatigue or loss of energy
• Feelings of worthlessness or excessive inappropriate guilt
• Decreased ability to think or concentrate or indecisiveness
• Recurrent thoughts of death, thoughts of suicide or a suicide attempt.

Clinicians beleive that depression should be considered when five or more of the above symptoms (include one or both of the first two symptoms) are present over a two week period.

Helpful Depression and Anxiety Links

http://www.dbsalliance.org

http://www.touchingminds.org

Suicidal Thinking Symptoms

Substance Abuse Symptoms

• School performance suffers as a result of drug or alcohol use (lower grades)
• Absences from work or school occur as a result of drug or alcohol use
• Use of drugs or alcohol occurs in physically hazardous circumstances (operating machinery, driving a car)
• Legal difficulties arise due to drug or alcohol use
• Reluctance to talk with family
• Serious mood changes

Helpful Substance Abuse Link

http://www.samhsa.gov

Bulimia Symptoms

• Recurrent episodes of binge eating (at least two times a week for at least 3 months)
• A feeling of complete loss of control during the eating binges
• Persistent over concern with body shape and size
• Recurrent engaging in self induced vomiting, use of laxatives or diruetics, strict dieting or fasting, or vigourous exercise in order to prevent weight gain.

Anorexia Symptoms

• Fear of being fat even when at or below normal weight
• Refusal to maintain body weight by restricting intake leading to weight loss of more than 15% of normal body weight
• Distortion of body size and shape that causes even underweight sufferers to feel fat or obese.

Helpful Bulimia and Anorexia Links

http://www.okeatingdisorders.org

http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

http://www.renfrew.org