It is believed that the vast majority of people who suffer with mental illnesses do not seek help. It seems like a Catch 22. If you realize that you have a mental illness, then you must not be “crazy!” However, a slight chemical imbalance can make life disorienting, difficult and incapacitating. Medication, behavior therapy, life coaching and self-educating can do so much to help those who exhibit medical symptoms of bipolar, schizophrenia or other psychiatric disorders.

One group of mental illnesses is centered on serious depression. The World Health Organization reported that Major Depressive Disorder or Bipolar is the leading cause of disability in the United States and Canada. Many people wonder how to tell the difference between serious mental illness and just having “the blues.” The American Psychiatric Association characterizes clinical depression by time endured. If “the blues” don’t go away within two weeks, then there may be a more serious underlying problem.

Other symptoms prey upon the body and make the simplest of day-to-day tasks almost impossible. These include decreased energy and motivation, loss of pleasure in hobbies, social withdrawal, thoughts of death or suicide, feelings of helplessness, guilt and worthlessness, irritability, insomnia, loss of appetite and persistent emptiness. It is believed that most depression is caused by the lack of naturally-occurring monoamines like serotonin, norephinephrine and dopamine. Antidepressants can help stimulate production of monoamines and psychotherapy can further prevent relapses.

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