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Anxiety is characterized by an exaggerated anxiousness and excessive worry about everyday life events when there is no obvious reason.
Everyone has anxiety at some level, but it becomes an issue when that anxiety is excessive, without a specific reason, and interferes with daily life. Anxiety can take a serious toll on your body, including headaches, stomach problems, extreme fatigue, and a loss of libido, to name a few.
Many people that suffer from anxiety only recognize their physical symptoms and are often unaware that they are caused by an underlying mental health condition. So it’s important to screen for anxiety and other mental health conditions on a regular basis.
Depression is characterized by being stuck in a depressed state or mood and includes a loss of interest or hopelessness causing impairment in daily life.
There are two types of depression: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) that tends to be more severe and shorter duration, and Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD) that tends to be less severe and lasting for two or more years.
Often times those suffering from depression are only aware of their physical symptoms and do not realize that what they’re experiencing is actually being caused by depression.
So it’s important to screen for depression and other mental health conditions on a regular basis.
Attention deficit/ hyperactive disorder also known as ADHD affects both children and adults. It is characterized by an inability to focus or pay attention, excessive levels of hyperactivity or impulsive behavior, or a combination of both.
ADHD can cause severe impairment in multiple areas of daily life. ADHD can also have many positive aspects. Doctors and researchers are still not sure what causes ADHD, but there’s some belief that it’s neurological in origin.
Many people who suffer from ADHD are unaware that the difficulties functioning in their daily life are caused by a mental health condition. That is why it is so important to screen for ADHD and other mental health disorders.
Substance use disorder or addiction, as it is commonly referred to, is very often connected to other mental health conditions.
Whether those conditions existed before, or are being caused or exacerbated by the substance use disorder is often difficult to tell.
In both cases, dealing with the substance use disorder along with treating any other co-occurring mental health condition is critical.
Because of the close connection to substance use disorder and other mental health conditions it’s important to screen for mental health conditions on a regular basis.
Bipolar disorder is characterized by an extreme shift toward heightened mood, elevated energy, and extreme behavior. These shifts last for days at a time and in some cases lead to hospitalization. These shifts are followed by depression, hopelessness, and often thoughts of suicide.
Bipolar disorder is often misunderstood and can be mistaken for other mental health conditions such as ADHD or depression, resulting in severe consequences. If you do not see a Bipolar Disorder results box on your report, it’s because it’s only screened if the tool detects a risk for depression.
If you would like to be screened separately for Bipolar Disorder, please ask your doctor or mental health professional.
Somatic symptom disorder is characterized by anxiety that focuses on physical senses or symptoms causing excessive worry and research about those senses and symptoms.
The senses or symptoms may be real but the underlying anxiety and worry can mask them or cause them to be exacerbated. Many people who suffer from somatic symptom disorder are not aware that a mental health condition may be causing or making their symptoms worse.
So it’s important to screen for somatic symptom disorder and other mental health conditions on a regular basis.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Call OR Text 988
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24/ 7.
They connect callers to a crisis center nearest them. They provide crisis counseling and mental health referrals. People who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have hearing loss can contact the Lifeline via TTY by using your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988.
