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WHAT MENTAL ILLNESS LOOKS LIKE

Mental Illness can affect anyone. Any of these people can represent your loved one. Any of these people can represent you! All these people could struggle with mental illness. Likewise, none of these people might be suffering from mental illness at all. Mental illness has many manifestations.

Contrary to a middle-class schoolteacher deciding to diagnose her urban dressed student rocking classic dreadlocks with mental illness because he is quiet and sad that his parents are getting divorced. What about the ER doctor, who steps out of his area of emergency medicine to become a psychiatrist or addiction counselor when a person with chronic pain or autoimmune disease shows up at the ER?

They go to the place that promises safety and help but gets shunned away at first glance because they are judged by health professionals to be an “addicted or insane,” doing anything for attention or a shot of morphine!”

You cannot “tell,” that a person is mentally ill! Doh (Homer Simpson voice)! 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Mental pertains to mind so without the ability to read minds you cannot tell someone they are sick in the mind unless they open their mouth and tell you what is on their minds. Period! A very judgmental society needs to stick with their day, night, next month, and next year’s job or soon they may not have one because pointing the mental illness finger at the wrong person may have crazy consequences! Get it? Ha! A person’s age, race, status, or demographic is not, and have never been considered a symptom. 

In a perfect world you may find “Keith and Michelle sitting in a tree! K.I.S.S.I.N.G! First comes love! Then comes marriage! Then comes Michelle and a baby carriage!” Let’s be realistic, we all can’t be like Bey and Jay. Some babies are born into some extremely unstable situations or the other way around.

Take for example, a baby born into a stable and loving family who begins to self-harm at the age of 4, begin hitting their mother at age 7, looking up ways to die at 11, refusing class at 14. Or maybe the baby born in North Philly projects Johnson Homes who’s only friend at 10 is the same imaginary friend that they had at age 5, setting fires and vandalizing neighborhood cars because the “friend told them bad things would happen if they don’t at 16.

Both are very clear signs of the child’s inner cry for mental help; however, these signs often go unnoticed until there is a mental health crisis such as panic attacks or suicidal ideations and attempts.

LOOK AT THE FACTS

According to the CDC, anxiety problems, behavior disorders, and depression are the most diagnosed mental disorders in children. “

The following is based on US data from 2021–2022:

• 10% of children ages 3-17 had current, diagnosed anxiety (9% of males and 11% of females).
• 7% of children ages 3-17 had current, diagnosed behavior disorders (10% of males and 5% of females)
• 4% of children ages 3-17 had current, diagnosed depression (3% of males and 6% of females).”

Some of these mental health conditions commonly occur together. For example, mood disorder and depression, or autism and ADHD, Anxiety and Tourette syndrome. Why is my focus thus far on identifying mental conditions in children? Come on bro, we all know troubled children who’s silent cries for help goes unheard become troubled adults who decline help when it is presented. On the contrary There are some of us in the world who desperately seek the mental health help and resources that are there for us begin the process of healing and therapy. 

LOOK FOR THE SIGNS

Let’s talk about some symptoms that may be presented in a child struggling to cope with mental crisis and distress. These are some warning signs that your child could be struggling with mental illness.

• Prolonged sadness and isolation
• Noticeable changes in your child’s behavior, mood, personality or sleeping habits.
• Overwhelming fears that manifest physically such as racing heart, sweating, shortness of breath.
• Constant worrying or being fearful that something bad will happen to a loved one.
• No desire to go outside and play with other children who normally enjoy outdoor play.
• Odd behaviors such as repeated hand washing, repeatedly opening and closing doors, checking light switches.
• Being extremely fidgety and or have difficulty concentrating.
• Severe mood swings that affect those closest to the child such as family members, community, and educational personnel.
• Lack of eating or binge eating and vomiting.
• Suddenly declining in academics, fighting, suspensions, and cutting school.
• High risk behaviors such as, sexual promiscuity, gambling, drugs, hanging with a crowd that engages in dangerous and high-risk behaviors.
• Increasing police encounters and engaging in illegal activities.
• Suicidal ideations and attempts.

If you notice any of these warning signs in your child, seek help from a medical professional right away.

IN CONCLUSION

The bottom line. We as a growing community cannot continue ignore the silent cries of youth which often manifest in their behavior. We must take a special interest in cultivating character, leadership skills, stress prevention and relieving skills amongst our youth.

There are politicians, musicians, entertainers, health professional, scientists, engineers, and educators amongst us within these youth and yet we see so many of them perish everyday. They unfortunately succumb to the decline in their mental health. There is a saying that many say regarding criminal activity that’s goes as follows “If you see something, say something.” I petition the same to all of you you, so that we can help our future survive.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes ONLY and is backed up by verifiable references. This is NOT a diagnostic tool; however, this IS a tool to create awareness of mental illness. Should you or a loved one have any concerns or exhibit any symptoms described here it is important to talk to your Physician as soon as possible, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or the SAMHSA National Helpline at (800) 662-4357.

References

CDC. (2025, January 21). Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health. CDC.gov. https://www.cdc.gov/children-mental-health/data-research/index.html#:~:text=10%25%20of%20children%20ages%203,co%2Doccurring%20conditions%20are%20below: 

Health Partners. (2025). Signs of mental illness in children: When is it more than just growing up?. Heathpartners.com. https://www.healthpartners.com/blog/mental-health-warning-signs-in-children/#:~:text=There%20are%20situations%20and%20behavioral,of%20suicide%20or%20self%2Dharm 

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