Overview

Mental health disorders are conditions that affect your thinking, feeling, mood, and behavior. They can be occasional or long-lasting (chronic) and can affect your ability to relate to others and function each day. Mental health conditions are common, affecting millions of people worldwide.

Symptoms

Symptoms of mental health disorders can vary depending on the disorder, circumstances, and other factors. Mental health symptoms can affect emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Examples of signs and symptoms include:

• Feeling sad or down
• Confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrate
• Excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt
• Extreme mood changes of highs and lows
• Withdrawal from friends and activities
• Significant tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping

Treatment Options

Treatment depends on the type of mental health disorder you have, its severity, and what works best for you. In many cases, a combination of treatments works best. If you have a mild mental health disorder with well-controlled symptoms, treatment from your primary care provider may be sufficient.