Final answer:
Early warning signs of a mental disorder include feeling helpless or hopeless, having low or no energy, eating or sleeping too much, and the inability to perform daily tasks.
Step-by-step explanation:
Early Warning Signs of a Mental Disorder
Identifying early warning signs of a mental disorder is crucial for seeking timely help. The feelings and behaviors that can indicate the onset of a mental disorder include:
- Feeling helpless or hopeless, which aligns with Seligman's learned helplessness model and can indicate major depressive disorder
- Having low or no energy, a common symptom associated with depressive episodes and mood disorders
- Eating or sleeping too much, which can signify depression, as these are typical physical changes occurring in those affected by the disorder
- Inability to perform daily tasks, a characteristic of many mental illnesses that affect one's quality of life and day-to-day functioning
Feeling sadness at the death of a loved one, while a challenging emotion, is a normal grief response unless it persists for an extended period and becomes debilitating, at which point it may signal a deeper mental health issue. It's important to distinguish normal emotional reactions from ongoing symptoms that signify mental health disorders.