Mental health red flag symptoms
What is a red flag symptom?
A symptom is something abnormal about your body or mind, that may indicate something is wrong. ‘Red flag’ means potentially serious (and potentially treatable).
The following symptoms should ‘ring bells’ – all need action.
- Excessive worrying, anxiety, fear or sadness – irritability, anger, or feeling excessively sad or low
- Confused thinking – or problems concentrating and learning
- Extreme mood changes – including uncontrollable ‘highs’ or feelings of euphoria
- Difficulties understanding other people or relating to then – leading to avoiding friends and social activities
- Difficulty perceiving reality – delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don’t exist in objective reality
- Excessive use of recreational drugs – like alcohol or drugs
- Inability – to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems
- Thinking about suicide.
If you have any of these symptoms, you need to consult a doctor ASAP. If you have suicidal ideas, you need to call 999 and/or attend your nearest A&E now.
