These 12 Warning Signs Indicate Your Mental Health May Be Declining

Look Out For These Signs

A middle-aged man with gray hair, wearing a white t-shirt and plaid pajama pants, sits on the edge of a bed with his head resting in one hand, appearing troubled or stressed. The room is softly lit with neutral-colored curtains in the background.

A good part of mental health management is understanding when your mental health is on the decline.

By learning the signs, you can better identify when you or someone you care about is having a difficult time.

In addition, it’s helpful to know these signs if you are trying to be there for someone who may be having a hard time or living with a mental health condition.

Do talk to a doctor or therapist if you feel you’re having difficulty with your mental health or if you recognize any of these common signs your mental health is declining.

1. An increase in symptoms and their severity.

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If you already live with a mental health condition, there are symptoms of that condition that will pop up.

For example, if you have anxiety, you may find that you are fixating on problems, have difficulty controlling feelings of worry, experience an increase in anger or depression, feel overwhelmed, and struggle with sleep issues.

In general, you may be able to manage those symptoms. But when your mental health is deteriorating, you may find that they are becoming more intense and problematic.

2. A lack of personal hygiene.

A man in pajamas is sitting on a messy bed, tossing a rolled-up piece of clothing towards an overflowing laundry basket. The background shows a disorganized room with clothes and other items scattered around.

A lack of self-care and letting personal hygiene go are common symptoms that your mental health is getting worse.

Why would you bother showering if you don’t have the energy for it and you’re just going to hole up in bed? What’s the point of brushing your teeth when you don’t deserve to be clean? Wash and comb your hair? Why bother?

Personal hygiene is an important part of the social contract. So when that starts to slide, it should be some cause for concern.

3. An increase in negative self-talk.

A man in a light blue shirt is shown from the shoulders up, with a blurred background. He has his eyes closed and his hand pressed against his forehead, appearing stressed or deep in thought. The image has soft lighting and a contemplative mood.

Assuming your internal monologue is neutral or kind to you in the first place, you may find that it gets worse as your mental health declines.

You may find yourself punishing yourself for mistakes or perceived mistakes. Some examples include calling yourself stupid, making yourself feel as though you are unworthy, self-harming, withholding pleasure, or withholding meals.

4. Feeling depressed.

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Depression can be a tricky thing. There are a lot of causes of depression. Often, when people hear “depression,” they think of it in the context of a mental health condition, like Major Depression Disorder.

However, not everyone who experiences depression has a depression disorder. Lower case “d” depression can be a symptom of various things like physical ailments, other mental health conditions, unmanaged stress, and difficult life situations.

5. Isolation from family and friends.

A woman with long hair, dressed in a light pink sweater, is sitting on a plush sofa, resting her head on her hand. She gazes thoughtfully into the distance. The room has soft, neutral tones and a cozy atmosphere.

People experiencing mental health problems often isolate themselves from their friends and family. There are several reasons why.

First, many people with mental health problems, or those going through a hard time, don’t want to feel like a burden to their loved ones. It also requires a lot of emotional energy to pretend to be okay in front of other people who know you well.

And then, of course, you also have the depletion of emotional energy because of depression or other problems.

6. Difficulty concentrating.

An older man with a gray beard sits with his head in his hands, looking distressed. An older woman with long blonde hair, wearing a white blouse, sits beside him with a concerned expression. The background is neutral and out of focus.

Mental health issues often come with cognitive and focus issues. When you’re struggling with your mental health, you may find that you have a harder time making sense of things that would normally be no problem for you.

You may not be able to focus on a thing for an extended time and be easily distracted. In severe cases, that can seriously interfere with your ability to drive a car, operate machinery, or work. You may find difficulties focusing on a show, something you’re reading, or following instructions.

7. Unexplained mood shifting.

A person wearing a dark hoodie stands against a tiled wall with hands in the hoodie pockets. Their head is down, and the hood is up, partially shadowing their face, creating a contemplative or somber mood. The wall they lean against is dark and slightly reflective.

Unexpected or unexplained mood shifts can point to declining mental health. There are times when it is perfectly normal to experience a mood shift. Something negative happening, stress, lower-case “a” anxiety, and hardship can all cause someone to feel down in the dumps. That should be expected.

On the other hand, when your mood shifts for no tangible reason, moves deep into depression, or you feel absolutely elated for no reason, you should then be concerned.

8. Feelings of guilt.

A young woman with long brown hair, wearing a green ribbed sweater, sits indoors with her hands on her head. She appears distressed, furrowing her brows and looking down. The background is blurred, showing furniture and a blanket on the floor.

There are healthy and unhealthy times to experience guilt. Obviously, a healthy time to experience guilt is when you unintentionally do something wrong or hurt someone. That’s your brain telling you that you did something wrong and should try to fix it.

However, some people experience guilt for no reason or in seemingly benign situations. That can point to things like mental illness, trauma, or abuse.

9. Changing appetite or fluctuations in weight.

A blonde woman is sitting on a couch, wearing a white tank top, and holding a bowl of chips. She is looking down as she picks at the chips. In the background, there is a white shelf with books, a fruit bowl, a figurine, and a tall plant.

Certain symptoms of mental health problems are heavily affected by things like depression or anxiety. The name depression is quite literal. It depresses many of your emotions and biological functions, like the desire to eat.

However, some people are on the other end of the emotional spectrum. They will eat to cope with their emotions instead of engaging in healthier behaviors.

10. Disrupted or excessive sleep.

A black alarm clock displaying 3:52 is on a wooden nightstand next to a green book. In the background, a woman is lying in bed with a worried expression, looking towards the clock, indicating difficulty sleeping.

Sleep is often disrupted in some way by mental health problems. That disruption often gets worse when your mental health starts to deteriorate.

Folks with depression may find themselves sleeping far too much or not enough. People with anxiety may be kept up at night from worrying too much, typically making things worse. And those with trauma may be plagued with nightmares that don’t allow them to get restful sleep.

Worse still is the importance of sleep for good mental health management. The brain produces a lot of mood-balancing chemicals in the deepest reaches of R.E.M. sleep. So, a person who can only sleep shallowly or wakes up every two hours will suffer worse moods, irritability, problems concentrating, and more.

11. Depleted or fluctuating energy levels.

A man with light brown hair and glasses, wearing a green shirt over a white t-shirt, rests his head on his hand with his eyes closed. The background is blurred, showing an indoor setting with shelves and a possible menu board.

As anyone with depression can tell you, energy levels can fluctuate hard. Sometimes you might feel fine and can easily conduct your life. Other times, not so much. You may feel exhausted, without energy, and unmotivated.

On the flip side, you may feel like you have far too much energy, like you’re going and just can’t stop. You may have difficulty with multiple trains of thought to the point that it’s distracting and can’t focus.

12. Unexplained physical symptoms.

A concerned man in a blue denim shirt places his hands on the shoulders of a woman in a striped shirt, who appears to be in distress. She has her hand on her chest and looks away, with a pained expression on her face.

Random things like aches and pains can result from mental health problems. Anxiety, trauma, depression, and many other problems can result in physical problems.

Stress causes the body to create a hormone called cortisol which essentially prepares your body to deal with stressful situations in the short term. However, being under constant stress for long periods can keep your body flooded with cortisol which can cause physical issues like cardiovascular problems and a reduced immune system. You may find yourself constantly sick with the cold or flu.

Finally…

A woman with long blonde hair wearing a pink sweater sits on a couch, looking thoughtful. A person with short hair wearing a yellow sweater is seated opposite her, taking notes on a clipboard. The setting appears to be a casual indoor environment.

If you recognize these signs in yourself, don’t wait to take action. Self-management of your mental health can help but it’s important to seek professional help when you can. You’ll need to understand why you’re experiencing these difficulties if you want to settle them.