Mental health conditions

If you have a mental health condition, you can experience problems in the way you think, feel or behave. This can significantly affect your relationships, work and quality of life. 

Symptoms are different for each person, but a common sign is if your behaviour changes – suddenly or gradually. These changes can sometimes be a reaction to life events, or there can be no clear reason. Being in a constant state of mental distress can be very damaging, mentally and physically. 

Mental disorders have symptoms which are different for each condition.

Many diagnoses for mental disorders fall into 2 groups – psychotic disorders and mood disorders. The symptoms for each are different.

Psychotic disorders

• These include disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (previously called manic depression), where you find it hard to know what’s real. 
• Your ability to make sense of thoughts, feelings and other information is seriously affected. What you see, hear and feel is real to you, but people around you don’t share your experiences. 
• Because of this, your behaviour might not fit with the place you’re in or the people you’re with
• You might stop doing your usual activities and stop caring for yourself
• Effective medication and support from mental health professionals mean that most people who experience this type of distress are able to live productive and rewarding lives.

Mood disorders

• These include depression (where you experience overwhelming feelings of sadness or irritability), and anxiety disorders (with intense feelings of anxiety or fear).
• They come with changes such as:
  • loss of interest in things you once enjoyed and difficulty sleeping with depression, or
  • racing heart and difficulty breathing with anxiety disorders.
• Together these symptoms make it difficult to cope with work, study, relationships and other demands.
• Mood disorders can be effectively treated with talking therapy and sometimes medicines. You can learn to understand your mental health condition, manage your symptoms and lead a satisfying life.

• Share your thoughts and feelings with friends, whānau or a counsellor.
• Talking your problems through as soon as they appear can really help relieve stress and anxiety.
• Get help as soon as you notice any sign of mental distress before it develops into something more serious.
• Eat nutritious food, get enough sleep and exercise regularly. These have healing effects – especially when you feel anxious or under stress.
• Build and maintain your self-esteem(external link). You will feel better more often, enjoy your life more and do more of the things you have always wanted to do.
• Learn to relax. There are many relaxation techniques and mindfulness methods to chose from. 
• Spend time doing the things you love to do, such as sport, hobbies, gardening, time in nature or with your whānau.
• Find out about online programmes and courses that are designed to help you manage mental health conditions. Some are free, some have a cost and some need a referral from our health car provider. 
  
  

 Image credit: Healthify He Puna Waiora, NZ

With care, you can recover from a mental health condition. Some mental health conditions go away completely. Some come and go. Others become part of your life, which you learn to manage. All mental health conditions are better with compassion (for yourself and from others) and good healthcare.

Get support as soon as you realise you have mental distress, before it develops into a more serious mental health condition. This will make your journey to recovery easier. But whenever you reach out, you'll no longer be managing on your own and, with support, your situation will improve. 

One of the most important things that helps is compassion and understanding from those around you. A person with a mental health condition can face isolation and discrimination from others – some people may react with embarrassment, rejection and abuse if they don’t understand why you're acting unusually. Tell your friends, family and whānau what is happening for you – often they will be able to help you.

If you're distressed or finding it hard to cope there are many places to go to get help. You can talk to somebody at your medical centre or free phone or text 1737 any time of the day or night, or go to the 1737 digital hub(external link).

Find a mental health service within your area(external link).

Emergency helplines

Suicide crisis helpline(external link) 0508 828 865
Regional mental health crisis assessment teams – find the number to call in your region(external link)
Lifeline(external link) 0800 543 354 or text 4357
Alcohol drug helpline(external link) 0800 787 797 or text 868
Depression helpline(external link) 0800 111 757 or text 4202
Youthline(external link) 0800 376 633 or text 234 or email [email protected]

There are also lots of self-help resources, such as websites and books, right through to seeing a specialist mental health professional or accessing an emergency service. The New Zealand Mental Health Foundation(external link) has a comprehensive list of mental health support services.

Find more mental health services.