There are various warning signs that you or an older person you know might not be coping as well as they think. These may include:

• having difficulty following a conversation, remembering things or concentrating;
• talking about feeling hopeless or not wanting to live;
• exhibiting a fear old age;
• a loss of interest in doing things previously enjoyed;
• withdrawing from social activities or spending less time with family and friends;
• disturbed sleep, perhaps not getting enough sleep or sleeping too much;
• disturbed eating patterns, eating less than normal or overeating, perhaps losing or gaining weight;
• having mood swings or a consistently lower mood;
• being more irritable, over-sensitive or aggressive;
• having difficulty following a conversation, remembering things or concentrating
• experiencing recurrent physical symptoms such as aches and pains or unexplained illnesses;
• increased use of alcohol or other drugs;
• a lack of care for personal appearance or personal responsibilities.
• responding inappropriately to certain situations;
• doing things that don’t make sense to others;
• hearing or seeing things that no-one else can hear or see.

Some individuals can be at greater risk of experiencing a mental health problem. Reasons can include:

• personal or family history of mental health problems;
• physical limitations;
• changes in mental and intellectual capacity;
• disability and long-term pain;
• bereavement and loss;
• unstable relationships with friends or families;
• isolation from the family or community.

If you think that someone you know might be having some mental health problems then look out and listen for some of the signs and symptoms and talk to them about it.

There are plenty of people out there that you can talk to, such as a counsellor, your local GP, specialist community services, phone help-lines or internet based services.W