Mental Health: Illnesses and Conditions

The term mental illness refers to many different types of mental health challenges. A mental illness is a condition that disrupts a person's thoughts, feelings, social skills, and/or daily living.

Mental illnesses impact thousands of Wisconsin residents each year.

While researchers have long studied the causes of mental illnesses, there is no clear evidence that shows why some people are affected and others are not.

We work to prevent and treat mental health illnesses and provide supports for people seeking or already in recovery.

Call 211 to learn about mental health resources in your community.

If you need help now, call, text, or chat the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. 

Signs and symptoms

Like a physical health condition, recognizing and seeking treatment for a mental health condition at the onset of the signs and symptoms leads to more positive outcomes. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has a list of feelings and behaviors that may be an early indication of a mental health condition. These feelings and behaviors include:

• Eating or sleeping too much or too little.
• Avoiding people and usual activities.
• Having low or no energy.
• Feeling numb or like nothing matters.
• Feeling helpless or hopeless.
• Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared.
• Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships.
• Hearing voices or believing things that are not true.
• Thinking of harming yourself or others.

Topics

• Antisocial personality disorder is a long-term pattern of a person manipulating, exploiting, or violating the rights of others. 
• Anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For a person with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. The symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, schoolwork, and relationships. Anxiety disorders can include generalized anxiety, panic disorder, specific phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social anxiety.
• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD is exhibited by not being able to focus, being overactive, not being able to control behavior, or a combination of these. For these symptoms to be diagnosed as ADHD, they must be out of the normal range for a person's age and development.
• Bipolar disorder causes unusual shifts in mood, ranging from extreme highs (mania or “manic” episodes) to lows (depression or “depressive” episode).
• Borderline personality disorder is a condition which a person has long-term patterns of unstable or explosive emotions. These inner experiences often result in impulsive actions, self-image issues, and chaotic relationships with other people. 
• Depression is feelings of being "down in the dumps" or "blue" that persist and interfere with everyday life.
• Eating disorders involve extreme mental preoccupation, disturbing emotions, attitudes, and behaviors involving weight and food.
• Posttraumatic stress disorder develops when a person has experienced or witnessed a scary, shocking, terrifying, or dangerous event. These events usually involve a situation where someone’s life has been threatened or severe injury has occurred.
• Schizophrenia causes people to interpret reality abnormally. They don’t know what sights, sounds, and experiences are real or what they are imagining.

People who experience a mental illness also may experience a substance use disorder at the same time.

Related resources

• Crisis services include someone to contact, someone to respond, and a safe place to get help during a mental health emergency. 
• Community Recovery Services help people living with a mental illness make the most of life. 
• Community Support Programs offer coordinated professional care and treatment for adults who live with severe mental illness.   
• Comprehensive Community Services are for people who have mental health needs that, if ignored, could lead to being hospitalized in times of crisis.
• Coordinated Services Teams Initiatives provide a complete, personalized system of care for kids with complex mental health needs.
• Coordinated Specialty Care connects people ages 15 to 25 to supports in their community dedicated to helping participants move past their mental health challenges.
• Individual Placement and Support is a supported employment model that helps people with mental health and substance use disorders find and keep jobs of their choosing. 
• Peer services connect people with mental health challenges with someone with similar life experiences trained to support others in reaching their full potential. 
• Youth day treatment is for young people with mental health challenges that can be relieved in a non-residential setting. 
• Wisconsin Wayfinder supports families of children with delays, disabilities, special health care needs, and mental health conditions.