All panic and anxiety disorders share the common symptom of excited, intense, and enduring fear or concern in circumstances where a person typically wouldn’t feel scared or worried. Individuals suffering from anxiety disorders often experience intense, sustained anxiety and nervousness while those with a panic disorder find themselves dealing with recurring, unpredicted panic attacks.

Often expressed as persistent unhappiness, hopelessness, a loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities, difficulty concentrating, insomnia or oversleeping, fatigue, and anxiety, depression can seriously impact a person’s quality of life. The cause may be a combination of factors including genetics, trauma, or hormonal shifts. Severe depression can become debilitating if not professionally treated.

Hurting yourself — or thinking about hurting yourself — isn’t really about causing pain (that’s just a side effect). It’s actually a sign of emotional distress. And it’s important to know that self-harm is not a mental illness, it’s a behavior that indicates a need for better coping skills. Many who self-harm say they find the behavior to be a form or release. But while it may initially offer some relief, uncomfortable emotions can grow more intense if someone continues to use self-harm as a coping mechanism.