Early Warning Signs Of Mental Illness

Heightened Sensitivity

Heightened sensitivity can be an early sign of certain mental illnesses or neurodivergences. Increased emotional sensitivity is sometimes present in individuals with anxiety disorders or mood disorders like depression. A depressed individual may be more prone to feeling hurt by teasing and other behaviors intended to be harmless. Meanwhile, patients with anxiety disorders are sometimes hypersensitive to criticism. Increased sensitivity to sensory stimuli is important to note too. Autistic individuals tend to experience sensory overload because their brains don't filter sensory information the same way a neurotypical person's does. Sensory overload can also occur in those experiencing pain, fatigue, or confusion from other mental illnesses.