A consultant psychiatrist, Dr. Gbonjubola Abiri, has explained the signs of mental health issues to watch out for and when to see a doctor for medical advice.

He urged people to be more proactive in seeking help on mental health, warning that even subtle changes in mood or behaviour could signal a need for support. 

Abiri stated this in an interview with Channels Television on Thursday.

She said noticeable changes in sleep patterns, appetite, or social withdrawal can be indicators of deeper issues.

“One of the signs to look for; I will say again usually people would think it is only when something significant happen then I will do something.

“When your symptoms start increasing in intensity, frequency and start causing distress not just to you but people around you, then you should start being worried.

“When you have poor sleep, wanting to keep self, isolating, withdrawing, eating excessively, drinking excessively, physically aggressive, when you start identifying symptoms that are not usual for you and start increasing in intensity and frequency, causing distress not only to you but to people around then perhaps you need to see doctor,” she added.

The doctor also said that despite the constant social media presence, many people experience loneliness which is contributing immensely to mental health problems.

She stated, “What we found is that no generation is as lonely as we are, we are online but in reality we are not connecting. We found ourselves locked in this world, we are so lonely despite the fact that we have so many ways to connect.

“Never has been a time that people are so lonely. Why are there many mental health problems? Social media definitely contributing.”

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