Conditions & Symptoms

At Vitalis Wellbeing, we take a holistic approach to recovery, providing evidence-based treatment for a broad range of mental health conditions. We take the individual accessing our healthcare into great consideration, which means we are available for both direct intervention treatment and ongoing, regular sessions.

Our treatment programmes are grounded in compassion and care. We value the people attending our centres and recognise the uniqueness of every situation. Our programmes are flexible, ensuring you are able to receive the maximum level of support and nurturing during your time with us.

We believe in a holistic approach that looks at the well-being of your mind and body, helping you to connect the two in order to recover in a safe and sustainable way. We tailor our programmes so that, if appropriate, you can continue the other healthy aspects of your life while embarking on your recovery.

The range of conditions we treat is broad; here, we look at the main symptoms of some of those conditions.

Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol addiction is when the individual has a desire to drink, despite any negative consequences it’s causing. Many people drink occasionally; however, it becomes problematic when it starts to impact your day-to-day life.

Alcohol is socially accepted in most cultures, which can make stopping all the more challenging. The condition can range from mild to severe, and symptoms include:

Feeling as though you can’t cope without alcohol
Regularly drinking to the point of not remembering things or passing out
Intense cravings for alcohol, to the extent that you can’t concentrate on daily activities

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia is a condition where people limit how much they eat and drink. This often includes a set of rules around what they feel as though they can and cannot eat and rules about when and where they can eat.

As well as limiting how much they eat, somebody suffering from anorexia may exercise excessively, make themselves sick, or use laxatives. People also experience cycles of binge eating (where somebody eats large amounts of food in one sitting) and then purging.

Weight and shape may be a big concern for someone with anorexia, affecting their sense of self-worth and how they view themselves.

This can manifest itself in many ways, such as looking at their body regularly in the mirror, weighing themselves compulsively, feeling and touching their body regularly, or conversely trying to avoid scales and mirrors. Some signs which may indicate a person is experiencing or at risk from experiencing anorexia are:

Restricting food and drink consumption to below the bodies requirements
An overwhelming and constant fear of gaining weight, despite maintaining a significantly and dangerously low weight.
Denial of the seriousness of their low body weight

Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety disorder is a common mental health condition that can affect anybody; however, a combination of genes and environmental factors can increase a person’s risk of having an anxiety disorder.

Somebody suffering from an anxiety disorder may respond to situations with panic and fear, dreading certain activities in their lives. The emotional effects of anxiety are often coupled with physical symptoms such as heart palpitations and difficulty breathing.

All humans will experience some level of anxiety in their lives; it’s a completely normal and natural part of life. But an anxiety disorder exceeds the regular nervousness and fear you may feel during difficult or important situations in life. If anxiety is interfering with someone’s ability to live and function normally, this may be considered a disorder.

Some common symptoms of anxiety are:

Uncontrollable, repetitive thought patterns, particularly about things you fear
Heart palpitations and difficulties breathing
Ritualistic and obsessive behaviours such as cleaning

Asperger Syndrome

Asperger syndrome is part of the wider condition known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Asperger syndrome is regularly described as a high functioning form of autism. People living with this condition can have difficulties socially interacting, they may repeat behaviours and actions, and they may have challenges with spatial awareness.

People with this condition often become obsessed with a single object or subject; they feel compelled to know everything about it and may find it hard to talk or think about anything else. Symptoms of Asperger syndrome usually become clear around the age of 3, but, commonly, children are not diagnosed until they are 7 or 8. Every case of Asperger syndrome is different; however, some common symptoms include:

Speaking in a monotone way, without expressing emotion through their voice
The individual may not respond to other people’s comments or emotions, especially humour, affection, and sadness
An inability to form relationships and connections with other people

Attachment Issues

Attachment disorders can develop in young children who have issues establishing deep emotional connections (also known as an attachment bond) with their parents or primary caregiver.

This attachment bond directly affects a child’s development, and the inability to form attachments can impact how a child grows and develops. Without strong attachments, children can have difficulties expressing emotions, developing trust and security, and building secure relationships throughout their lives.

Children can fall into a spectrum of attachment issues, from mild problems, which with a proper diagnosis are straightforward to address, to one of two recognised attachment disorders – reactive attachment disorder (RAD) and disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED).

Trauma, abuse, separation from primary caregivers, and unstable homes increase the likelihood for children to experience attachment disorders. Some common signs of an individual living with attachment issues are:

An aversion to physical affection and being touched
A need and desire to control all situations, often displaying disobedience and defiance
Anger being expressed regularly either directly, for example, in tantrums or through passive-aggressive behaviour

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), regularly referred to as autism, is a general term that describes a group of neurodevelopmental conditions.

People with ASD have a different way of communicating and socially interacting than people without this condition. Often those with ASD will have specific and repetitive interests and behaviour patterns.

ASD is a condition that can affect anybody, regardless of race and ethnicity, culture, or economic background.

Usually, symptoms of ASD will become apparent in early childhood development, between the ages of 1 and 2; however, every case is unique, and sometimes symptoms will appear earlier or later.

The symptoms of ASD fall into two categories – challenges with communication and social interaction and restrictive or repetitive behaviour patterns. Symptoms of autism may change during the course of somebody’s life, and the severity of which they impact the individual’s life varies greatly between people. Some of the main symptoms of ASD are:

Difficulties with language – around a third of people with autism are nonverbal
Repetitive body movements such as spinning, running forwards and backwards, rocking back and forth
A need for routine and unchanging schedule, including mealtimes and food choices

Bereavement

Bereavement is the condition we experience when we lose somebody close to us. It is embodied by the process known as grief, which is the combination of emotions, feelings, and behaviours we go through as we adjust to the loss.

When we lose someone important to us, we can experience a range of devastating emotions regardless of whether it is a family member, friend, partner, or even someone we didn’t know particularly well. It is normal to go through a range of physical and emotional processes, which is our mind and body’s way of coming to terms with losing somebody.

Bereavement is an entirely individual experience, and the way we respond to these emotions is completely unique to us and our situation. It’s possible to experience emotions you have never felt before during the intense grieving period of bereavement. Feelings of grief can also happen because of other types of loss or changes in circumstances, for example, the end of a formative relationship or moving away from a significant home.

Some of the physical symptoms you may feel during bereavement are:

A hollow feeling in your stomach
Tightness in your chest or throat and possibly difficulty breathing
An increased or decreased appetite

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a condition that predominantly affects a person’s mood. It affects how they feel, and their mood can fluctuate extensively. Often somebody living with bipolar will experience alternating episodes of mania and depression.

Between these two states, somebody with bipolar may feel healthy and have a balanced state of mind. In one of these states, the individual will change, and their behaviour may become erratic. They may also find their energy levels depleted.

When in an extreme state, bipolar disorder can be severe, affecting multiple areas of life, such as relationships, work, and health.

Usually, somebody with bipolar disorder will develop symptoms in their childhood or teens, but sometimes it can appear later in life. Often it is mistaken for depression or anxiety, but it is a unique condition and should not be confused. Some common symptoms of bipolar disorder include:

Feelings of excitement and creativity, even if life is problematic or challenging
Auditory or visual hallucinations
Having an irregular sleep pattern or reluctance to try and sleep

Borderline Personality Disorder

Somebody living with borderline personality disorder has trouble regulating and controlling their emotions and behaviour, which in turn affects their ability to maintain stable relationships. At times, somebody with this condition is likely to engage in risky behaviour such as substance abuse or failing to take appropriate caution.

Someone who has borderline personality disorder may experience overwhelming feelings that fluctuate suddenly. Symptoms of this condition usually begin to appear during teenage years or early adulthood. Some common symptoms of borderline personality disorder are:

Feeling emotions very intensely – sometimes these emotions will last a few hours or sometimes a few days
Not having a strong sense of self, and the sense of self-changing depending on who is around
Impulsive behaviour, particularly around things that may cause harm

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is a serious eating disorder characterised by cyclical behaviour of binge eating food and purging, which could take the form of a person making themselves sick or using laxatives to rid the body of the food that’s been consumed.

People living with bulimia will regularly eat a significantly large amount of food in a reasonably short time period – for example, one hour – than most people would eat during a similar period of time and under similar circumstances. This behaviour will usually feel uncontrollable, and they may feel they cannot stop eating. Following the binge, the individual is likely to feel extreme feelings of guilt and worthlessness. Some common symptoms of bulimia are the following:

Eating only in secret or avoiding occasions where food will be present
Repeated behaviour in order to prevent gaining weight, such as making oneself sick, using laxatives, fasting, or exercising excessively
Sense of self is disproportionately based on body weight and shape

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), is a complicated disorder where an individual feels extreme fatigue for six months or longer that isn’t related to another medical condition. Fatigue experienced by an individual with CFS worsens with physical or mental activity, but it doesn’t improve when they rest. Often sleep won’t be refreshing, and the individual will have difficulties with memory and concentration.

It is not commonly known where the condition originates, but many theories include viral infections to psychological stress.

Symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome are variable, and often the severity of symptoms changes from day to day. Some common symptoms may include:

General feeling of fatigue that is not alleviated with rest
Sore throat and headaches
Dizziness or nausea that worsens with movement and activity

Chronic Pain

Pain is a normal part of human functioning; however, sometimes pain signals remain active long after they should. Such lingering signals cause chronic pain – ongoing bodily pain that lasts longer than six months.

Sometimes the origins of chronic pain lie in the body – chronic pain can result after physical injury. However, a lot of the time, chronic pain is either caused or exacerbated by emotional injuries. Emotional trauma rewires the body’s nervous system to make it overactive in the face of threat, causing or exacerbating chronic pain.

Chronic pain symptoms include:

Pain in joints and muscles
Fatigue
Difficulties with mood, including irritability, anxiety, and depressive feelings

Codependence

Codependence is an unhealthy relationship dynamic characterised by extreme interdependence between two people. Usually, codependent relationships are one-sided, with one person taking care of the other.

We often learn codependent relationship styles during childhood; parents can instil toxic attachment patterns in their children. While codependency is not a mental illness in itself, it can be hard to deal with and can lead to unhappiness in relationships. Codependence is also associated with low self-esteem and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Symptoms of codependence include:

Loss of your sense of self within a relationship
Strong need for others to like you
Regularly working to save or rescue a troubled person from their problems (particularly mental health problems such as addiction and depression)

Complex PTSD

Complex PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) is a condition that can occur after repeated or prolonged exposure to stress, especially if experienced during childhood when the brain is still developing. It is similar to PTSD but has added complications and symptoms as a result of its long-term nature.

Common causes of complex PTSD include childhood abuse or neglect, domestic violence at the hands of a current or ex-partner, and being forced or manipulated into sex work.

Symptoms of complex PTSD include:

Vivid flashbacks to traumatic events (as in PTSD)
Difficulties with emotion regulation
Periods of feeling as if you are floating above your body or watching life through a pane of glass (dissociation)

Complex/Delayed Mourning

The death of loved ones is often a very painful experience, leading to a period of grief in which we mourn their passing. Complex mourning (also known as delayed mourning) occurs when these emotions do not pass with time; in fact, grief may intensify or only begin years or even decades after the death.

Symptoms of complex or delayed mourning include:

Ruminating thoughts on the death of someone close to you a long time after their death
Difficulty in accepting the death of a loved one even after many years have passed
Emotional numbness

Depression

Depression is characterised by prolonged and debilitating feelings of sadness or numbness. Depression affects people’s thought patterns, feelings and behaviours, and can leave them struggling to find joy or meaning in life. In extreme instances, it can leave people feeling that life itself is not worth living.

Symptoms of depression include:

Feelings of emptiness or hopelessness
Loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed
Slowed movements and thoughts

Drug Addiction

We regularly hear that trying a drug once isn’t dangerous; however, this is a misconception. Our susceptibility to addiction is dependent on a number of factors, from our mental health to our genetic makeup. Addiction can manifest from the first time we use a drug, and often, without us being fully aware of the change.

Drugs create changes in the brain’s neurochemistry which control and release neurotransmitters, altering the way we feel. Unfortunately, this doesn’t last long, and we’re often left chasing that high with increasingly larger amounts of drugs. Although the effects of drugs vary, the behavioural symptoms experienced during addiction are often similar. They include:

Being consumed with thoughts of using and obtaining drugs
Being dishonest about your frequency of use
Increasing the quantity of drugs you use

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are characterised by severe and long-term pathological changes to eating behaviours. They are associated with a range of distressing thoughts and emotions, and they may also have serious detrimental effects on bodily health.

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental health condition in the UK and must be treated with seriousness and compassion.

Symptoms of eating disorders include:

A strong tie between self-esteem and body weight, shape, or appearance
Highly restricted eating habits
Intense fear of weight gain and/or detrimental thoughts and opinions about the weight of other people.

Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder

Emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), also known as borderline personality disorder (BPD), causes people to experience intense and fluctuating emotions. These periods of intense emotion usually last for anything between two hours and a week at a time. Research shows that a lot of people who have EUPD are survivors of trauma, and many can also be diagnosed with complex PTSD.

Symptoms of EUPD include:

An overwhelming fear of abandonment
Feelings of emptiness
Extreme and distressing swings in mood

Exercise Addiction

Exercise addiction is a complex condition because, unlike many other addictions, the behaviour is usually considered positive, and we are regularly encouraged to do more of it. However, exercise addiction can lead to some serious and sometimes dangerous problems.

Identifying when healthy amounts of exercise have been exceeded can be challenging, and the threshold varies from person to person.

Instead of improving a person’s health, when exercise becomes an addiction, it creates problems. It can threaten physical and mental health, cause injuries, create physical damage due to inadequate rest, and in some instances, establish malnutrition. Some signs that could indicate an exercise addiction are:

Missing an exercise session makes you feel angry or anxious
Exercise is prioritised over relationships and other activities
The enjoyment aspect of exercise is lost, and it becomes a chore

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia affects the way the brain and spinal cord process signals from the rest of the nervous system. Alterations to this vital process can leave people with pain in their skeleton and muscles. It can also harm energy levels, sleep, memory, and mood.

In some cases, fibromyalgia occurs after a painful event, such as a medical issue or psychological distress. In others, fibromyalgia occurs without a single triggering event.

Symptoms of fibromyalgia include:

Fatigue despite long periods of sleep
A dull ache on both sides of the body and both above and below the waist
Problems with thinking (sometimes described as brain fog)

Food Addiction

For people suffering from food addiction, certain foods will trigger chemical reactions in the brain that induce feelings of satisfaction and happiness. This reaction is comparable to the feelings somebody gets if they are addicted to drugs – it all activates the same feel-good chemicals in the brain.

Somebody experiencing a food addiction can become dependent on the feelings they get from eating certain foods, which, in turn, creates a continued need to eat, even when they’re not hungry. This becomes a vicious cycle, and as the individual continues to eat foods that create pleasurable feelings, they are likely to overindulge and eat more than what is required or healthy. Common symptoms of food addiction are:

Craving foods despite feeling physically full
Feeling guilt or shame around food consumption
Feeling out of control when eating
Obsessing over buying, preparing, unwrapping, and consuming certain foods
Eating in secret

Gambling Addiction

Gambling addiction can affect anyone. Something that often begins as an enjoyable, social, and acceptable pastime becomes a harmful and toxic obsession. Gambling has many outlets and facets, from scratch cards to poker to sports games, and with the advent of mobile gambling apps, it’s never been more accessible.

One of the most common and clear symptoms of gambling addiction is chasing losses and ending up in an even deeper hole. As gambling is socially acceptable, people are often good at hiding it for a time. The main symptoms of gambling addiction include:

Increasing the stakes to chase the rush
Secrecy and evasiveness, particularly around money and finances
Feeling restless or irritable when you try to cut down on gambling

Gaming Addiction

Gaming addiction is the compulsive use of video games to the extent that it causes problems in other areas of life. Related to computer addiction and internet addiction, video game addiction is an increasing problem among all generations but particularly with children. The increase in children’s video game use and the marketing that attracts younger audiences is thought to have caused the increase.

The definition of a video game addiction is variable, and different organisations and studies describe it in a variety of ways. Therefore, it can leave people confused about whether their (or someone else’s) gaming would be considered normal or excessive.

It’s important when considering the possibility of an addiction to consider more than just the amount of time spent gaming, but also how it leaves the person feeling, what motivates them to play, and how they feel without it. Signs that gaming has become an addiction include:

Work or school performance suffers as a result of gaming
Inability to limit how much time is spent gaming
Feelings of irritability, anxiety, or anger when made to stop playing

Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Feelings of anxiety and worry are a normal part of life, but anxiety becomes destructive when experienced over a long period. Generalised anxiety disorder is characterised by excessive and ongoing feelings of worry that get in the way of living life to the fullest and can manifest both physically and mentally.

Symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder include:

Difficulty relaxing
Ruminating on worst-case scenarios
Persistent sensations of worry, particularly where the worry is out of proportion to the issue

Health Anxiety

Health anxiety, also known as hypochondria, is characterised by persistent and irrational fears about being unwell. For people with health anxiety, normal or minor physical symptoms may become the source of disproportionate worry. Health anxiety can be deeply distressing and get in the way of joyful life activities.

Symptoms of health anxiety include:

Obsessions about having a serious illness
Engaging in disproportionate health-related activities, such as screening your body for disease
Avoiding doctor’s appointments or other discussions of disease out of fear of being diagnosed with a serious illness

Long COVID

Long COVID is a condition where the individual experiences the effects of COVID-19 for weeks or months following their initial diagnosis – defined as when the symptoms last twelve weeks or more. There are two primary categories of long COVID symptoms:

The more common subgroup of symptoms includes tiredness and fatigue, with a smaller number of people experiencing respiratory symptoms, such as a cough or breathlessness. These are more likely to be found in people who had severe symptoms of the COVID-19 virus initially.

Some of the main symptoms which could indicate a case of long COVID are:

Fatigue of body and mind
Breathlessness or difficulty breathing
A change to your sense of taste or smell

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a condition that creates repetitive thought patterns (obsessions) and urges in behaviour (compulsions). Somebody with OCD can have either or a combination of both.

OCD is not simply the desire to be neat and tidy – the repetitive thought patterns and behaviours can invade every aspect of someone’s life and often feel out of control. Although every case is unique, some common symptoms of OCD are:

Checking things such as plug sockets, door locks, ovens, and cupboard doors
A fear that things may become contaminated by germs, or a compulsion to clean
An urge to organise and order things, often symmetrically or in a specific pattern
Behavioural rituals such as turning the lights on and off a certain number of times or not stepping on cracks in the pavement

Overeating

Overeating is a common problem where an individual consumes more calories than their body needs or uses. While occasionally eating more than necessary is not a cause for concern or likely to have a detrimental impact on health, when it becomes a habit, the health implications can range from heartburn to obesity to diabetes.

Although these symptoms are uncomfortable and often painful, the body adjusts to overeating by releasing dopamine – a pleasure hormone that encourages us to eat more. Some common symptoms of overeating include:

Eating to the point of feeling uncomfortable or ill
Trying to cope with difficult emotions by eating large quantities of food
Being unable to stop eating, particularly sugary or salty foods

Panic Attacks

Panic attacks are episodes of acute fear that cause extremely intense physical and mental symptoms. They can come on very fast and often without any apparent reason. When people experience panic attacks, it can feel like they’re having a heart attack, they can’t breathe, or they are dying, and it can be very frightening and distressing.

It’s normal for people to experience one or two panic attacks in their lifetime – they don’t recur for most people. However, if someone gets unexpected panic attacks and spends long periods of time worrying about the next one, they could have a panic disorder. Some symptoms of a panic attack are:

A pounding heartbeat
Being short of breath or breathing very quickly
Pains in your chest

Perinatal Trauma

Perinatal trauma is the condition associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, which occurs after giving birth. PTSD is often associated with events such as war experiences or natural disasters, but women can experience PTSD following a traumatic birthing experience.

Due to a lack of awareness around the condition, women are often mistakenly diagnosed as having postnatal depression. Although there are some shared symptoms, they are different conditions and have different treatments.

Some symptoms of perinatal trauma are:

Reliving the traumatic experience through flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts
Hypervigilance, constantly feeling on guard
Repressing difficult memories and/or being unable to recall how things happened

Phobias

A phobia is an intense form of anxiety related to a particular scenario or object. For example, a scenario induced phobia could be related to small spaces regardless of rationally knowing there isn’t a danger. People living with a phobia will often intentionally alter their behaviour or activities to avoid interacting with a potential trigger.

For some people, thinking or talking about these scenarios or objects could establish anxious feelings. While each phobia is unique, some common symptoms of a phobic response are:

Feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or fainting
Heart palpitations or an increased heart rate
Feeling nauseous or vomiting

Postnatal Depression

Postnatal Depression is a condition that affects between 10-15% of mothers, and the symptoms are often similar to depression. The severity of postnatal depression can vary widely and, in severe cases, can get in the way of being a parent – tasks that people previously found straightforward can become challenging and exhausting.

Sometimes postnatal depression develops after a traumatic birth; however, it’s not easy to identify where the feelings come from. This can be distressing and upsetting for mothers as they feel as though they should feel differently. Symptoms of postnatal depression can include:

Feeling low, empty, and tearful for a significant amount of the time
Feelings of guilt or shame around motherhood
Appetite changes

PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that occurs after experiencing a traumatic event. This could range from serious physical abuse to a natural disaster to bullying.

Anything that puts someone under a huge amount of stress is enough to cause trauma. People with PTSD find that their memories of the traumatic event are incorrectly processed, and their bodies respond to life as if the traumatic event were still happening or is about to happen.

Symptoms of PTSD include:

Vivid flashbacks to a traumatic event
Alterations in cognition or mood, such as a more negative world-view
Feeling constantly on edge (known as hyperarousal)

Screen Addiction

Screen addiction is becoming more and more common and affects people of all ages, including very young children. The complexities of a screen addiction are layered and challenging to manage because screens are completely legal, normalised, and often, we depend on them completely in work and our day to day lives.

We know that spending too much time on screens affects our sleep, and research is also telling us that our emotional development, social skills, and even our brain structure are detrimentally affected by screen addiction.

Studies show the amount of time adults spend looking at a screen can create a restructuring of the matter that makes up the brain, specifically in the areas concerned with processing, cognition, and emotion. These studies also highlight the damage made to an area known as the insula, which is involved in our capacity to develop empathy and compassion for others and our ability to integrate physical signals with emotion. Signs that screen addiction is developing or has developed include:

Losing interest or passion for other activities
Using screens to feel better or lift your mood
Screen time becoming the cause of arguments and disagreements

Self Harm

Self-harm is a commonly misunderstood symptom of underlying psychological distress and is characterised by deliberate physical pain inflicted on one’s own body. People may use self-harm to escape traumatic memories, break feelings of numbness, or transform emotional pain into physical pain. Self-harm may also be used as a communication method when someone feels that healthier methods of asking for help are out of reach or aren’t being heard.

Symptoms of self-harm include:

Cutting
Burning
Scratching

Sex Addiction

Sex addiction is described as a compulsive need to have sex or engage in sexual activity in order to reach the same kind of satisfaction level that someone with a substance addiction would reach when using their drug of choice.

Sex addiction can become dangerous and result in considerable problems with relationships. Much like other addictions, it can negatively affect a person’s physical and mental health, relationships, quality of life, and safety.

Somebody with a sex addiction may change their life and daily activities in order to have sex or engage in sexual activity several times a day and may feel as though they are unable to control their behaviour, despite experiencing extremely negative repercussions.

However, it is important to remember that enjoying sex is not a sign of sex addiction. Sex is a healthy part of human existence and enjoying it is normal. Some signs that sex has become an addiction include:

Obsessive, uncontrollable sexual thoughts
Dishonesty around sex and sexual partners
Feeling guilt or shame after sex

Sex and Love Addiction

Sex and love addiction impacts individuals by altering their quality of life and forcing them to live in a state of emotional turmoil and feelings of despair. Somebody living with this condition becomes fearful of loneliness and rejection, so they continuously search for someone to be with and feel connected with. Often, however, individuals will sabotage or let go of healthy relationships because they are driven to seek out the intense feeling of falling in love instead of a relationship’s steady and supportive nature.

The negative consequences associated with this behaviour affect the individual but also the people around them. The characteristics of sex and love addiction are obsessive feelings which the individual feels compelled to play out, regardless of the consequences. It is common for these behaviours to get progressively worse, and they will often see the breakdown of intimate relationships. Some symptoms of a sex and love addiction include:

Constantly feeling the need to be in a relationship
Staying in unhealthy or damaging relationships
Isolating from friends and responsibilities to spend time with a partner

Sleep Problems

There are several different kinds of sleep disorders, and all are characterised by problems with the quantity, timing, or quality of someone’s sleep.

Since sleep is vital to health, sleep problems can result in high blood pressure, depression, impaired immunity, and obesity. Chronic sleep problems can also affect your appearance.

Symptoms of sleep problems include:

Difficulty falling asleep for extended periods
Frequent waking during the night
Fatigue and decreased energy when awake

Smoking

Even though it’s legal, tobacco is one of the most addictive and harmful substances available. When we smoke, nicotine causes a dopamine release, promoting feelings of calm and relaxation. However, the effects of nicotine fade quickly, making the receptor eager for more. This is when nicotine withdrawal symptoms and cravings kick in.

If you smoke more than ten cigarettes a day or have a cigarette immediately after waking up, you likely have a nicotine addiction and giving up will take a serious amount of willpower and belief in yourself. Some other symptoms of a smoking addiction include:

Experiencing withdrawal symptoms such as depression, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, and difficulty concentrating
Health issues related to smoking such as difficulty breathing
Unsuccessful attempts to stop smoking

Social Anxiety

Many people worry about social situations and being judged by others; however, social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia) occurs when these feelings are very intense and do not subside.

Social anxiety can be very difficult to handle and can make going about our daily lives incredibly difficult. Social anxiety manifests itself in a combination of physical and mental symptoms, including:

Extreme physical arousal (fast heartbeat, trembling, sweating) around other people
Debilitating fear of social embarrassment
Regular avoidance of doing things you would otherwise want to out of fear of being judged by others

Stress

Stress is a physiological response to perceived or actual outside pressure. The human nervous system responds to this by getting ready to fight, flee, or freeze.

The fight-flight-freeze response is a helpful and healthy part of human functioning; however, stress experienced over a prolonged period can have serious consequences for mental and physical well-being.

Symptoms of stress include:

Difficulty sleeping
Prolonged bouts of anxiety
Frequent illness and infections

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