Throughout our lives we experience a huge variety of potential stressors and circumstances that can negatively shape our view of the world. When a person’s resilience to overcome these situations is reduced for a prolonged period of time, disruption to their good health or functioning may result in the development of a diagnosable condition.
A health condition may arise when the signs and symptoms become too intense or overwhelming. They begin to impair the ability to function in a healthy way, and individuals may not feel able to cope as well as before.
Some individuals may completely recover from their health condition. Others may continue to live with their health condition, and instead develop effective management strategies that enable a healthy and happy life.
Professionals often describe a set of characteristics that may indicate the presence of a diagnosable health condition. These characteristics may be:
Signs and symptoms are often the “red flags” seen by others alerting them to their loved ones need for professional, therapeutic help.