Under Construction - MHWA Retreat

At what point does an emotional characteristic cross over into mental illness symptom? When it starts interfering with daily actions, or the person begins to obsess about it.

What specific personality traits can you get confused with mental illness symptoms? Difficulty focusing and procrastination. I know that procrastination can be cause by obsessing over a project to the point of being afraid of what will happen if it is either completed or not completed. Sometimes this cause problems with focusing on the job at hand.

How can someone tell the difference between a characteristic of their personality and a characteristic borne of a mental illness? I don't know. I would advise talking to their doctor, or asking for a referral to a specialist.

How does all of this play into self-identity? Any action can play into self-identity. The problem occurs when it causes the person to doubt their own abilities, the intentions of other people, or whether or not something that happened to them either in the past or present was a dream or if it really happened.