Finding Mental Health Treatment

Tips to Consider

Health comes from both inside and outside — so does treatment. (Photo credit: Micaela McGee 2020)

Finding help for a mental health challenge can be daunting but is achievable and well worth the investment. Mental wellness makes coping with present-day life more effective, and it sets the tone for pretty much every aspect of your future. In fact, it will even influence your children’s wellbeing by — among other things — shaping your relationship with them. Plus, if you can model good mental care for yourself, the people about whom you care may be inspired to do the same.

What is mental health? Mental health is the way we think and feel. That leads to what we do. Like physical health, mental health is sometimes better and sometimes worse over life, depending on environments and what is happening internally. If what we experience is different than others in similar circumstances, than we may be experiencing an illness. The severity of a mental illness — which can range greatly — is often measured by how much it interferes with functioning in various life domains — such as taking care of one’s self and one’s home, being able to work, keeping relationships, etc. Another measurement criterion is the longevity of the symptoms. Some symptoms resolve fairly quickly with no repeat; others may persist, waxing and waning over a person’s lifetime.

To recap: Mental illnesses affect thoughts or moods, often by warping our perceptions (at the severe end, these become delusions or hallucinations) and thus, our actions. An illness is typically classified by how severely it disrupts a person’s life and how long it lasts.

The first tip for mental healthcare is if you don’t feel you are safe from hurting yourself or others, call 9–1–1 (in the United States) or a mental health emergency access line if your area has one. Many counties in the United States have such access lines, as do many universities. Know that, even if you have to go to a hospital or psychiatric facility for a time, you will recover — and hopefully receive the help that you’ve been needing. If you don’t, you risk wounding or losing the wonderful, unique person that everyone of us is meant to be.

To recap: Call 9–1–1 or an emergency access line if you don’t feel safe in the knowledge of not hurting yourself or somebody else. Safety is the paramount concern, and all else depends on it.

The second tip is to value both your physical health and your mental health. Equally. Much of what you do applies to both:

• Eat healthy.
• Drink enough water.
• Get exercise.
• Get enough rest and sleep.
• Decrease stress.
• Increase happiness.
• Avoid overconsumption of alcohol or recreational drugs.

To recap: Your mind and your body are equally important. Take care of yourself. If you experience physical or mental problems, get help. Keep trying until you get the answers that you need to resolve the problem.

The next tip for mental healthcare is to see your primary-care physician. As soon as you ascertain a challenge to your mental health is occurring. The most recent, larger-scale studies show that seeking early treatment is important in improving long-term health, so don’t put it off for months or years! There are several reasons why you would start with seeing a primary-care physician:

• You need to rule out that your thought or emotional disturbances are due to a physical condition. For example, a thyroid dysfunction can result in depression. You will also want to discuss what you’re eating or what is in your physical environment because it may be aggravating a mental health condition unbeknownst to you.
• Psychiatrists are less common and often hard to find. Roughly 70 percent of people using medication to improve mental health get them prescribed and monitored by primary-care doctors. Monitoring is an important part of taking any medication, so you need to consider having that kind of access to care.
• You may be required by your insurance plan to get a referral from a primary doctor to see a specialist, such as a psychiatrist. Unless you have a ton of money at your disposal, being economically sensible will be a helpful attribute.

When you plan a visit to a doctor, consider the following points in discussing your health challenges:

• What are your symptoms? Try to find a concrete way to describe what feels “off”. Keep your description straightforward and don’t bother trying to find the correct medical term. For example, “I am afraid when I am around other people” as opposed to, “I’m paranoid.”
• Note and relay patterns related to your symptoms. Do you have difficulty rising in the morning, then feel better later in the day? (This can point to important differences, like whether you’re experiencing straightforward depression or bipolar depression, which requires a different medical approach.) Are there certain times of the month when you feel worse or better? Did something happen to you recently that was not normal — like losing somebody you love to death or being in an accident, or even being ill with the flu? You may want to make notes on a calendar or keep a journal over time, to share with the doctor.
• Acknowledge how you’re treating your body and what you are putting into it. Are you eating well and getting enough exercise? Are you drinking twenty energy drinks per day?
• Describe any other mental or physical symptoms that may be co-occurring. For example, are you having trouble urinating? Do you have pain in your arm?
• What is your family history? There can be a genetic component to vulnerability for mental illnesses. The risk can be greater or weaker, depending on other genetic and environmental factors, but its influence is a consideration.

To recap: When you see a doctor about a mental health concern, provide as much pertinent information about your physical and mental states, and background as you can. To avoid confusion, use common words to describe what you feel. If you notice patterns, describe them.

Another tip for finding mental health treatment is to incorporate other forms of care for better, long-term health. Prevailing thought tends toward using minimally low-dose medication, accompanied by therapy, for the greatest health gains in cases where medication is indicated. Reasons supporting this approach include considerations of medication’s limitations (i.e., it can’t fix everything), medication’s side effects and physiologic consequences, and harnessing complex, multidimensional individual powers for recovery to promote well being.

Medication may not always be the best approach to tackling a challenge. People are different, and even their symptoms within similar diagnoses will be different. For this reason, i.e., the complexity and variance of human beings, finding what works best can be a highly individual process. A sampling of other therapies are listed below. The list is not complete, and it is not in hierarchical order. You can use any and all that help you feel better.

• Talk therapy can include singles, couples, or groups. Therapists can be found operating privately or as part of an organization, typically nonprofit or medical in nature. Choosing a therapist is a highly personalized matter that requires finding one that is compatible, to form a partnership for meeting health goals, and being able to access that therapist physically and financially. Some therapists provide telehealth services, and this may be acceptable. Certain forms of therapy, especially those that include cognition like cognitive-behavioral or dialectical behavioral therapies, have been demonstrated to have greater success with particular mental health symptoms. However, finding an approach that works for individual needs is an overriding qualifier.
• (Psycho-social) information and support groups can come in a variety of formats, from twelve-step programs to more loosely structured, problem-solving, peer support. There are a few “evidence-based” approaches — meaning that studies indicate they can be effective — like Wellness Recovery and Action Plan (WRAP) by Mary Ellen Copeland or the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance’s symptom-management groups. A good way to find mental health support groups in the United States is through a local affiliation of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or through a local Mental Health Association. Churches can another source of interpersonal assistance.
• Electronic communications. Recently, e-health has matured to include both telehealth (online or telephonic therapy) and software applications that act like gyms for the mind. My Strength is one such application that offers specific exercises for specific symptoms, such as depression or anxiety, along with other supportive material. Warm lines, and even crisis lines, are a way to connect and discuss topics. Many offer text as well as voice support.
• Self-help books and articles. Some material is better than others, but first-person accounts can lend perspective and valuable insight to situations. For example, legal professor, Elyn Saks, wrote an account of her experience with schizophrenia in the book, The Center Cannot Hold. Not only does she have first-hand knowledge of the illness but also its recovery.
• Adjunct, holistic therapies including acupuncture or pressure, herbal remedies, cultural practices (e.g., ceremonies or rituals), physical exercise, and overall nutrition. One note of caution is that especially if you are using medication, be sure to tell the prescribing doctor about any special elements you are putting into your body. Some herbal remedies can have serious interactions with medication and even with everyday foods. The same is true for over-the-counter medications, including aspirin and vitamins.

To recap: Medication, addressing physical health conditions, and selecting from an array of personally chosen therapies is an important foundation for wellness. Use all available tools that you personally find helpful to achieve optimal wellness. Understand that this requires judgment and knowledge of your unique self, and that there may be a process of trial and error before finding what works best.

A final tip is knowing when treatment works. One of the best ways to tell if treatment is working is if you compare how you were feeling or thinking beforehand, with how you are thinking or feeling now. If you feel more in control of yourself and in your understanding of and place in the world, that is a good sign. You may not feel precisely happy, but your overall level of contentment should improve. Other signs of improvement will manifest in how you function — for example, whether you can keep a job or relationships. The process is not always straightforward and may include ups and downs, but over the long term, wellness and recovery means you feel better.

To recap: Know when mental healthcare is working by checking in with yourself . An important gauge is determining if you feel better — however you define it — and are performing better in the world. Remember there may be ups and downs, but the trend should be toward improvement.

This article is written by a mom who has a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and twelve years’ experience in working with adults living with the challenges of serious mental illnesses, addiction, and long-term homelessness. For people interested in learning more, the field of mental health is evolving rapidly, and a federal leader in research is the National Institute of Mental Health. A private, nationwide organization with current projects is Well Being Trust.