HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE: MENTAL HEALTH

MENTAL HEALTH

We all know what it feels like to be “sick" - that is, to have physical symptoms that are painful, uncomfortable, exhausting, and unpleasant. Good examples are “the flu,” “having a cold,” or some combination of symptoms that might include fever, cough, runny nose, upset stomach, pain etc. Most of the time, with rest, fluids, over-the-counter medications and care, we recover and get back to our normal lives.

Sometimes we get sick with more serious illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, HIV, epilepsy and others diseases. In those situations, we need ongoing care from our primary health care provider or a specialist in the disease we have. Medications, lab tests and routine check-ups with the doctor are often required for a long time.

HOW IS MENTAL HEALTH DIFFERENT?

During anyone’s life, there may be a time when we experience other challenging “symptoms”. These symptoms may reflect our feelings and emotions as well as how we manage to get through each day. Our feelings and emotions may be related to our brain development, our family and childhood history, our experiences in life, and challenges we experience as we grow up. We often seek treatment and support for a medical condition that makes us feel bad physically. It’s just as important to get support when we have feelings, thoughts, and behaviors that make us feel upset and bad emotionally.

Throughout our development as people, there are times we may feel sad, “down,” hopeless, fearful, angry, nervous, worried, agitated and unable to take pleasure in things that used to be fun or enjoyable. We all have days that don’t go well and days when we may be upset or mad or sad about one thing or the other. But sometimes these “bad” or “sad” feelings persist for a while and start affecting how well we are able to manage our daily life and responsibilities. When these sad or hard feelings go on for a while, we may notice that:

- we sleep more or less than usual

- we eat too much or too little

- we are crabby or get angry easily

- we get tearful or cry easily

- we have trouble concentrating

- we worry constantly, even about little things or things we can’t change

- we feel nervous and agitated and unable to slow down or relax

- we just don’t feel like talking, getting dressed or leaving home, even for things that we used - to enjoy or things that we need to do, like going to school or work or going out with our friends.

MENTAL HEALTH CARE: IS IT FOR ME?

If we experience some or many of these symptoms for two weeks or longer and we are struggling to manage our job or school or relationships, it may be really helpful to seek the support of a mental health specialist. A mental health specialist is someone who is trained to listen to what’s going on in our lives and help us understand our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. If we want help in understanding our thoughts, changing our behavior or just want to feel better, a mental health specialist can talk with us and help us understand our symptoms and learn ways to modify our behaviors and our thoughts about what’s happening in our lives. A mental health specialist can give us tools to deal with our stress and unhealthy thoughts and behaviors.

A mental health specialist can be a psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, psychotherapist, or mental health counselor. Their training and experience may be a bit different depending on their specialty. They all have the same goal…to help us understand and manage our stress, recover, and find ways to lead a satisfying life.

When we feel like we may need this sort of help, it is very important to seek it as soon as possible. Our mind and body are connected. We know now that our body responds to the way we feel and think. Feelings of sadness, anxiety or general unhappiness with life can contribute to medical conditions such as high blood pressure and weakened immune functioning. Your primary care provider can help you find the support that’s best for you. You can also ask relatives or friends who have received mental health care for their recommendations. Remember, we all have worries and fears and stress in our lives. When they become too difficult to manage alone, we owe it to ourselves to find a professional partner to accompany us as we recover, renew ourselves and move forward with our lives.

WHEN IS IT ESSENTIAL?

Sometimes, when life gets really complicated or you feel very upset, angry or sad almost all the time, you may begin to wonder if life is worth living anymore. You may even think about or plan on ending your suffering by ending your life.

This is a very serious matter but you don’t have to feel this way! There is help available to assist you through this very hard time so that you can feel better and be hopeful about your life and your future.

There is help available for you; please reach out to get that help!

If you have thoughts or fantasies or plans to hurt yourself or hurt someone else, it is critical that you tell someone and get help right away. Go to the nearest emergency room, tell the physician or nurse how you feel and ask for help. It is good to have a relative or close friend with you if at all possible but if that is not an option for you, go to the emergency room by yourself. The ER doctors and staff will talk to you, will support you and will figure out what kind of help will be best for you.

If you can’t get to an emergency room on your own, you can dial 911 for emergency services or you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK), a free 24-hour service. A counselor will talk to you on the phone and will help you right away. The Lifeline website has information about mental health care as well. For substance abuse issues, you can call 1-800-662-HELP, a federal hotline.

You can also call your regular or specialized health care provider or social worker and they will direct you to emergency services right away.

There is help available for you; please reach out to get that help!

MAKING CHOICES ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH

Taking care of our emotional well-being, our “mental health,” is as important as caring for our physical health. In fact, our mental health is a vital aspect of our overall well-being. There are many professionals who are dedicated to helping people feel better and function better. They are referred to as “Mental Health Professionals” or “Behavioral Health Service Providers.”

Who are mental health and behavioral health providers? They have different levels and types of education, experience and training. These differences can influence the cost and type of services they provide.

Remember, all effective mental health care providers will talk with you, and will listen to your concerns and questions. They will figure out with you how to manage those issues, whether they are related to anxiety, sadness, anger, loss, agitation or a combination of those and others.

Some of the types of providers who help people with mental health concerns include:

Licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs): they have a bachelor’s (BSW), Master’s (MSW) or a doctorate (DSW or PhD) in social work. Social workers help people with social, mental or behavioral issues in schools, community agencies and hospitals.

Clinical or counseling psychologists: these are people with doctoral degrees in psychology (PhD, PsyD or EdD). They attended graduate school for four or more years after college, completed a supervised internship and passed a special exam. Psychologists talk with you about your feelings, behavior, and life stressors. They discuss ways to help with those issues and provide psychotherapy, counseling and/or behavioral therapy to address your needs. They often work in hospitals or clinics or in private practice with their own office in a community.

Psychiatrists: these are physicians (MDs or DOs) who are trained to diagnose and treat mental health or psychiatric problems. They attended medical school and completed residencies and fellowships. They are available to diagnose conditions and provide psychotherapy and/or medications to address behavioral and mental health needs.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs): they are licensed nurses who often have Master’s degrees with additional training in mental health care. They often work with psychiatrists and can evaluate problems, prescribe medication and provide counseling in clinics, hospitals, doctor’s offices and community agencies.

Physicians, such as general practitioners, neurologists, family practitioners and internists: these doctors may identify mental health problems in patients they see for other reasons. They can prescribe medication to address mental health needs. They also refer their patients to mental health professionals for psychotherapy/counselling and continued care.

Licensed clinical mental health and substance abuse counselors: they have a master’s degree (MS, MA or MEd) and provide mental health and substance use treatment in community mental health centers and agencies and in private practice.

Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors (LADCs): they receive training to assess and treat alcohol and drug addiction problems in a variety of inpatient and outpatient centers.

Similar to other health care workers, some mental health care providers specialize in certain areas of mental health care. For example, some may specialize in treatment for depression and/or anxiety, while others may specialize in treating addiction problems. Typically, providers share this in directories where their services are found, but it is also a question you may want to ask when looking for a provider.

Additionally, there are a number of different models or types of therapy that guide the way a therapist provides counseling. Not all types of therapy are right for everyone. You can ask a therapist what type of counseling they do before beginning therapy. If you feel your choice of therapist is not a good fit for you, don’t give up! It’s important that you find a good match with someone you feel you can trust and with whom you feel comfortable. No matter which type of provider you choose, all effective mental health providers will listen in a non-judgmental way and work together with you to understand how to get back on track to feeling and thinking in healthier, more satisfying ways.

WHO CAN I TALK TO IF I NEED HELP IN FINDING MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES?

It’s always wise to talk to your regular or specialty health care provider to obtain guidance about mental health care resources. They will be happy to assist you! They can also direct you to other members of the health care team who can provide help and guidance.

PAYING FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH CARE

If you have health care insurance, your mental health needs are usually covered to some extent. Each plan is different though, so you need to review your plan’s coverage and contact your plan’s service representatives for extra guidance and advice. They will tell you which mental health care providers are in your ‘network’ and available to you. Your primary caregiver’s staff can also help you understand whatever coverage you have and whether you will have to pay extra for your mental health care. This is especially important to understand if you need inpatient care or partial hospitalization.