Mental Health Resources:

Every person struggles with their mental health at some point in their lives. Using coping strategies that you’ve developed over time or talking with people you trust can often help you get over the hurdles you face in life. At times these just may not feel like enough.

Many people seek out the help of a professional when their ability to cope has been overwhelmed or they want a fresh perspective. If you are spending a lot of time dealing with an issue or it’s significantly interfering with some part of your life, it may be time to seek out help.

Both medication and therapy have been proven effective for treating mental health concerns. Some concerns respond better to medications so you will need to talk with a mental health provider to determine if medication is the best option. If you have taken medication in the past, and it has been helpful, you may decide to start medication again.

Many concerns also respond well to therapy only. Many people prefer therapy because they like understanding why they’ve developed certain patterns and want to learn lifelong coping skills. Whether you try one or both depends on your unique situation and your comfort. We encourage making this decision in consultation with a mental health professional.

Talk therapy, also known as psychotherapy, is a collaboration between you and a mental health provider based in dialogue. There are many approaches to psychotherapy and many types of providers that can help you learn the skills you need to overcome your challenges. Mental health providers that are trained to provide psychotherapy include marriage and family therapists, counselors, psychologists, clinical social workers and psychiatrists.

Providers who are licensed to prescribe medicine often include psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses (a specific type of NP), clinical nurse specialists, primary care physicians, and physician assistants. Depending on which state you live in, different providers may be allowed to prescribe.

These providers may also offer talk therapy if they have received additional training. Talk therapy can help you alongside medicine.

No. A diagnosis is not necessary to receive mental health care. People struggle with mental health concerns along a continuum. Some have a diagnosis for what they are experiencing and others don’t. If you want to know if your concerns meet the criteria for a diagnosis, you can talk about this with any licensed mental health provider.

You may or may not need to seek consent depending on your state’s laws. Here’s a review of state laws regarding parental consent for mental health treatment: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4393016/

When you will feel better will be different for everyone. Some people feel better right away because getting started and having support instills hope. Having someone validate your concerns can feel like you are less alone.

For some, starting the process can be hard, and sometimes you may feel worse before you feel better. Please don’t let this scare you away from therapy. It just means that talking about things you don’t typically talk about can bring up uncomfortable feelings. It’s a process, and if you stick with it, you will feel better.

Also, we’re not very good at remembering how we used to feel, so it can be hard to compare how we feel today with how we felt yesterday. One way to track how you feel is to chart your progress on a scale. Your provider can help you do this during your visits. Some people like to journal about their feelings so they can look back and read about how they used to feel and compare it to the present.

If many weeks go by and you are not feeling better, it’s a good time to talk with your provider. The two of you can figure out if another approach is needed.

Every person has different needs when it comes to their mental health, so the length of treatment is different for everyone. Ultimately, how long you stay in treatment is up to you. Factors that may impact your length of treatment include the severity of your concerns, how long it takes for you to feel comfortable and to open up with your provider, how frequently you meet, and other life events are going on outside of treatment.

Having a conversation about how long treatment may take is a good one to have with your provider. The goal is always to feel better so you can “graduate” from care. Once you are finished, you can always return for a “tune up” when needed.