Getting enable for mental overall health | NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

Getting enable for mental overall health | NIH MedlinePlus Magazine


About 1 in 5 Americans live with a mental overall health situation. If you or an individual you know is struggling, it is crucial to know that enable is accessible.

Your mental overall health matters

Mental overall health is your all round mental well-being. It’s shaped by your life experiences, relationships, physical overall health, household overall health history, and atmosphere.

Mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiousness, and post-traumatic pressure disorder, can impact how you really feel and feel and can make it really hard to total every day tasks. If you are dealing with mental overall health difficulties or illness, you are not alone.

When to get enable

Recognizing when you do not really feel like oneself is the initially step. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, and they do not go away immediately after a couple of weeks, it may be time to attain out for enable: 

  • Feeling sad, hopeless, or irritable 
  • Experiencing anxiousness that does not go away (this can include things like feeling tense, nervous, or restless, and possessing a fast heart price)
  • Losing interest in activities you used to enjoy 
  • Having low power, feeling sluggish or tired 
  • Problems with sleep (not acquiring sufficient sleep or sleeping as well considerably) 
  • Changes in appetite and weight
  • Thinking about hurting oneself

Asking for enable may well really feel difficult, specifically if you have in no way worked with a mental overall health skilled just before. But it is the greatest way to get the help you want. 

Getting enable in an emergency

If you or an individual you know desires enable suitable away contact 9-1-1. You can also attain out to:

  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-Speak (8255) or use the Lifeline Chat on-line at suicidepreventionlifeline.org
  • Crisis Text Line. Text “HOME” to 741741 to connect with a educated crisis counselor. 

How to get enable

Talk to your overall health care provider. Mention your mental overall health issues at your next overall health care pay a visit to or contact to schedule an appointment. Your overall health care provider knows you and your health-related history and can enable you obtain a mental overall health skilled. 

Before your pay a visit to:

  • Think about what you want to speak about, such as the precise symptoms you have been possessing.
  • Bring a list of any medicines you are taking.
  • Find out about your family’s mental overall health history if you can.

If it tends to make you more comfy, you can ask an individual you trust to come with you to the appointment. NIMH has tips for talking to your provider about your mental health concerns

Find remedy close to you. You do not want to have overall health insurance coverage to get help. There are federal sources and nearby organizations in your neighborhood that can enable you obtain certified providers and services. 

  • Contact the HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Call 1-800-662-Enable (4357), text 435748 (HELP4U), contact TTY 1-800-487-4889, or pay a visit to findtreatment.samhsa.gov to obtain nearby remedy facilities, help groups, and neighborhood-primarily based organizations. 
  • Find a overall health center. Health centers give neighborhood-primarily based principal overall health care, such as mental overall health remedy. Your nearby overall health center can enable you obtain services and remedy. Find a Health Center close to you. 
  • Check out FindRemedy.gov. Visit FindTreatment.gov to understand about distinct sorts of remedy choices and obtain a remedy facility in your location. 

For more sources and information and facts about acquiring enable for mental illness, pay a visit to the NIMH Find Help page

Different sorts of treatment 

When it comes to mental overall health, there’s no “one size fits all” remedy. A educated mental overall health skilled can enable you address your mental overall health issues and enhance your mental well-being. There are distinct sorts of mental overall health specialists, and it is crucial to obtain an individual who has the suitable experience and aids you really feel comfy. You and your provider should really work with each other to obtain the remedy or mixture of remedies that will work greatest for you. 

Depending on your scenario, history, biology, and preferences, your remedy program may include things like:

  • Psychotherapy. Psychotherapy (or speak therapy) is a type of remedy that aids you recognize damaging feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, and understand how to transform them. To obtain out more about speak therapy, pay a visit to Psychotherapies from the NIH National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH).
  • Medication. Medications may well enable you handle some symptoms and can be an crucial component of the all round remedy program. Medications from time to time work greatest in mixture with therapy. To obtain out more, pay a visit to Mental Health Medications from NIMH. 
  • Brain stimulation therapy. Brain stimulation therapies use electrical energy to transform how the brain performs. Read more about Brain Stimulation Therapies from NIMH. 

Mental overall health care providers may well give services in individual or on-line (telemental overall health). Check out Telemental Health from NIMH to understand more about telemental overall health and how to obtain a virtual provider.
 

Young lady in therapy.

Get help

Support groups can be a excellent way to connect with other individuals who are dealing with comparable difficulties. You can obtain help groups on-line or join 1 in your nearby neighborhood. 

  • Contact the NAMI HelpLine. Call 800-950-NAMI (6264) or pay a visit to www.nami.org/help to connect with volunteers across the nation and get help, information and facts, and sources. 
  • Visit Mental Health America. Visit www.mhanational.org/find-support-groups for a directory of mental overall health peer help applications.

Remember, you are not in this alone. Help is accessible. 

Alternative accessible version (pdf)



Originally published in magazine.medlineplus.gov