The most crucial part of mental health help can feel like the hardest one: finding a community. Let alone one who can gain your trust and hold the knowledge you need on a professional level. A community that can become your ally against mental health.
This process not only needs persistence, but it can take a lot of time to reach mental health help while finding a community for yourself.
Following the steps of the plan listed below might be the best way to find a community that’s right for you and the treatment of your mental health.
Decide Which Community You’re Looking For
A lot of people will have varying reasons for seeking mental health help from a professional. Maybe they’re just looking for someone to talk to, or maybe they think they need help from medications to balance their symptoms.
Whatever the reason, most of those struggling with mental health conditions will need to create a community with more than one professional. Who together can both treat the biological side with medications, as well as the emotional and behavioral side with therapies and other treatments.
Following are some things to consider:
- If you haven’t spoken with a physician, you should see one for a physical exam. Many illnesses can cause symptoms similar to mental illness. Even if you don’t think your condition requires medical treatment, tell a doctor about your symptoms and get a proper diagnosis.
- If you have a mental health condition that may benefit from medication, you should probably consult a mental health specialist, such as a psychiatrist, rather than relying on a primary care doctor. Primary care doctors are important allies in managing your “big picture” health, but a specialist has had more experience treating conditions like yours.
- If you’re seeking help with emotions, behaviors and thinking patterns, you should locate a therapist or counselor. Like doctors, therapists and counselors have specialties, so you can find one who knows about your specific condition.
- If you have to wait for an appointment, you can start using other support resources in the meantime. Peer support groups are usually available for free. Your local mental health authority may also be able to connect you with licensed peer specialists in your state.
- If you need assistance with housing and employment, or have multiple health challenges or difficulties affording treatment, you may benefit from having a social worker on your treatment team.
Make Sure They’re Covered
If you do have your own health insurance, you should reach out to your carrier for information. Such as the numbers of mental health professionals in your area who are covered by your existing insurance plan.
Getting at least 3 names and contact information will help to ensure a good option. When speaking with your insurance provider, you should also take the time to clarify your insurance benefits before treatment.
Below are some questions you may need to ask:
- Can you make a direct appointment with a psychiatrist, or do you need to see a primary care doctor first for a referral?
- How does your plan cover visits to therapists? Therapy coverage can vary greatly between insurance plans.
- If you need help with a specific condition such as addiction or an eating disorder, ask for doctors with the subspecialty you need.
If you do not currently have health insurance, your first stop should be your community mental health center.
Reach Out for Help
If you are looking for mental health help, but are too afraid to call someone yourself, use your loved ones as an ally by asking them to make that call for you.
Making an appointment is a huge step towards getting the help you need. If it’s your first time getting a diagnosis, ensure you tell the professional so that they can create enough space to have the appropriate conversations with you.
Even if there’s a long wait with who you’re trying to get an appointment with, make that appointment anyway. Then make appointments with your next choices and this allows you to have back up plans in place. You can always cancel other appointments and go to the person who offers you help the soonest.
Another option is to join the cancellation list for the facility you’re waiting to see. That way if a patient cancels at the last minute, an appointment for you can come earlier than you thought.
If finding a community and mental health help is something you don’t feel can wait, you should reach out to your primary care doctor right away for possible treatments or support in the meantime. They should be able to help you get through until you can be a part of the community you need.
If you feel like you, or your loved one, are in an emergency and need help immediately, please seek medical attention right away at the nearest hospital.
Mental Health Help: Finding a Community for You
When first visiting a mental health professional, such as a doctor or therapist, you might be looking for advice but are still deciding whether they’re right for you.
It’s always good to ask questions and be open and honest about the type of community you’re looking for support from long term.
Following are questions you may want to ask yourself when finding a community:
- Are you comfortable around this person? They may be someone with a highly reputable community, with the needed education and experience, but that’s not the most important thing. It’s more important for you to work well with them and have the energy you need to heal.
Any personal questions they ask can seem uncomfortable when seeing a mental health professional, but the person themself should never make you feel not comfortable, or like they’re against you.
- Does this person have the right amount of profession experience and education needed?
- How long have they been working with people who are struggling with similar issues to your own?
- What’s their plan for you both to work together on your goals and evaluate your future progress?
- What do the expectations of you working together look like? How often are they available to meet, compared to your needs? Are they available over the phone, or email between your appointments?
- What does their accepted payment method look like compared to your availability? Do you have to meet insurance copays, or deductibles, if so, how much? (These professionals prefer to know this ahead of time, so no problems arise in the middle of your professional treatment with them, interrupting your care.)
- Does this provider understand and respect you as a person? Is your cultural background, or other personal identifiers something they’re able to properly respect and understand?
Mental Health Help: Finding a Community at New Roads
When it comes to mental health help, New Roads wants to help you find the right community for you. We know it’s not the easiest process, but it’s always worth the hard work.
One of the main focuses in the mental health community, such as rehabilitation centers, treatment programs, or other related groups is that there is hope for recovery. This is something the community of mental health help strives for every day.
To understand the process of recovery and treatment properly, hope is something that needs to be instilled in everyone. It doesn’t without a community who is actively involved in helping those who need it.
When on the path to recovery, patients can feel confused when looking for the proper diagnosis, the right community of help, as well as being patient in the process of treatment. With such a strenuous process, having family and friends in their community as well is important.
If you, or a loved one are struggling to find a community for mental health help, New Roads is a great option.
For those that are experiencing the effects of mental health conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder or substance abuse; it can be a frightening thing. These communities can help prepare others to learn how to support loved ones going through some of these things to know what to expect, what things to watch out for and how to best react. Being prepared for a variety of outcomes can help keep expectations realistic and positive as well.
Recovery is possible.
Contact Us
2450 E Fort Union Blvd.
Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121
1-888-358-8998
info@newroadstreatment.com