If you’re searching for a mental health professional, try talking to your doctor first. They can assess you, and can refer you to another health professional if needed. In some cases, your doctor will treat you themselves. You need a referral from your doctor to see some health professionals, such as psychiatrists.
Types of Mental Health Professionals. Examples include art therapist, music therapist. The following mental health professionals can prescribe medication; however, they may not provide therapy: Psychiatrist – A medical doctor with special training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional illnesses.
Information, online and phone counseling for people of all ages, who can contact trained mental health professionals 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. General mental health services.
If you situation is life threatening you need to call emergency service provider in your area
However, in general, options may include:
- Cognitive and behavioral therapies
- Support groups
- Family therapy
- Yoga
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Acupuncture and acupressure
- Bodywork and massage
- Herbal supplements
- Aromatherapy
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur when someone experiences or witnesses a traumatic experience. The symptoms can be avoidant (e.g., causing the person to want to avoid anything that triggers memories of the event), aggressive, or negative in nature, and intrusive on the person’s ability to function in day-to-day life. Treatment may vary based on the symptoms experienced, however, they often include some combination of medication and psychotherapy.
Psychotherapy:
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Guided eye movements performed in combination with a retelling of the trauma event can help to diminish its power and decrease the negative symptoms experienced by the client.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: This style of talk therapy helps clients to recognize the patterns they exhibit in response to different events and situations, and assists them in altering those patterns with shifts in perspective.
- Support groups: Meeting regularly with others to share experiences and tips can be beneficial to all involved.
- Exposure therapy: Being exposed to some aspect of the trauma can help to minimize the power of the event and put control back into the hands of the client.
Medication:
- Anti-anxiety medications: Depending upon the substance of choice, an anti-anxiety medication can help to diminish the level of tension experienced.
- Antidepressants: Managing depression and grief related to the traumatic event can be instrumental in facilitating therapeutic healing.
- Sleep aids: Insomnia and nightmares are often issues for people living with PTSD, and the right sleep aids can make a big difference.
Yes. Genetics play a role in the development of a mental health disorder. First, a person’s genes may make that person more likely to experience mental health symptoms like depression or anxiety or to develop a personality disorder if a parent, sibling, or grandparent also struggled with the disorder. Second, being raised in a family in which one or more members is living with an untreated mental health disorder may cause someone to learn those behaviors and be less likely to recognize the need for treatment later.
It is not easy to broach the subject of mental health with someone who is clearly struggling from the negative effects of an untreated mental health disorder, with or without a co-occurring substance abuse problem. In some cases, one of the symptoms of the disorder may be that the person does not recognize the problems for what they are, but rather views others as the source of the issue. This makes it more difficult to connect the person with treatment and puts many families in a predicament when it comes to helping a loved one heal.
In dire situations – for example, when people are demonstrable threats to their own personal safety or that of others – it may be possible to enforce an involuntary treatment hold. Laws vary by state and procedures must be followed carefully.
In other situations, if there is a hope that the person will see reason and experience clarity in deciding how best to manage the problem of co-occurring disorders and proceed with treatment, then an intervention can be a helpful method to connect a loved one with treatment. Families are encouraged to:
- Handpick a few concerned, balanced family members who are all united in their goal of helping the person enroll in treatment.
- Hire a professional family mediator (e.g., interventionist) to manage the event and make sure it goes as smoothly as possible.
- Enroll the person in treatment in advance to ensure that that person can immediately begin treatment after the intervention.
- Remain calm, nonjudgmental, and focused solely on helping the person recognize the need for immediate treatment.
