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For information about resources available in
your community, contact your local mental health
center or one of the local affiliates of national
self-help organizations. These agencies can provide
you with information on services designed to meet
the needs of those suffering from mental health
disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, panic
disorder, and other anxiety conditions. In addition,
they will have information regarding services
designed for specific cultural groups, children, the
elderly, HIV-infected individuals, and refugees.
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In publicly funded mental health centers, such
as those funded by state, city or county
governments, the cost of many services is calculated
according to what you can afford to pay. So, if you
have no money, or very little, services are still
provided. This is called a sliding-scale or
sliding-fee basis of payment. Many employers make
assistance programs available to their employees,
often without charge. These programs - usually
called Employee Assistance Programs - are designed
to provide mental health services, including
individual psychotherapy, family counseling, and
assistance with problems of drug and alcohol abuse.
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Yes, there are alternatives. Many mental health
programs operate independently. These include local
clinics, family service agencies, mental health
self-help groups, private psychiatric hospitals,
private clinics, and private practitioners. If you
go to a private clinic or practitioner, you will pay
the full cost of the services, less the amount paid
by your insurer or some other payment source. There
are also many self-help organizations that operate
drop-in centers and sponsor gatherings for group
discussions to deal with problems associated with
bereavement, suicide, depression, anxiety, phobias,
panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder,
schizophrenia, drugs, alcohol, eating disorders
(bulimia, anorexia nervosa, obesity), spouse and
child abuse, sexual abuse, rape, and coping with the
problems of aging parents - to name a few. In
addition, there are private practitioners who
specialize in treating one or more of these
problems. Our
Provider Directory lists
many local practitioners with information about
their services and specialties. You may also contact
local chapters of self-help organizations to learn
about various services available in your community.
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That's like having a toothache and not going to
the dentist. The results are the same - you keep on
hurting and the problem will probably get worse.
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A specially trained staff member will talk with
you about the things that are worrying you.
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You're quite right. If you have a wise and
understanding friend who is willing to listen to
your problems, you may not need professional help at
all. But often that's not enough. You may need a
professionally trained person to help you uncover
what's really bothering you. Your friend probably
does not have the skills to do this.
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When you're talking to someone who has
professional training and has helped many others
with problems similar to yours, that person is able
to see the patterns in your life that have led to
your unhappiness. In therapy, the job is to help you
recognize those patterns - and you may try to change
them. There may be times, however, when you will
need a combination of "talk" therapy and medication.
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No. A therapist does not have to be a
psychiatrist. A number of psychologists, social
workers, psychiatric nurses, mental health
counselors, and others have been specially trained
and licensed to work effectively with people's
mental and emotional difficulties. However, only
psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners
(in most states) are qualified to prescribe
medication. Click
here to
learn more about the different types of therapists
who can help.
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Often centers offer night or weekend
appointments. Just contact the center for an
appointment, which may be set up for a time that is
convenient for both you and the center.
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Many therapists have evening hours to
accommodate their patients. Some even see patients
very early in the morning before they go to work.
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No indeed. It's better to talk your spouse into
it than to lie. Don't jeopardize trust by being
deceptive. However, you may want to discuss it first
with the center. Marital or family therapy is
available when a problem exists that involves more
than one family member.
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There are many kinds of treatment. A
professional at the center will work with you in
determining the best form for your needs. Depending
on the nature of the illness being treated,
psychotherapy and/or treatment with medication may
be recommended. Sometimes, joining a group of people
who have similar problems is best; at other times,
talking individually to a therapist is the answer.
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Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn't. It
primarily depends on you and the therapist. It is
important to share your concerns in a serious,
sincere, and open manner. Only if you are completely
honest and open can you expect to receive the best
support and advice.
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There should be a "fit" between your personality
and that of the therapist. Someone else - or some
other method - may be more suitable for you. You can
ask your therapist for a referral to another mental
health professional, or, if you prefer, you can call
one of the mental health associations for the names
of other therapists.
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If there is little or no change in your symptoms
after five to six weeks, a different medication may
be tried. Some people respond better to one
medication than another. Some people also are helped
by combining treatment with medications and another
form of therapy.
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Yes. Children's services are an important part
of any center's program. Children usually respond
very well to short-term help if they are not
suffering from a severe disorder. Families often are
asked to participate and are consulted if the child
is found to have a serious disorder - such as
autism, childhood depression, obsessive-compulsive
disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,
or anorexia nervosa or bulimia - and long-term
treatment is needed.
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A staff person at a center can advise you about
ways you can best care for your parent. You may be
referred to a special agency or organization that
provides services designed especially to meet the
needs of elderly people. The department of public
welfare in your county can give you addresses and
telephone numbers for both your county and state
agencies on aging. These agencies provide
information on services and programs for the
elderly.
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She needn't worry. Confidentiality is basic to
therapy, and the patient has the right to control
access to information about her treatment.
Professional association guidelines plus federal and
state laws underscore the importance of
confidentiality in therapist-client relationships
and govern the release of records. Some insurance
companies require certain information from the
therapist as a condition for payment, but that
information can be released only if the patient
gives written permission. If your friend wants to
know exactly who gets information and what kind of
information is released, she should ask her
insurance provider and discuss it in detail with the
therapist.
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A person who is mentally ill should be in a
hospital only if it is absolutely necessary. In
general, most mental health professionals believe
that persons with mental illness should live in the
community and be treated there. That's why mental
health centers and community support and
rehabilitation programs stress the importance of
having many different services available: day,
night, and weekend care, and outpatient treatment
through regular visits to an office or clinic.
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Generally no. Mental hospitals are used today
for short-term crisis intervention when there are no
other community services available or when a person
needs extra care to stabilize a drug treatment
regimen. Also they serve the small percentage of
patients who need long-term, structured, supervised
care and treatment in a protective setting.
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In an emergency (for example, where a person is
considered a danger to self or others), it is
possible for someone to be admitted to a hospital
for a short period against his or her will. The
exact procedures that must be followed vary from one
area to another, according to state and local laws.
At the end of the emergency commitment period, the
state must either release the individual, obtain his
or her voluntary consent to extend commitment, or
file with the court an extended commitment petition
to continue to detain the person involuntarily. Most
states require an emergency commitment hearing to be
held within two to four days after hospital
admission to justify continued involuntary
confinement.
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Federal law provides that each state have a
Protection and Advocacy (P&A) System. These
agencies, partially funded by the Center
for Mental Health Services, investigate reports
of abuse and neglect in public or private mental
health or treatment facilities for current residents
or those admitted or discharged during the past 90
days. Click
here to
view the contact information for the P&A agency in
your state.
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Psychiatrists:
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes
in mental disorders, is licensed to practice
medicine, and has completed a year of internship and
three years of specialty training. A board-certified
psychiatrist has, in addition, practiced for at
least two years and passed the written and oral
examinations of the American Board of Psychiatry and
Neurology. Psychiatrists can evaluate and diagnose
all types of mental disorders, carry out biomedical
treatments and psychotherapy, and work with
psychological problems associated with medical
disorders. Like other medical doctors, they can
prescribe medication. Child psychiatrists specialize
in working with children; geriatric psychiatrists
concentrate on helping the aged.
Psychologists:
Psychologists who conduct psychotherapy and work
with individuals, groups, or families to resolve
problems generally are called clinical or counseling
psychologists. They work in many settings – for
example, mental health centers, hospitals and
clinics, schools, employee assistance programs, and
private practice. In most states, a licensed
clinical psychologist has completed a doctoral
degree from a university program with specialized
training and experience requirements and has
successfully completed a professional licensure
examination.
The field of psychology also includes
those who specialize in such areas as testing,
community organization, industrial relations, and
laboratory research.
Clinical Social Workers:
Clinical social workers have master's or doctoral
degrees in social work, at least two years of
post-graduate experience in a supervised clinical
setting, and have passed an examination required for
state licensure. In addition to individual, family,
and group counseling and psychotherapy, they are
trained in client-centered advocacy. This includes
information, referral, direct intervention with
governmental and civic agencies, and expansion of
community resources.
Marriage and Family Therapists:
Marriage and Family Therapist are state licensed as
counselors to provide psychotherapy and counseling
for families, couples, groups, and individuals. They
have at least a master's degree, two years of
supervised post-degree experience, and have passed a
state comprehensive examination. Therapists with
other licenses may also be qualified to conduct
marriage and family therapy.
Professional Counselors:
Professional Counselors have at least a master's
degree, two years of supervised clinical experience,
and have passed an examination required for state
licensure. In states without licensure or
certification laws, professional counselors are
certified by the National Board for Certified
Counselors (NBCC). They provide quality mental
health and substance abuse care to individuals,
families, groups and organizations. They may be
trained in a variety of therapeutic techniques and
approaches.
Psychiatric Nurses:
Psychiatric nursing is a specialized area of
professional nursing practice that is concerned with
prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of
mental-health-related problems. These nurses are
registered professional nurses, and those who have
advanced academic degrees at the master's degree
level or above can become advanced practice
registered nurses (APRNs). APRNs are qualified to
practice independently and provide the full range of
primary mental health care services to individuals,
families, groups and communities. In most states,
psychiatric nurses in advanced practice have the
authority to prescribe medication.
Bipolar Disorder: I
have developed a program utilizing Cinematherapy as
a tool. Movies affect us powerfully because the
synergistic impact of music, dialogue, lighting,
camera angles and sound effects enables a film to
bypass our ordinary defensive censors. They draw us
into the viewing experience and at the same time -
often more easily than in real life - afford a
unique opportunity to retain a perspective outside
the experience, the observer's view.
Coupled together with group
therapy of ones peers and you have a dynamic forum
to facilitate change in the clients behavioral
patterns reinforced over time. This type of therapy
is not an invasive experience to the client thus
eliminating stress and anxiety the client often
feels at an individual therapy session. The
experience of the facilitator (Therapist) is the
crucial key that helps the group grow and evolve. By
gently leading the group through the use of tailored
questions about the scene in the movie they just
watched, the facilitator induces new patterns of
thought reinforced by the emotion triggered by the
movie.
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The information above was adapted from material
provided by SAMHSA's
National Mental Health Information Center. |