Whom can I call if I feel that my rights have been violated?
When I need help, where can I go?
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 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.
I don't have adequate personal finances, medical insurance,
or hospitalization coverage where would I get the money to pay
for the service I may need?
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.
Are there other places to go for help?
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. You may contact local chapters of self-help organizations
to learn about various services
available in your community.
I don't like to bother other people with my problems. Wouldn't
it be better just to wait and work things out by myself?
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.
Suppose I decide to go ahead and visit a mental health center.
What goes on in one of those places?
A specially trained staff member will talk with you about the
things that are worrying you.
Talk? I can talk to a friend for free why pay someone?
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.
How can just talking make problems disappear?
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.
Are psychiatrists the only ones who can help?
No. A therapist does not have to be a psychiatrist. A number of
psychologists, social workers, nurses, mental health counselors,
and others have been specially trained and licensed to work effectively
with people's mental and emotional difficulties. However, only
a psychiatrist is a medical doctor and therefore qualified to
prescribe medication.
Since I work all day, it would be hard to go to a center during
regular working hours. Are centers open at night or on weekends?
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.
And how about doctors in private practice do they sometimes
see their patients after working hours?
Many doctors have evening hours to accommodate their patients.
Some even see patients very early in the morning before they go
to work.
I feel that I would be helped by going to a mental health center.
Actually, I think my spouse could be helped too. But the idea
of going to a "mental health center" would seem threatening
to my spouse. Could I just pretend that it's something else?
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.
If I go to a mental health center, what kind of treatment will
I get?
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.
Does taking therapy for mental and emotional problems always
work?
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.
What if I really try, but I still can't feel comfortable with
the therapist?
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 in your area.
What if I am receiving medication and don't think it is helping?
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.
Does a mental health center provide services for children?
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.
I have an elderly parent who has trouble remembering even close
members of the family. He is physically still quite active and
has wandered off a number of times. Could someone help with this?
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.
I have a friend who says she could use some professional help,
but she is worried about keeping it confidential.
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.
I have a relative with a severe mental problem. Should I urge
this person to go to the hospital?
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.
Do emergency cases wind up as long-term patients in mental
hospitals?
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.
I have heard people use the term "involuntary commitment."
What does this mean?
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.
Whom can I call if I feel that my rights have been violated
or if I want to report suspected violation of rights, abuse, or
neglect?
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. For the name of the P&A agency in your state, contact
the National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems.
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