Mental health is just as important as physical health, and seeking treatment for mental health issues is essential for overall well-being. However, finding the right mental health treatment can be a daunting task, especially if you are not familiar with the different types of therapy and mental health professionals available.
If you find that you often ask yourself questions about your mental health, like, “are you mental?” or “do i have a problem?”, it is important that you visit psychological testing services or use the psychological report generator to get the results for the “am i normal test”.
In other cases, if you need to get urgent mental health treatment, considering your budget, your specific mental health concerns, and your personal preferences can aid your choice. It is also important that you check the credibility of the mental health care provider before trusting them with your mental health. It helps to ask for referrals, and research the mental health professionals yourself, before going on to schedule consultations.
While finding the right mental health treatment can take time and effort, you’ll find that this can be an important investment in your overall well-being.
Mental health is a serious issue, both personally and for the economy. 50% of Americans with major depression don’t seek treatment for the illness and the annual cost of depression as a whole on the economy is $80 billion, primarily due to lost productivity or workers and the impact on the healthcare system.
It is thought that around 350 million people around the world are affected by some form of depression, including 11% of adolescents. Women in particular are vulnerable, with women 70% more likely than men to experience depression in their lifetimes.
Many studies show that recovery from depression is most easily achieved through a combination of antidepressants and therapy. Antidepressants are a mixture of different developed psychiatric drugs that affect certain receptors in the brain. They often affect a mixture of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.
Brands names for antidepressants include Prozac, Wellbutrin, and Celexa, among others.
An equally important treatment for depression is psychotherapy. Psychotherapy can be used to treat numerous causes of the illness that are more personal rather than medical. Depression itself can be associated with significant life changes, difficult family situations, and struggles in a marriage.
When considering counseling or psychotherapy services, there are many types of therapy offered by many different licensed clinicians. For instance, psychotherapy may be offered by a licensed clinical social worker, a psychologist, or even a psychiatrist.
A licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) is someone who is licensed to practice therapy, often within their state. A LCSW may use a variety of different therapy modalities, including skills based training, traditional talk therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, or art therapy.
A psychologist is someone who has a Master’s level degree in psychology. Psychologists have the education and training to approach the problem from a more clinical and theoretical level.
A psychiatrist is generally someone who prescribes medication and takes over the medication management of numerous patients. However, a psychiatrist may offer psychotherapy along with medication management or just psychotherapy on its own.
Finding the right therapist may take trial and error, as different personalities may contribute one way or another to the treatment outcome. Many times, a provider will have a specialty. One of the specialties that impacts many American families is family and group therapy.
Family and group therapy are thought to be supportive, safe environments where individuals of the family or group are able to express their feelings and the struggles they are going through while navigating the family and group dynamic. Family and group therapy can take many forms, as group therapy is often seen in a hospital or outpatient setting, while family therapy can be involved with an individual therapist at a private practice.
Finding the right fit is important for you. In one survey, 93% of respondents said they had more effective tools for dealing with their problems. They reported improved physical health and the ability to function better at work.