You felt like something wasn’t right with your child, family member or friend. You noticed the warning signs. You took action and started the conversation about their mental health and showed them you cared. You came up with a plan and then no one followed through on it.
Did you know you are among the majority of people who start taking steps to getting help or treatment, but then never follow through. I know, I know, it doesn’t sound like it makes sense?
Why would you go through all of the hard work of identifying and confronting the problem head on, and then stop? Why? Because it’s scary. It’s also overwhelming and takes lots of research and initiative.
Here are a few steps to continue the conversation and get some help with treatment options:
- Visit a local Emergency Room or a Mental Health Urgent Care that provides Psychiatric Evaluations.
- If the person you’re helping is experiencing intense emotions and threatening suicide, then you need to take immediate action. Visit your nearest emergency room and they will conduct a psychiatric evaluation and connect you with a local resource for follow up treatment and/or medication.
- If the person you’re helping is experiencing any mental health concerns that are not life-threatening, then contact your insurance and find a psychiatrist or psychologist who will conduct an evaluation to diagnose them and then connect with an appropriate treatment plan.
- If you don’t have insurance, contact a local agency that provides free counseling. Catholic Charities will often provide free services and it varies by county and state.
- You now have a diagnosis and have been connected with a therapist to start weekly sessions.
- Go to every appointment and be as honest as possible, or encourage the person you’re helping to do so.
- Know that you might not connect with the first therapist you meet with and it might be a process to find someone that you like and practices a style of therapy you feel you benefit from.
- It’s not going to be a short-term fix.
- Change takes time. Uncovering the underlying issues the got you to your diagnosis take time. Be patient and open-minded to the strategies your therapist suggests.
- Celebrate progress.
- Share your story or support the person your helping be open about their progress.
- There’s no shame in the game. By sharing they got help and are making progress, that might inspire someone else to take the next steps to get help.
- Know that there will still be bad days, that’s normal, but use the strategies and coping skills that have been practiced with your therapist and let your therapist know when you face a situation that triggers you to experience those intense emotions again.
Have you helped someone take the next steps to repair their mental health? What worked for them? Share your tips below.
