Mental Health
Mental Health Treatment
Treatment options for mental health generally involve therapy, medication and/or a combination of both. Treatment strategy will depend on the disorder, the severity of symptoms, personal preference and the recommendations of mental health professionals.
Psychotherapy: Therapeutic treatment of mental illness provided by a trained mental health professional. Psychotherapy examines thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and aims to improve an individual’s well being.
Medication: Medication does not outright cure mental illness. However, it may help a person to manage their symptoms.
Case Management: Case management coordinates services for an individual with the help of a trained case manager. A case manager can evaluate, plan, and implement a number of ways to make possible a recovery.
Support Group: A group meeting where participants guide each other towards the shared goal of recovery. Support groups are often comprised of peers that have suffered from similar experiences.
Self Help Plan: A self-help plan is a health plan unique to the individual where they can address their condition by implementing strategies that promote wellness.
Hospitalization: In a minority of cases, hospitalization may be necessary so that an individual can be closely monitored, accurately diagnosed or have medications adjusted when that individual's mental illness temporarily worsens.
-Mental Health America
Mental Health Prevention
Prevention of Major depression, dysthymic depression and minor depression:
-Take steps to control stress, to increase your resilience and to boost your self-esteem.
-Healthy diet and exercise.
-Avoid the use of drugs and alcohol.
-Reach out to family and friends, especially in times of crisis, to help you weather rough spells.
-Get treatment at the earliest sign of a problem to help prevent depression from worsening.
-Consider getting long-term maintenance treatment to help prevent a relapse of symptoms.
If you or someone you know is experiencing depressive symptoms seek out support from family, friends, spiritual leader or mental health professional.
Suicide Prevention
Suicide is a serious problem that takes an immense toll on families, friends, communities and on our military personnel and veterans.
Facts
-Suicide is the 10th leading cause for death in America.
-The suicide rate is 4 times higher among men than women.
-In 2013, the highest suicide rate was among people 45 to 64 years old. The second highest rate occurred in those 85 years and older.
-White males accounted for 70% of all suicides in 2013
-Firearms are the most common method of death by suicide, accounting for a little more than half of all suicide deaths.
Warning Signs
If you are concerned, immediate action is very important. Suicide can be prevented and most people who feel suicidal demonstrate warning signs. Recognizing some of these warning signs is the first step in helping yourself or someone you care about.
Talking about killing themselves, having no reason to live, experiencing unbearable pain, feeling trapped or being a burden to others.
Begins to look for a way to kill themselves.
Increases alcohol or drug consumption.
Isolating themselves from family, friends or activities.
Behaving recklessly.
Displaying moods of depression, rage, humiliation, anxiety and irritability.
Sleeping too little or too much.
-National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
If you feel you are in a crisis, whether or not you are thinking about killing yourself, please talk to a trusted family member or friend about what you are experiencing or call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
