Thank you to everyone who has recently contributed to our discussion topic and poll looking at access to mental health care.
Today, I want to share some practical ways you can take charge of your mental health and access the care that can make a meaningful difference.
Start with Your Primary Care Physician:
Your primary care physician is often a gateway to mental health care. Schedule a visit with your doctor to discuss your concerns, as they can provide initial assessments, offer advice, and recommend appropriate mental health resources. They may also refer you to mental health specialists or therapists who can provide more specialized care.
Explore Telehealth Services:
The advent of telehealth has transformed the accessibility of mental health care. Many therapists and mental health professionals now offer virtual consultations, providing a convenient and comfortable way to receive support. Platforms like BetterHelp, Talkspace, and others connect individuals with licensed therapists for online counseling, making mental health care more accessible regardless of geographical location.
Utilize Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs):
If you're employed, inquire about your workplace's Employee Assistance Program (EAP). EAPs often offer confidential counseling services, either in-person or through telehealth, to help employees address a range of personal and mental health concerns. Take advantage of this employee benefit to access confidential and supportive assistance.
Explore Online Mental Health Apps and Resources:
Numerous mental health apps and online resources offer self-help tools, meditation exercises, and coping strategies. Apps like Headspace, Calm, and Mindfulness Coach provide a range of mental health resources that can be accessed at your convenience. While these tools are not a substitute for professional care, they can complement your mental health journey. Here on HealthUnlocked we have various communities to help connect you with people who are going through similar mental health journey's.
Reach Out to Supportive Friends and Family:
Don't underestimate the power of a support system. Share your feelings with friends or family members you trust. They can offer emotional support, and sometimes, they may have valuable recommendations for mental health professionals or resources. Building a support network is an integral part of mental well-being.
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By exploring these practical ways to access mental health care, individuals can take meaningful steps on their journey to mental well-being and resilience. Remember, reaching out for help is a sign of strength, and there are resources and professionals ready to provide the support needed for a healthier and happier life.
Written by
AnnaHU
HealthUnlocked
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All great tips but access is difficult. See a GP if you are persistent which is hard if you are ill . Many take drastic measures to be seen and heard as desperate and can’t wait . Support groups are thin on the ground .Many are only weekdays 9-5 and some don’t pick up the phone . Many are too ill to go on line and my employer has little or no support. If you are ill you go home and sick pay is a hoop jump and embarrassing as it’s a tell all experience. Many say they are physically ill as still stigmatised in my industry as we look after children so we are seen as role models.
Dear AnnaHUI know you are being helpful and trying to help people be proactive with improving their mental health, and I welcome that.
From experience, my GP was next to useless in any understanding of mental health, let alone the treatment. I was just told to self-refer to local mental health services.
Your suggestion of on-line help, is flawed in that most if not all require payment to access help. Due to losing my job, I could not afford this self-help. Nor could I afford a private consultation.
Regarding family and friends, in my case, they do not understand and gradually disappear because they themselves cannot hack it, and cannot help in any meaningful way because of their own commitments and wider issues.
I am certain your suggestions may be helpful to some people, especially those with spare money. Also, I think it depends on the cause and severity of the mental health decline.
Thank you for trying though.
1) Did that. Have a fabulous GP. Have been on a waiting list in order that a psychiatrist can look into other types of antidepressants since April 2022. Currently I’m prescribed the least dangerous anti depressant to take with anti epileptics, thanks to my GP & Neurologist having those discussions.
2) Nope . Tried that wasted hundreds of pounds with unsuitable, often dangerous therapists on zoom calls . Many of whom had exaggerated their ability to treat complex trauma .
3) I have none
My option has been to pay £105 weekly (that’s a concession rate) for private therapy . Which I use PIP to pay for . It leaves very little room for any additional costs , such as replacing items lost during seizures, in hospital and while fleeing hospital in states of post ictal psychosis.
Thank your for the summarised article. I really appreciate the variety of tele consultation improved theses last years but I would love going forward to see health insurance cover them as for now they aren't covered yet here.
Every tip or method access as suggested will be useful for someone but it all depends on circumstances. My experience with GPs is from the very worst to the very best according their knowledge of MH practices and attiude to their patient. In the worst case our old GP --who's still in business somewhere--was worse than useless. The upshot was my son lived with with next to zero help from NHS and died by his own hand 6 yrs later. 'Professioanals' kept-on should have been dismissed as dangerous, but were protected and covered up by NHS complaints system and its corrupted Ombudsman system. More patients suffered the same fate for the same reasons, sad to say. Ther was never the value of learning seen and shared for others, excepot for what I could share personally with inside NHS contacts.
With regard to my own shots at counselling ... very varied again. From the start, after son's death it was useful for a while but nothing was available for deep seated traumas due to son's sudden potentially avoidable deathto the aftermath of NHS/PHSO, deceit, whitewash, lying, manipulation of events, collusion over NHS version of failures and having to tackle this trying again and again, against abusive arrogant responses on top of the awful events surrounding death in family and couldnt care less 'Care'.
No counsellin provided by Services was really of any great use... far to weak and not tackling the root causes. Some voluntary couselling offered by a respected NHS Prof. within the same failing Trust was just-in-time and was extremely useful in getting my mind-set helped-out, with things to work on.
During Covid there was nothing anywhere without 6 month or more wait, and then possibility of getting a phone call from nowhere local. I didnt go for that. I went online and found help from across the ocean in US 8000 miles away from me. It changed my life, and I'm still here to fight UK NHS Corruption. It was a close call, and I am very grateful for that chance find of support and deep-seated mind-work.
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