Mental illnesses refer to a broad range of mental health disorders that affect your thinking, mood, and behavior. Mental illnesses are not the mental health concerns that many people experience from time to time, but ongoing symptoms that cause frequent distress and affect your ability to perform routine tasks.
Depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and addictive behaviors are some of the most common mental illnesses. These conditions can disrupt your daily life, causing problems in your work and relationships.
If someone around you is dealing with a mental illness, the best thing that you can do for them is to find them support. Here we will give you some tips that you can follow to find support for mentally ill patients.
Tip #1 Understand Their Mental Illness and Needs
The first step in finding the right support for mentally ill patients is to understand their mental illness and needs in the episodes of mental illness. This will allow you to help them with immediate help when needed.
For example, if a mentally ill patient is having thoughts of harming themselves, it’s crucial to not wait and provide them immediate support and assistance. Call 911 or text “HOME” to 741-741. You can also contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline toll-free at 988 for help. These helplines are staffed by trained professionals who can offer guidance as needed. They can also provide referrals to local mental health resources.
Tip #2 Look Up Treatment Resources
Start your research by looking for local mental health resources in your area. Search for mental health clinics, counseling services, community health centers, and supports groups in your area that specialize in providing mental illness treatment and care.
Tip#3 Contact Mental Health Organizations
It’s advisable to check for available support at SAMSHA.gov. You can also reach out to mental health organizations such as National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) or other local chapters to find out about help, support groups, and other resources they offer.
Tip#4 Ask for Referrals and Recommendations
You can also ask for recommendations from trusted sources such as family members, friends, and other individuals who have received mental health services. They may be able to recommend a reliable and trustworthy mental health resource. Another good way is to get referrals from your healthcare professionals like primary care doctors.
Tip #5 Check Certification and Training
The safety recovery and overall well-being of a mentally ill patient or your loved one dealing with mental illness are too valuable to entrust to the wrong person. Therefore, make sure that you get your loved one mental health support from providers who are trained and certified in providing care for mental illnesses. This gives you confidence that the provider your loved one is contemplating working with is highly knowledgeable and trained.
Tip #6 Consider Compassion and Compatibility
Choose a mental health provider who has established an excellent reputation for genuine concern for their patient’s safety and well-being. Also, consider if the therapists at the mental health center are the right match for the mentally ill patient.
Mentally Ill? Treatment Near You in Virginia
If you or your loved one is dealing with mental illness and you are looking for a highly reputable behavioral health facility that offers top-notch care for mental illnesses, look no further than EPIC Health Partners.
We are a community-based behavioral health facility that addresses the mental and behavioral health needs of patients of all ages including children and adults. We provide both clinic-based and community-based services for mentally ill patients to enable them to achieve and maintain independence in the most appropriate, least restrictive environment.
To know more about the services we offer schedule a one-on-one consultation with one of our reputable therapists call us today at (434) 830-4601 or fill out our online form.
