Facts about Mental Health Problems and Their Treatment
What are Mental Health Problems?
Most mental health problems are conditions that have their root in the biological processes of our body that we inherit. These are processes that influence our mood, thoughts and behavior. Everyone sometimes has negative feelings such as sadness, anxiety and anger for awhile. But when a person has such feelings for a long time they may not just go away by themselves and sometimes they get worse. When they start to disrupt our everyday lives we start to think of these as being disorders that may benefit from treatment.
People often mistakenly assume that mental health disorders are a normal part of living and never realize they have an illness that can be treated. Many people also fear that their symptoms are somehow their own fault. They think it is due to a weakness or a character flaw. The truth is mental health disorders are often medical problems caused by a combination of hereditary factors and life stresses. The good news is that these problems are NOT a natural part of life and you CAN get better.
How can a Mental Health Provider Help?
At first it may seem odd to talk to a mental health provider about your symptoms. Sometimes many of your symptoms may be physical so you may think you should be seeing your regular general medical doctor. Low energy, changes in appetite, sleep problems, heart palpitations, and sweating are just a few examples of physical symptoms that feel like physical problems but can be primarily related to a mental health disorder and a mental health provider can help you figure this out. In fact, the mental health provider can often work together with your regular general medical doctor to provide you with the optimum care for your condition. In addition, a mental health provider has many special skills that other health providers do not have; such as expertise in psychotherapy and psychiatric medications.
What Kinds of Treatment will I Receive?
Most people can benefit greatly from mental health treatments available today. The most common treatments are prescription medications (such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications), psychotherapy, or a combination of both. As a result of research, these treatments have become very effective. The type of treatment most appropriate for you depends on the type and severity of your symptoms, your experience with any previous treatment, and your personal preferences. Together with your mental health provider you can choose the treatment that best fits your symptoms and lifestyle. You should know though, that regardless of the type of treatment you choose, it usually takes a few weeks to begin to feel better, and full recovery may take a few months of treatment. Once a mental health disorder has been successfully treated, it can come back. It is therefore important not to stop your medication or psychotherapy prematurely, and always discuss any such decisions with your mental health provider.
A Brief Note about Psychotherapy
Many people still think of psychotherapy in very old fashioned terms. The way it tends to be misrepresented in the movies and on TV has a lot to do with this. The fact is that modern psychotherapy is very different from the misleading images of lying on a couch and talking about your childhood at length over the course of many, many treatment sessions. Modern psychotherapy has a lot more to do with what is happening in the here-and-now of your life than what happened in your past. Through careful scientific investigation we have developed new and extremely effective therapies that work within a few months and even weeks. And you WON’T be asked to lie on a couch! You WILL be asked to think carefully about your life situation and your reactions to it, perhaps to keep some records of situations and your thoughts and feelings connected to them, and to try to change your behavior in small and gradual ways. This is modern psychotherapy, and it works extremely well!
A Brief Note about Psychiatric Medications
Psychiatric medications can be very effective in a wide range of conditions. Yet, like other medications they all have potential side effects. Before beginning a medication you and your prescriber will want to discuss 1) the desired benefit of the medication, 2) the potential side effects of the medication, 3) how long it takes the medication to work, 4) any precautions that you ought to take, 5) any monitoring that is required, and 6) the anticipated length of treatment.