Tips on Mental Health Treatment

Approximately 13 percent of Americans receive mental health treatment. Just over half of Americans with a mental illness seek treatment, while the other half never seek treatment or follow through with it, so they don't fully experience its effects. Mental illness is not a lifelong sentence. Treatment can help you feel like yourself again. If you've tried it before, it may be time to try again with a few tips in mind.

Be Patient with Medications

• Medications used to treat mental illnesses are prescribed based on individual needs. For example, not all antidepressant medications help people suffering from depression. Instead, mental health professionals use a trial-and-error process to find the right medication for each person. Since many medications for mental illnesses take up to six weeks to produce maximum effects, it can take months before the most effective one is found. Patience is essential when beginning mental health treatment.

Keep an Open Mind with Counseling

• Many people suffering from mental illness benefit from a combination of medication and counseling. While medications help relieve symptoms, counseling helps you understand why you think, feel and behave the way you do. Counseling also teaches you coping skills to deal with situations that trigger symptoms that medication cannot suppress.

  Counseling is only effective if you are an active participant in it. If you are resistant, you will not realize the progress you are making, which will discourage you to continue treatment.

Surround Yourself with Support

• Dealing with issues brought up in therapy and the side effects of medication can make people with mental illness want to isolate. Isolation can make people feel victimized by their mental illness. It's important to seek support from trusted individuals who can listen to and motivate you.

  If you don't have anyone to turn to, ask your doctor or therapist about support groups. Talking with people struggling with the same issues as you can give you hope as you see how others overcome challenges in their treatment.

Follow Up for Successful Treatment

• Mental illness has no cure. Medication controls your symptoms and counseling gives you the tools to live with your illness. Follow up with your prescribing physician and, if applicable, your therapist as necessary.