Finding Help
When your mental health is off, you want to get help to make it better. Fortunately, there are a wide range of treatments and supports. Unfortunately, they can be hard to find or pay for. We’re here to help.
Mental health disorders are real, common and often treatable. It is estimated that approximately 1 in 5 American adults1 (nearly 44 million people) and 13-20% of children2 living in the United States will experience a diagnosable mental health disorder in a given year. The following are signs that your loved one may want to speak to a medical or mental health professional.
Where to go for help
Where you go for help will depend on who has the problem (an adult or child) and the nature of the problem and/or symptoms. Often, the best place to start is your local mental health organization. Visit our “Affiliate Finder” to search for a local affiliate. Your primary care doctor is also a good person to talk to if you think you may need to see somebody about your mental health, and can usually give you the name of a psychologist or psychiatrist to contact.
- You can get referrals from your family doctor, clergy or local Mental Health America office (which also may provide mental health care services) and crisis centers. Consider getting a few names, so you can interview more than one person before choosing.
- Your insurance company can provide a list of providers who are in your plan.
- Eligible veterans can get care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. For more information, go to www.va.gov/health or call 1-877-222-8387. If you already have benefits through the VA, visit http://www.va.gov/directory to find your nearest facility.
- You can find affordable mental health services through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Visit http://www.samhsa.gov/treatment or call 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
- Your local health department’s mental health division or community mental health center provides free or low-cost treatment and services on a sliding scale. These services are state funded and are obligated to first serve individuals who meet “priority population criteria” as defined by the state Mental Health Department.
- Your company’s employee assistance program (EAP) can issue a referral to a provider. Reach out to your Human Resources office to get more information about your company’s EAP.
- Medicare offers a list of participating doctors on its website, http://www.medicare.gov. (Click on “Find doctors & other health professionals”).
- Providers who accept Medicaid may be listed by your state Medicaid office, which you can find by clicking on the name of your state at http://www.benefits.gov/benefits/browse-by-category/category/MED.
Where you go for help will depend on who has the problem (an adult or child) and the nature of the problem and/or symptoms. Often, the best place to start is your local Mental Health Association.
Other suggested resources:
- Your local health department’s Mental Health Division. These services are state funded and are obligated to first serve individuals who meet "priority population criteria" as defined by the state Mental Health Department. There may be waiting lists and not all individuals may be eligible for services. In some jurisdictions local funding is provided for additional services.
- Other mental health organizations
- Family physician
- Clergyperson
- Family services agencies, such as Catholic Charities, Family Services, or Jewish Social Services
- Educational consultants or school counselors
- Marriage and family counselors
- Child guidance counselors
- Psychiatric hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations
- Hotlines, crisis centers, and emergency rooms (call 411 for Directory Assistance)
Psychiatrist: A medical doctor with special training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional illnesses. Like other doctors, psychiatrists are qualified to prescribe medication.
Child/Adolescent psychiatrist: A medical doctor specially trained in the diagnosis and treatment of emotional and behavioral problems in children.
Psychologist: A professional with a doctoral degree in psychology, two years of supervised professional experience, including a year-long internship from an approved internship and is trained to make diagnoses and provide individual and group therapy.
Clinical social worker: A counselor with a master’s degree in social work trained to make diagnoses and provide individual and group counseling.
Licensed professional counselor: A counselor with a master’s degree in psychology, counseling or a related field, trained to diagnose and provide individual and group counseling.
Mental health counselor: A counselor with a master’s degree and several years of supervised clinical work experience trained to diagnose and provide individual and group counseling.
Certified alcohol and drug abuse counselor: A counselor with specific clinical training in alcohol and drug abuse trained to diagnose and provide individual and group counseling.
Marital and family therapist: A professional with a master’s degree, with special education and training in marital and family therapy trained to diagnose and provide individual and group counseling.
Pastoral counselor: A member of clergy with training in clinical pastoral education trained to diagnose and provide individual and group counseling.
What about support groups?
Peer support can be an important addition to the help you receive from professional mental health providers. Many people find self-help support groups a valuable resource. These groups, led by a layperson, are designed to bring together people with similar mental health or substance abuse conditions. People with mental health conditions—who often refer to themselves as mental health consumers—have organized other types of peer supports, including drop-in centers, warmlines and training courses in wellness and recovery.
Support groups are offered as a space where individuals can come together to share their stories, experiences, and lives in a way that helps reduce isolation and loneliness. Oftentimes, we think we are struggling alone, but support groups help us see that there are others who may dealing with similar situations and who in turn can help us get better.
Support groups are open to anyone, but they are often focused on specific topics (i.e. depression, family, divorce, grief, etc.). So, take some time and do some research to find the right one for you and your current situation.
Finding the right support group can be helpful. Do not be discouraged if the first support group you find doesn't quite feel right. You should feel comfortable in the support group space that you choose, so trying different ones may help you determine the best fit.
We also encourage you to also take a look at Mental Health America's LiveYourLifeWell program to learn more about the value of connecting with others and other helpful wellness tools.
Some organizations now offer online support groups, discussion boards, blogs, and online communities as additional ways to connect with others in similar situations. These can be helpful additions to in-person support groups and can be especially helpful if there are no groups in your area.
Your local Mental Health America affiliate is an excellent resource to assist you in finding support groups in your area.
The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Group Clearinghouse also maintains a Directory of Consumer-Driven Services which includes peer-run organizations throughout the United States that offer a variety of supportive services and activities, including peer-run support groups.
- Adult Children of Alcoholics
- Al-Anon/Alateen
- Alcoholics Anonymous
- AlcoholScreening.org
- Alzheimer's Association
- American Association of Retired Persons Grief and Loss Information
- Anxiety and Depression Association of America, Anxiety and Depression Association of America peer-to-peer support group
- Attention Deficit Disorder Association
- Autism Society of America
- The Balanced Mind Foundation
- Brain Injury Association of America
- Caregiver Action Network
- Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) In addition to support groups, CHADD has a section for parents which includes many helpful resources (look at list of options on right-hand side of the page) and a link that explains their Parent to Parent Family Training classes. For more information about these on-line training classes, review the information at the link we've provided or contact the CHADD national resource center at 1-800-233-4050.
- Co-Dependents Anonymous or sign up for their email list. You can also visit http://www.codependents.org/
- The Compassionate Friends Grief Support: After the death of a child (Use this link to find groups in your area)
- CoSLAA Support groups for family and friends of people who have a sex addiction
- Crisis Text Line
- Debtors Anonymous
- Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
- Dual Diagnosis of Oregon, Inc. (Although based in Oregon, offer support to those in other areas who wish to establish groups to help those who have both a mental health and alcohol/substance abuse condition)
- Dual Recovery Anonymous: Support for those who have both a mental health and alcohol/substance abuse condition
- Emotions Anonymous: Modeled after the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program, Emotions Anonymous is open to any individual dealing with emotional difficulties.
- Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, a parent support and advocacy network
- Gamblers Anonymous
- Hospice Foundation of America (Grief and Loss section includes link to find a local hospice office using link from left-hand side of the page; many offices offer grief support groups. National hospice office can be reached by calling 1-800-868-5171.)
- International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation
- International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation
- Male Survivor (Discussion board and chat room for men who have been sexually abused can be accessed from Survivors tab on left hand side of the page)
- Narcotics Anonymous
- The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): A family support and advocacy organization
- National Eating Disorders Association
- Overeaters Anonymous Offer in-person, telephone, and on-line meetings
- Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
- Postpartum Support International and link to support resources in your area (National 24-hour Postpartum Depression Helpline 1.800.944.4PPD)
- S-Anon International Family Groups Support groups for family and friends of people who have a sex addiction
- Self-Injury Recovery & Awareness
- Sex Addicts Anonymous (description of organization) and find a meeting link https://saa-recovery.org/meetings/
- Sidran Institute (Extensive information and resources on ptsd, dissociative disorder, trauma, and self injury; e-mail or call 1-888-825-8249 to request support group information)
- Survivors of Incest Anonymous (Use the SIA Groups and Intergroups options on the left-hand side of the home page to find meeting information)
- The Arc (Support and information for people with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities and their families) To find a chapter near click here.
- Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc.
- TARA Association for Personality Disorder: National Borderline Personality Disorder Resource and Referral Center
- The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors
- Well Spouse Association Support for spousal caregivers.
- "After An Attempt" A practical guide developed for individuals who have attempted suicide, their family/friends, and for mental health professionals.
- Air Compassion for Veterans for injured veteran's ongoing healing process.
- American Association of Caregiving Youth gives support to individuals under 18 years of age who are caregivers.
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has chapters around the country and offers a variety of information and support resources for those who have lost a loved one to suicide.
- ARCH National Respite Network
- Armed Services YMCA
- ATTACh at 866-453-8224 (Association for Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children)
- Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (formerly known as NARSAD, has information about schizophrenia and depression for individuals and their families)
- Borderline Personality Disorder Resource Center
- Cause USA Comfort for America's Uniformed Services (help for those wounded in military service)
- Families for Depression Awareness (Information about depression and bipolar disorder including how to help someone who is depressed seek treatment and manage treatment, information for friends and family members about taking care of themselves, downloadable Wellness Guides, as well as free brochures including "Helping Someone Who Is Depressed")
- Geriatric Mental Health Foundation offers information on caregiving, mental health topics relating to older adults, and a Depression Recovery Toolkit.
- GLBT National Help Center at 1-888-843-4564 (adults) and 1-800-246-7743 (adolescents) Provides telephone and e-mail peer counseling as well as information and resources.
- Hazelden offers a helpful question and answers section for friends and family members who care about someone who has an alcohol or substance abuse problem.
- Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a service provided by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy. JAN's mission is to facilitate the employment and retention of workers with disabilities by providing employers, employment providers, people with disabilities, their family members and other interested parties with information on job accommodations, entrepreneurship, and related subjects.
- National Center for PTSD offers "Returning from the War Zone: A Guide for Families of Military Personnel"
- National Center for Trauma Informed Care (NCTIC)
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) and 1-800-787-3224 (TTY)
- National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder 914-835-9011
- S.A.F.E. Alternatives (Information and resources for help with self injury)
- Schizophrenia.com
- Self Inflicted Violence (Website includes link to sample newsletter The Cutting Edge)
- Suicide Prevention Resource Center
- Survivors Art Foundation (For trauma survivors)
- U.S. Vets (A non-profit organization that helps homeless veterans access mental health and substance abuse services along with housing and other community supports to achieve successful reintegration into the community.)
- Yellow Ribbon offers information and resources about suicide prevention for teens, parents, and others. Has chapters in many states and some other countries as well as support resources for those who have lost a loved one to suicide.
- Child-Help USA at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) Assists both child and adult survivors of abuse, including sexual abuse. The hotline, staffed by mental health professionals, also provides treatment referrals.
- Boys Town at 1-800-448-3000 Crisis, resource, and referral line that assists both teens and parents.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Line at 988 connects you with 24-hour crisis support by calling, texting, or chatting on the website.
- SAMHSA's Treatment Locator at 1-800-662-4357 provides you with information about local mental health services.
Mental Health America has a nationwide network of 140+ affiliates. These local and state Mental Health America affiliates develop individual programs geared toward the specific mental health needs of their communities as well as implementing our national initiatives on the state and local levels. Offices vary both in size and in the types of programs and services they offer.
Mental Health America affiliates provide:
- public education
- information and referral
- support groups
- rehabilitation services
- socialization and housing services to those confronting mental health problems and their loved ones
Many also provide family advocate services to parents and children with serious emotional disturbances, mentoring relationships for adults recovering from mental illnesses, and professional education to those working in the mental health field.
Our affiliates serve as local leaders in the support and development of consumer-run initiatives and primary prevention programs. Finally, affiliates strive to influence public policy at the local, state, and national level to assure fair and effective treatment to the millions of Americans suffering from mental disorders.
In addition to providing services, affiliate offices are typically an excellent resource for information about area mental health programs and services including:
- treatment
- support groups
- state and local prescription assistance
- community legal and advocacy services
- other important community services
To find the local Mental Health America office nearest you, please use our Affiliate Locator.
You Make The Call To The Mental Health Professional...Now What Do You Do?
Spend a few minutes talking with them on the phone, ask about their approach to working with patients, their philosophy, whether or not they have a specialty or concentration (some psychologists for instance specialize in family counseling, or child counseling, while others specialize in divorce or coping with the loss of a loved one.) If you feel comfortable talking to the counselor or doctor, the next step is to make an appointment.
On your first visit, the counselor or the doctor will want to get to know you and why you called him or her. The counselor will want to know: what you think the problem is, about your life, what you do, where you live, with whom you live. It is also common to be asked about your family and friends. This information helps the professional to assess your situation and develop a plan for treatment.
If you don’t feel comfortable with the professional after the first, or even several visits, talk about your feelings at your next meeting. Don’t be afraid to contact another counselor. Feeling comfortable with the professional you choose is very important to the success of your treatment.
Psychotherapy is a method of talking face-to-face with a therapist. The following are a few of the types of available therapy:
- Behavior Therapy - Includes stress management, biofeedback and relaxation training to change thinking patterns and behavior.
- Psychoanalysis - Long-term therapy meant to "uncover" unconscious motivations and early patterns to resolve issues and to become aware of how those motivations influence present actions and feelings.
- Cognitive Therapy - Seeks to identify and correct thinking patterns that can lead to troublesome feelings and behavior.
- Family Therapy - Includes discussion and problem-solving sessions with every member of the family.
- Movement/Art/Music Therapy - These methods include the use of movement, art or music to express emotions. Effective for persons who cannot otherwise express feelings.
- Group Therapy - Includes a small group of people who, with the guidance of a trained therapist, discuss individual issues and help each other with problems.
Prescription drugs can be beneficial to some people with mental or emotional disorders. If you and your doctor decide that taking medication should be a part of your recovery journey, make sure to ask about risk, possible side-effects, and interaction with certain foods, alcohol and other medications. Medication should be taken in the prescribed dosage and at prescribed intervals and should be monitored daily.
While some medications (like tranquilizers used to manage acute anxiety) work almost immediately, it’s important to remember that many mental health medications take time to work and that it might be a month or two before they have their full effect. You may also find that you need to go through some trial and error before you find a medication that is the right fit for you. It can be frustrating to have to try different medications while you’re dealing with mental health symptoms, but often it’s well worth the wait. If you have depression and have tried multiple medications without finding the right one, you may want to consider pharmacogenomic testing. There are also other considerations about medication therapy that may impact your treatment choices, such as cost. Generics or authorized generic medications are one way to save. Learn more about medications.
Electric convulsive treatment, or ECT, is used to treat some cases of major depression, delusions, and hallucinations, or life-threatening sleep and eating disorders that can not be effectively treated with drugs and/or psychotherapy. Discuss with your physician about the risks and side effects of ECT.
Am I getting the care I need?
As you progress through the therapeutic process, you should begin to feel gradual relief from your distress, to develop self assurance, and have a greater ability to make decisions and increased comfort in your relationship with others. Therapy may be painful and uncomfortable at times but episodes of discomfort occur during the most successful therapy sessions. Mental health treatment should help you cope with your feelings more effectively.
If you feel you are not getting results, it may be because the treatment you are receiving is not the one best suited to your specific needs. If you feel there are problems, discuss them with your therapist. A competent therapist will be eager to discuss your reactions to therapy and respond to your feeling about the process. If you are still dissatisfied, a consultation with another therapist may help you and your therapist evaluate your work together.