PASSWORDMANAGEMENT
Young Adult - Mental Illness
Did you know that 1 in 5 American adults have a mental health issue (National Alliance on Mental Health [])? This means that it is incredibly common for families to be dealing with mental illness. Yet, people are still reluctant to talk about it because they feel ashamed and this prevents them from getting the help that they, or their loved ones, need. If you had diabetes you wouldn鈥檛 鈥渉ide鈥 your symptoms from your doctor. Mental health should be treated in the same way. It is about your/your loved one鈥檚 health and quality of life. Isn鈥檛 it about time to find out more information about it and seek services that can help you and your family to cope?
Find Resources
Many people are challenged by trying to locate resources for mental health services. Here are some ideas about where you can start:
College Campus
Contact your school鈥檚 student health services department. They are experts in student physical and mental health, and they are well-connected with local services.
Health Care Provider
Talk with your physician. Whether your concerns are about your own or your loved one鈥檚 mental health, your family doctor can provide information on resources.
Community Organizations
- To find organizations in your area, you can call (area code) 211 or go to their website where you will find operators available to help you to find available mental health resources.
- (CAHM) provides much needed information and support for families in San Diego County.
- If you don鈥檛 have a family physician, community clinics offer resources for mental health issues. In San Diego county, , , all provide various services to individuals from all ethnic groups and ability to pay.
- provides a 鈥渢herapist finder鈥 to help you to locate a therapist in your area, based on your needs, insurance, and preferences for treatment. Of course, once you identify a therapist you might want to meet with, you will need to check with your insurance carrier to be sure that your visits are covered.
- provides a great overview on the different types of therapists and how to find one.
Additionally, there are a number of local and national organizations that can provide information and support. These resources are listed at the end of this page.
Find Accurate Information
Just as you would with a physical illness, it is important that you understand your loved one's mental illness, and that you get your information from reliable sources. Listed below are some highly respected sources for information on mental illness:
