3 Reasons Why You Need A Good Mental Health Professional 07 Jul 2016

A good mental health professional is crucial, offering more than just medication

The biggest regret of those who with depression or bipolar is that they didn’t obtain a rigorous diagnosis and treatment plan early enough.

Lora Inman is one such person, interviewed in my book Back From The Brink. A long-time depression sufferer and passionate mental health advocate, she went for decades without a proper diagnosis or treatment, which prolonged her suffering.

Lora’s story illustrates three very good reasons why you need a trusted mental health professional to help you.

Not all doctors are trained in mental health issues

In the 1960s, little information was available on depression and bipolar disorder. Lora visited experts in several states who couldn’t diagnose or help her; they simply didn’t know enough about mental health.

Today, mental health issues are better understood and information is more accessible. Despite this, levels of training in mental health among medical professionals can be alarmingly low even now.

Finding the right mental health professional is the most important step towards preparing an effective treatment plan. Your primary care physician may be, but not always, your first point of call.

The right expert can help unlock and navigate the mental health network with you

Lora’s psychiatrist put her on four or five different medications, sometimes in combination, as part of her treatment plan. Before that, she had even tried electroconvulsive therapy in her quest to battle postpartum depression.

A good mental health professional is the gatekeeper to the mental health network. They can help you understand your illness, how it may affect you and discuss and refer you to treatment options.

Crucially, the mental health professional can monitor how you are responding to treatment and modify, stop or change it as needed.

The right expert can give you hope

Lora says her psychiatrist saved her life thanks to the support she offered. My own research shows that emotional support from a mental health professional is often more important than the treatment itself!

Why was Lora’s psychiatrist so important for her? Because the psychiatrist offered hope, reassurance and compassion. Most importantly, she listened.

An expert’s opinion can be highly influential and a powerful motivator. Both Lora and her psychiatrist believed she could get better.

If your mental health professional doesn’t offer you hope, you’re unlikely to commit yourself wholeheartedly to a treatment plan. After all, if even the experts aren’t optimistic, why should you be?

But the right mental health professional for you, rather than any mental health professional, can make the difference between an endless cycle of medications or treatments and a trusted ally with the training, reach and support needed to help you.

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