You are not alone. If you suffer depression, anxiety, rage, or any manner of mental issue, you are not alone in your suffering.

If you have relationship issues, professional issues, or other personal issues, you are not alone.

By saying “you are not alone,” I am not merely saying that you are not alone in your suffering, but you are also not alone in that you have options that can help you to elevate your life, to become a happier, stronger person.

Your friends, your family, even your co-workers can help you. And, you have the option to use mental healthcare professionals to help you to get through your issues.

Fighting the stigma of seeking mental healthcare

Those who do not receive mental healthcare often have a negative view of the field, believing that the field is unnecessary. That depression is “all in the mind” and can be worked through. That anxiety is “just nerves.”

But there’s more to mental healthcare than just talking to somebody.

Mental healthcare attempts to address the spectrum of mental wellness. It does involve talk therapy, but mental health can also address chemical imbalances through prescription medicine and can address deeply-rooted issues that affect your life.

Mental health professionals, especially professionals who have been in the field for a long time, have seen people with similar issues to you, and know how to best address those issues. If you enter with an open mind, you will find your mental health getting better.

How exactly does it work?

Mental health is a difficult topic to address, as causes vary from person to person as to what has caused mental health damage. While the causes vary, however, the means to address them are often similar, with talk therapy and medicine often being employed.

A mental health professional will assess what you need through an initial meeting, and then begin addressing your needs through subsequent visits. Sometimes, all you need is verbal counseling; sometimes, you have a chemical imbalance that requires medication.

Having a chemical imbalance need not be a source of shame; many successful people suffer from depression. And depression itself is often a result of an imbalance of mood-altering chemicals that naturally occur within the body. And addressing such a chemical imbalance with medication is much like addressing a cold with cold medicine.

Anxiety, too, can be caused by a chemical imbalance; hyperthyroidism and COPD can often lead to anxiety, not just because of the anxiety of dealing with an illness, but because some of the chemical reactions that these diseases force on your body can directly result in anxiety. Anxiety can even be genetic. Like with depression, anxiety sometimes requires medication to treat.

In addition to providing talk therapy and prescriptions, a mental health professional can often suggest lifestyle changes to aid in your mental health, whether they recommend more exercise, social interaction, mindfulness training, or any number of other therapy options, a mental health professional can diagnose what is causing your issues and can offer changes to your routine which can work wonders.

And, because people who work in the field of mental health are trained to be neutral, they will not judge you based on the issues which are causing your suffering; rather, they will offer you advice and suggestions to make your life better.

How do I obtain mental health now?

Thanks to telemedicine, mental healthcare is easier to access than ever before. Most practitioners offer online sessions through either general meeting software (things like Zoom) or through proprietary meeting software created for them.

And, because many telemedicine practitioners do not have physical offices, they have low overhead and can offer their services at a reduced price.

Further, if your mental health issue is at crisis levels, options exist for you; 911 is the obvious option, but suicidal ideations can be addressed by the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800)273-8255, and the Crisis Text Line offers assistance via text if you send the word HOME to 741-741.

Remember that you are not alone; if you are willing to seek help with your mental health, resources exist to help you.