Awareness of mental health problems and the importance of getting treatment has been growing recently, due to campaigns and celebrity efforts in raising awareness of conditions such as addiction, depression and self-destructive behavior. Despite this, many Americans continue not getting help for treatment mental health problems.
All too often, the people who are in most need of treatment are the ones who are least likely to seek help. According at a report which was published by the World Health Organization, the percentage of people who are living with mental health problems who do not get treatment ranges from 30% to 80%, depending on their issue.
Often, a family intervention with family and close relatives addressed the mental health needs of a loved one is the decisive factor that can help the person access help and have a better quality of life. After all, someone who has a severe case of influenza might not be able to take themselves to a doctor’s office, and someone who has a severe mental health problem might not be in a mental state that will allow them to get treatment with their own initiative.
Consider someone who is living with depression. The thought of finding a therapist and scheduling an appointment might seem like an impossible task. Similarly, social anxiety disorders can make it difficult to make a call to the doctor.
This is why getting the support of family and friends is so crucial for people living with mental health problems. In a mental illness intervention, the difficult first steps of identifying the issue, connecting with a mental health professional, and starting the treatment process are already in place. For many, this removes some of the roadblocks to treatment and gives them a clear path to long term recovery.
There are two types of interventions for mental health problems.
A crisis intervention is the appropriate choice when someone is in the middle of an episode type event. This type of intervention is the right choice when someone who has schizophrenia has catatonic behavior or is experiencing delusions.
Unlike an addiction intervention where family and friends come together and tell their loved one how their addiction is affecting them, having a group of people come together for a mental health crisis intervention will probably only escalate the situation. Usually, crisis interventions require teams of staff that are available at all times of the day, and specialize in transitioning clients to treatment. This kind of treatment aims in deescalating the situation, preventing hospitalization.
Not all mental health problems involve dramatic episodes of hallucinations and delusions. For most people who have mental health issues, the condition leads to emotional distress and causes problems in the family, at work, and at a social level. This might present itself as decreased performance at work, worsening levels of communication between family and friends, or the inability of the person with the mental health problem to care for themselves.
There is also a wide spectrum for functioning difficulties: some individuals with mental health problems are high-functioning and the signs that they are suffering are easy to miss, while other people can struggle to get out of bed and fulfill their daily obligations.
If a loved one is showing warning signs, like a loss of interest in things they used to enjoy, or show profound changes in their sleep patterns, the it might be the right time to stage a mental health intervention.
Mental health is complex, and the success of a mental health intervention hinges on whether there is a trained professional present. In some cases, mental health problems have overlapping symptoms, and substance abuse problems can make signs of mental illness difficult to recognize. The person might deny that they have a problem that professional help would help them with, or they might believe that they already know what is best for their health and that they are not willing to take medication or meet with a therapist. This is the reason why mental health interventions should take place under the supervision of a professional who has experience with mental health interventions.
Mental health interventions are not the same as addiction interventions. Due to the nature of mental illness, a different approach is required. While the goal of both interventions is to help individuals recognize that they require professional help for managing a condition, a mental health problem might not allow a person to see that they have an issue and that help is required, even when they have been presented with evidence.