Seeking Treatment for Mental Health

有时心理健康的问题会超出我们自己能处理的地步。如果你的症状很严重，或者持续几周以上，那么寻求专业帮助是很重要的。如果你正在经历一些常见的心理健康问题，特别是如果已影响到你的日常生活或你周围的人表达了担忧，那是时候你要去寻求治疗了。这听起来可能非常可怕，但心理的健康和身体的健康都同样重要，不能掉以轻心。

Dealing with Stigma

One of the biggest barriers to receiving treatment for many people is the stigma surrounding mental illness and treatment. Many people may hesitate to seek help because they are worried about how other people will see them and behave around them.

Stigma is when someone is marked or discredited somehow, or reduced from being a whole person to being a stereotype or labeled as a collection of symptoms or a diagnosis. People with mental illness may be viewed in a negative way, treated differently, and made to feel ashamed or worthless, as if they are somehow less than other people.

Don’t avoid getting treatment. Don’t let your fear of being labeled or discriminated against, stop you from seeking help and treatment.

Don’t believe that you are your illness. If you have bipolar disorder, say ‘I have bipolar disorder’ rather than ‘I’m bipolar’. If you convince yourself first that you’re a person, not a walking illness, others will find it easier to see you that way too.

Don’t take it personally. Most discrimination comes from people who don’t understand or have little or no experience of mental illness. Try to consider it as their problem, not yours.

Use facts. Learn some useful facts and figures, and tell people about it.

Where to Seek Mental Health Treatment

Because it's very common for students — especially international students — to need help adjusting when they arrive at college and throughout their stay, there are a number of services available to you. In fact, most colleges in the US offer mental health services for their students to use. You can ask your advisor about these services even before you leave your home country. Where you go for treatment is going to depend on a number of factors.

For Ongoing Conditions

If you are dealing with a mental health condition before leaving for the US, be sure to find a doctor near you who can help manage your care within a few weeks following your arrival in the States. You'll want to make sure that you do not have a break in medications, and that you can continue to receive the same level of care that you received back home.

For Emergencies

If you need immediate help, there are 24-hour toll-free hotlines available to talk you through difficult times. If you have a physical ailment that needs immediate attention, such as a drug overdose, you should go directly to the Emergency Room. Call a friend or 911 for assistance.

For Non-Emergencies

If you are not experiencing an emergency, start with a visit to the student health center. Many colleges and universities offer free or low-cost counseling services. These services may be a part of the student health center, or they may be a separate counseling and wellness center on campus. Simply call them up and make an appointment; in some cases, you may even be able to walk in and be seen right away. Your student health center will be staffed with highly trained professionals who are ready to help. From here, your student health center may direct you to the appropriate place to seek treatment.