Half of the people in the United States will, at some point in their lives, meet the criteria for a mental health illness.
Whether it is an issue of access to counseling or a matter of finances, roughly half of those needing help with mental illness symptoms will not receive care, according to the National Alliance on Mental Health.
However, those in the mental health care profession are working to change that. More than at any other time in history, resources that are both free and easy to access are available to those who need them.
Here are some of those resources:
· National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for English, 1-888-628-9454 for Spanish, or Lifeline Crisis Chat.
· Crisis Text Line: Text SIGNS to 741741 for 24/7, anonymous, free crisis counseling.
· Disaster Distress Helpline: Call or text 1-800-985-5990 (press 2 for Spanish).
· The Trevor Project: Provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services 24/7 to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24. Text and chat Trevor Lifelines are available: 1-866-488-7386.
· Veteran’s Crisis Line: 1-800-273-TALK (8255), then select 1, or Crisis Chat or text: 8388255.
· U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Resources
· Help for military service members and their families
Finding Treatment
· FindTreatment.gov: Find a provider treating substance use disorders, addiction and mental illness.
· American Psychiatric Association Foundation: Find a psychiatrist.
· American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Child and adolescent psychiatrist finder.
· American Psychological Association: Find a psychologist.
Online resources
· Anxiety Social Net: You can connect with people dealing with all types of anxiety.
· Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance: You can locate online groups or in-person services if you are depressed or have a bipolar disorder.
· Postpartum Progress: A site that lists support groups in most states. The site also has an online forum.
· The Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America: You can find a group on this site, or you can dial into phone groups (855-640-8271) at 7 P.M. ET Sunday, Thursday and Friday with the pass code 88286491#.
· Obsessive-Compulsive Thoughts and Behaviors: More than 200 groups are listed with the International OCD Foundation.
· The Adult Child of an Alcoholic: The organization can direct you to support groups and also hosts call-in and online sessions.
· American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: If you are grieving someone who died by suicide, then go to the website to find groups for survivors.
· After Silence: Survivors of rape, sexual assault or incest can go to a message board or chat room for victims of sexual assault.
· Eating Disorder Hope: The site offers online support groups for people with eating disorders.
· DailyStrength: The website offers a web forum for people dealing with self-injury.
· Turn2Me: Look for online support groups for anxiety, depression, stress and other mental health issues. Sessions are free but require a reservation in advance.
· IMAlive: A crisis network with support from trained volunteers.
· Health Unlocked: A social network with communities for anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.
· Daily Strength: You can check out a peer-based forum for anxiety.
· Mental Health Forum: A peer-to-peer community that deals with a range of mental health issues, from anxiety to eating disorders.
· 7 Cups: You can chat with volunteer listeners free 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
· Bliss: Access a free, self-guided interactive therapy program for depression.
· Mental Health America: A site that offers interactive tools to get help for mental illness.
· MentalHealth.gov: A guide to resources for mental health issues.