Learn! The power of knowledge is amazing! To encourage advocacy for mental health, learning is the most important thing you can do. The internet is an excellent resource for finding information on mental illnesses and disorders. The links on the host page of this article are very suitable for you to start your educational journey. To begin, you may want to first explore the issues discussed below.
Patient Rights are extremely important. First and foremost, you need to know the rights of those who are mentally ill. An excellent resource for patient rights can be found at http://www.familiesusa.org/pbr. Once you learn these rights, you can ensure that no maltreatment or discrimination occurs.
Do not give in to stigma. Stigma occurs when people use labels. Words like "crazy", "psycho", and "insane" lead to stigma, which encourages discrimination. The stigma of mental illness is real, painful, and damaging to the lives of people with mental illness. Stigma can prevent someone from getting the treatment and support they need to lead healthy, normal lives. To prevent stigma, do not use labels or harsh words. Mental illness is like any other illness out there; it is a physical condition, much like diabetes or cancer. To say a person "suffers from a mental illness" is much nicer than saying they are "mentally ill". You can contact the Anti Stigma Project at 1-800-704-0262, to learn more.
Know where to find help. Getting treatment for a mental illness is incredibly important. Like any other medical condition, a mental disorder should not be ignored. Your family doctor can make suggestions about different treatment options available. If you are not insured, or if your income is limited, you might try other strategies to pay for mental health care. Many communities have community mental health centers. These centers offer a range of mental health treatment and counseling services, usually at a reduced rate. Your church or synagogue can also put you in touch with a counseling program. Another option is to join a self-help or support group. These groups give people a chance to learn more, and talk about and work on their common problems. Self-help groups are generally free and can be found in virtually every community in America. They have proven to be very effective. People with severe mental illness may be eligible for several forms of public assistance, both to meet basic costs of living and to pay for health care. Such programs include Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and disability benefits.
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