It’s so important for people to know what resources are available to them in any area of life. We already know that there are countless people who either suffer from a mental health illness themselves or know someone who does, but so many of those people either don’t want to or don’t know how to get help. I have never known how many resources are available to me to help with my own mental health and that of my loved ones. And I’m sure there are plenty of others who don’t either. I wanted to research and share the resources I know of because getting help is vital to helping your mental health. Here are seven helpful resources that I’ve found:
- Medical Professional
It’s oftentimes hard to know where to begin talking about your mental health. A medical professional is always a good option because they dedicate their lives to helping with this. Your family doctor can be a great place to start asking for help. They can refer you to the appropriate professional whether that be a psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist, social worker, etc.
- Mental Health Apps
There are several apps that have been created specifically to help people with their mental health. They range from being a place to keep a diary, hear daily tips about mental health, reminders to take care of yourself and even have professional therapy access from within the app. Here are a few top-rated mental health apps:
- BetterHelp
- Moodfit
- MoodMission
- Sanvello
- Talkspace
- Headspace
- Happify
- Podcasts
Podcasts are a great resource because you can listen to them anywhere and at any time. Not everyone has the ability to read an article or other literature, but podcasts can be listened to while doing most anything. Here are a few top-rated mental health podcasts:
- Mental Illness Happy Hour
- The Happiness Lab
- The Hilarious World of Depression
- Forever35
- Happier With Gretchen Rubin
- Support Groups
Support groups are important because they bring people together who are going through or have gone through similar experiences. They provide the opportunity for people to share coping strategies, feelings, personal experiences, and firsthand information about treatments and diseases. You can ask your medical professional for local support groups to join.
- Help Line
There are mental illness helplines available 24/7 for people who need them. This is an effective resource when you need to talk to someone immediately. You can search for a local phone number or you can use the SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-622-HELP.
- Literature
There are countless books, articles, magazines, posts and more that are specific to mental health illnesses. It can be helpful to take a break from screens every once in a while to read a good book, especially when the book is about mental health. Here are a few top-rated books about living with mental illness:
- A Beautiful Mind – Sylvia Nasar
- Back, After the Break – Osher Günsberg
- Everything Here Is Beautiful – Mira T. Lee
- An Angel At My Table: The Complete Autobiography – Janet Frame
- Defying The Verdict: My Bipolar Life – Charita Cole Brown
- Girl, Interrupted – Susanna Kaysen
- Imagine Me Gone – Adam Haslett
- All The Bright Places – Jennifer Niven
- First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Journey Through Anxiety – Sarah Wilson
- Family and Friends
Talking about your mental health with family or friends can sometimes be as beneficial as talking to a professional, if not more. It’s important to have someone in your life that you can turn to for help. There are countless additional resources that teach you how to talk about your mental health with friends and family if you search for them.
Hopefully these resources are helpful to people who need them. Depending on who you are, one resource may be better suited for you than another. There are more resources than this out there but I just wanted to share a few. If you know of any other helpful resources please comment with them!
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