Join AARP
Join for Just $16 A Year
- Discounts on travel and everyday savings
- Subscription to AARP The Magazine
- Free membership for your spouse or partner
New! Boost your memory with AARP Brain Fitness. Try these fun exercises proven more effective than crosswords
Members can save up to 80% on gift certificates from more than 15,000 restaurants nationwide.
Members can get exclusive online access to hundreds of free printable grocery coupons from leading brands.
Welcome to the AARP Discussion Board. Here you can talk with peers about current events ranging from Social Security to caring for your parents to the latest on health care reform. It is also the perfect place to exchange healthy eating recipes and job hunting tips.
These forums are for you to engage and have fun meeting new people. Just remember the community code: Be nice!
|
Mental Health Issues, Diagnoses, Treatments, and How to help them live!
posted at August 11, 2012 11:16 AM EDT
|
Posts: 934
First: September 16, 2011 Last: May 17, 2013 |
For any family dealing with mental health issues, there is a lot to learn about diagnosing, treating, and living with mental health problems. Our system currently has two distinctly separate professional groups , psychiatrists, and psychologists, who deal with mental health problems. And, paying for care for those with mental health problems is especially difficult. Families with means can get the best professionals, and get help in treatments, and chronic care. Those who are less fortunate sometimes their loved ones are placed behind bars, where their illness is not cared for, or even recognized. But, there are some hopeful discoveries and treatments that may help these patients and their families: http://www.calpsych.org/publications/pamphlets/mentaldisorders.html Have you found any new treatments for your loved ones who have mental health problems? What has been your experience in dealting with this difficult issue? Were you able to find help quickly, or , did it take years to locate the proper treatment? |
|
Re: Mental Health !Issues, Diagnoses, Treatments, and How to help them live!
posted at August 11, 2012 1:09 PM EDT
|
|
Re: Mental Health Issues, Diagnoses, Treatments, and How to help them live!
posted at August 14, 2012 11:01 AM EDT
|
Posts: 934
First: September 16, 2011 Last: May 17, 2013 |
Society of Strangers, indeed. It is so sad when someone who needs help dies alone, when there are people who could have provided care! For families dealing with mental health issues, finding proper treatment is not all that easy. And, even when they get medication for their loved one, convincing them to take it regularly is not easy either.Conditions, such as bipolar disorder, leave individuals convinced they need no medication, and refuse to take it. Many individuals find themselves incarcerated, where proper treatment is impossible. Fortunately, today, some states are using alternatives to incarceration for mental health problems. NAMI, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, has been advocating for these alternatives. http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=top_story&template=/contentmanagement/contentdisplay.cfm&ContentID=52558&title=An%20Alternative%20to%20Incarceration There are some organizations that offer counseling, and group meetings which can help individuals get good care, and monitoring, One good resource for families seeking mental health care is Mental Health America: http://www.nmha.org/go/find_therapy They can offer referrals and advice on needed services. And, they offer support for family members dealing with these issues. If more people were aware of these services, we may be able to improve in our care for the mentally ill. |
|
Re: Mental Health Issues, Diagnoses, Treatments, and How to help them live!
posted at August 20, 2012 7:42 AM EDT
|
Posts: 934
First: September 16, 2011 Last: May 17, 2013 |
1in 5 older adults are suffering from substance abuse or mental health issues. But, are they getting the proper care to address these issues? If you are caring for someone , have you been able to access appropriate care? http://blog.aarp.org/2012/07/11/the-takeaway-1-in-5-older-adults-have-mental-health-or-substance-abuse-issues/?plckFindCommentKey=CommentKey:4e0ef307-fcae-4228-8fe8-4150cc1ddd52 |
|
Re: Mental Health Issues, Diagnoses, Treatments, and How to help them live!
posted at August 28, 2012 7:11 AM EDT
|
Posts: 36
First: August 26, 2012 Last: September 9, 2012 |
The recession makes it worse for those with mental health issues, since they have even more difficulty surviving in tough economic times. Homelessness and mental illness go hand in hand, and we have not found a way to manage this problem. My own experience with mental health issues of my child did not go well. The insurance company referred him to a counselor, who could not prescribe medication, but, worked for less . The hospitals put mental health patients on medication, and keep them only two weeks, when the medication kicks in. There is little follow up, since that would cost money, too. The system , with counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists, has no communication, and patients are lost in the confusion, and good care is not the goal. Instead, payments and insurance companies get their due, while patients are sent home to families, with little or no education or experience on how to deal with their loved ones. Twenty percent of bipolar patients commit suicide, and still the system treats them casually, does not check on them after dismissal, and little is done for improvement. If it were a physical ailment, that mortality rate would get more urgent treatment. http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/minors-mental-health-issues-up-30-205576.html |