Mental health treatment or counseling (psychotherapy) provides a way for the individual child, teen, adult, couple or family to get help with life's developmental challenges. A licensed, skilled counselor or psychotherapist works with folks who often have a crisis in some stage of family life development.
Many times crises are caused by changes in a family or by a specific time in an individual's life experience. Examples might be the birth of a first child; a child with developmental disabilities; the death of a child, parent or grandparent; a divorce; or concerns about a family member with alcoholism and or other drug addictions. Sometimes a person will appear down or depressed and a concerned friend or family member will notice and observe their loved one is not acting in their normal way. These are the moments in life when a professional licensed counselor is necessary. Often, treatment can be brief and allow the family, couple or individual to learn coping skills and move on past the seeming crisis or issue.
As a society, Americans are usually fiercely independent people and often don't want to share a problem with an outside source. Unlike the days of life on the farm where there might have been an aunt or uncle, who could lend an ear to the individual or family and help counsel and guide, we live in a society with nuclear families who have few extended family members available to give guidance. Even when a close friend or relative is available, one often needs a specialist in the areas of depression, bipolar disorder, alcoholism, divorce, suicide, etc.
Douglas County has the highest per capita suicide rate in the country. We had 20 suicides in 2008. Twenty too many. Nevada rates between first or second as the state with the highest suicide rate. This fact is significant and tells us we need to pay more attention to the resources we have in the mental health arena.
We've all had experience observing neighbors, friends, family members suffering from some major change in their lives. Sometimes it's evident by just looking at their face or at times they may share some of their problems with us directly. By knowing the resources in our community, we may be able to directly help them as well as listen and be a caring friend, family member or neighbor.
In our county we have Douglas Mental Health; Family Support Council and various private practice psychotherapists and counselors. These licensed counselors may be licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed clinical social workers or psychologists.
There is a myth that counseling or psychotherapy is ,one, very expensive or, two, that insurance pays for it. Some therapists have sliding fee scales and often insurance dictates limits on how much they will reimburse the consumer.
In addition, one big myth we need to help dismantle is individuals that go to therapy are really mentally ill if not "crazy" or "insane." Most individuals and families go to therapy because they get stuck with a particular aforementioned stage of development. Depression is a mood disorder related to brain chemicals that cause the depression.
These chemicals called neurotransmitters can often be helped via talking therapy and/or simple medications. When one has diabetes one takes an oral medication or insulin to help the pancreas regulate insulin. When one's brain chemicals are not working well one takes herbs or other medicines if indicated. The herb St. John's wart has been used in Germany quite successfully for depression. Chinese medicine also has herbs for depression, anxiety, etc. Licensed acupuncturists and herbalists can help with these specific herbs. Psychiatrists are the specialists in pharmaceutical medicines for mood disorders like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder.
If you observe a loved one is not acting like s/he used to and are concerned about him or her the first thing to do is to communicate in a gentle way and let them know there is all kinds of help in our local community.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker Arline M. Zeidler is a Gardnerville resident.
