Resources

The below resources organizations and agencies provide support in mental health, substance abuse, and suicide prevention. Our recommended resource list will continue to be updated to feature our latest connections.

How to help if a family member or yourself is suspected to have a mental illness.

If you’re worried about you or your childs mental health, follow your instincts. Unexplained changes in behavior or mood may be early warning signs of a mental health condition and should not be ignored. There are many types of mental illness, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorder, ADHD, and an autism spectrum disorder. It isn’t easy to simplify the challenges we may face.

Every situation is unique, and local mental health services, insurance coverage, and school services vary from community to community, making it challenging to find the right kind of help for you or your family. One of the best ways to start is an evaluation by a licensed medical health professional.

Signs of concern include:

  • Sudden or persistent drop in school or work performance
  • Persistently aggressive behavior
  • Threats to self or others
  • Substantial mood sings
  • Hallucinations, paranoia, or delusions
  • Acting withdrawn, sad, or overly anxious
  • Extreme difficulting interacting with family or friends
  • Extreme changes in sleeping or eating patterns
  • Increased or persistent use of drugs or alcohol

Additionally, several factors contribute in challenges for obtaining an accurate mental health diagnosis, including:

  • Symptoms including difficult behaviors and dramatic changes in behavior and emotions, which may change and develop or evolve. Clinical interviews are designed to gather a full history (think “movie”) as well as a “snapshot” during the interview process.
  • Diagnoses may co-occur. Persons with anxiety disorders may abuse alcohol extensively. Additionally, persons with major depression may have problematic eating behaviors.
  • Individuals undergoing rapid developmental changes in their brain, body, and face multiple social role challenges at the same time.
  • Youth may be unable to effectively describe their feelings or thoughts, making it difficult to understand their experience. Younger individuals may show distress more than communicate about it and may be seen frequently in school nurse offices with headaches or stomachaches but may have an undiagnosed psychiatric disorder.
  • Inadequate access to qualified mental health professionals, due to a shortage of providers or providers reluctant to recognize mental illness.