Mental Health Care
Focus on nature’s beauty, peacefulness, and soothing sounds.
* Go on a nature hike with a family member, friend, or coworker.
* In your backyard, cuddle up with a good book on a chair or in a hammock.
* Picnic in the park with family and friends. Enjoy your workday lunch in a park.
* Take up a nature-based hobby, such as bird watching or nature photography.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Mental Health Care
Once the decision to seek professional help has been made, the following are places you can go.
* Your personal or primary care doctor (to rule out any physical illness first)
* Your confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
* Your Student Counseling Center. (Most colleges provide free counseling services for their students. Some limit the number of sessions. After that number is reached, students may still need to locate a private therapist for continued treatment.)
* Family members, friends, or co-workers n Your religious advisor (i.e., priest, rabbi, minister)
* Your County Mental Health Department (search for this online or in the white pages section under Government Offices). Contacting them is especially important if you have no health insurance.
* Professional organizations, such as your state’s psychiatric, psychological counseling, or social work associations
* Community mental health centers and/or hospitals. Ask for their departments of psychiatry, psychology, social work, or their crisis center.
* Community agencies, such as Catholic Social Services, Jewish Vocational Services, Family Services Agency, etc.
* Crisis Intervention Centers – especially if you need help immediately. Check online for local listings under “Crisis,” “Suicide Prevention,” “Drug Abuse,” “Rape,” “Domestic Violence,” or “Hospitals.”
* Self-help groups and local campus or national organizations for specific disorders. Examples include: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Agoraphobics in Motion (AIM), National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Overeaters Anonymous (OA), Gamblers Anonymous (GA).
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Mental Health Care
Physical closeness through holding hands, hugging, caressing, and intimacy raises your level of oxytocin – the love hormone.
* Make concrete plans to spend time with people you love, such as your partner, family, or friends.
* Look on the bright side and be with cheery people. Positive energy spreads from one person to another like an electrical charge.
* Give your partner a massage.
* Enjoy some cuddle time with your pet.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Mental Health Care
Before you set any goals, take some time to truly reflect on your health, and the steps you want to take to make some improvements.
Set small goals, one at a time:Make them specific, meaningful and relevant for you. Include a time frame for reaching each one. Small steps add up over time.
Write them down:Use this calendar to track daily activities that move you closer to reaching your goal.
Deal with setbacks:When you have a bad day, acknowledge slip-ups, then get right back on track. Plan how to overcome a similar roadblock in the future.
Share goals with friends or family:Ask someone to check in regularly for extra motivation and support.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Mental Health Care
Boost your happiness level by taking care of your body.
* Get 7-8 hours of sleep a night.
* Exercise every day with activities you enjoy.
* Limit refined carbohydrates like white starchy foods (white bread, rice, and crackers) and sugar (soda, candy, and junk foods). These foods can cause blood sugar spikes and drops, causing a short-lived burst of energy followed by a tired, cranky feeling.
* Take a 10-15 minute walk to clear your mind and enjoy your surroundings.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Mental Health Care
Playtime isn’t just for kids. Adults should take time out to just have fun too. Play can help improve your creativity, problem-solving, and emotional well-being. Chess anyone?
People indulge their creativity in so many ways – through music, art, dance, writing, etc. No matter the medium, creative expression helps to uncover the joy deep in our souls. When used as a therapy, creative arts can also lead to health benefits, such as:
* Helping you recover from disease, injury and psychological trauma faster
* Assisting in reducing stress and anxiety
* Improving memory and helping you focus your attention better
* Helping to fight infection and ease pain
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Mental Health Care
There will probably come a time when someone you know could benefit from professional counseling. They may, however, deny that a problem exists and won’t do anything about it. You can aid a friend or loved one by discussing those aspects of their behavior that are of concern. You should also discuss the benefits of counseling and share any personal experiences you’ve had with it. You may even want to help them select a therapist.
Don’t feel like you have to “go it alone.” If you need additional advice or someone to help you in your discussions with your friend, talk to any of the following people:
* Your EAP representative
* Your physician
* Your student counseling center’s staff
* Your friend’s family
* Your clergy
Your friend or loved one may not be very open to your assistance at first, but be persistent. The care and support you provide is an important factor in helping them get better.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Mental Health Care
Having a sense of humor is associated with living a longer life.
The millions of dollars spent each year on comedic television shows, books and movies prove that humor is a must-have in life. Other than being great fun, laughter produces feel-good chemicals in your brain called endorphins. They give you a natural high and can help ease pain. It seems our bodies are hard-wired to respond positively to humor. Laughter can also:
* Reduce stress, anxiety and depression
* Strengthen your immune system
* Extend your life expectancy
* Lower risks for heart disease
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Mental Health Care
The following questions can help you determine whether or not a mental health counselor fits your needs.
* Do they accept your health insurance?
* How much will you have to pay?
* Do they have the education, credentials, and recent training to treat you?
* Is the therapist licensed?
* How quickly can you be seen by the therapist?
* How can you get in touch with the therapist between appointments?
* Will they refer you to someone else if you need additional help?
* Can they prescribe medicine?
* Can they admit you to a hospital or treatment center?
* What hospitals or treatment centers do they have privileges in?
* What will you have to do during treatment? What will they do?
* Do people whom you trust recommend this therapist?
* What type of client do they feel they work best with?
* Does the therapist limit his/her practice to a specific type of client (children, women, family)?
* What type of treatment approach does the therapist use?
* What kind of experience have they had with a problem like yours?
* Do they offer group and/or family sessions? n How long (typically) will you need to see a counselor for problems similar to yours?
* How far do you have to travel to see the counselor?
* Do they have an appointment time that works for you?
* How much advance notice is needed to reschedule or cancel a session?
* Will you still be charged if you can’t make your scheduled session regardless of the reason?
Also consider the type of therapist you think you would prefer.
* Would you be more comfortable with a man or woman?
* Is the counselor’s age a factor? Would you prefer someone older or younger than you?
* Does it matter to you whether or not the counselor is married, with or without children?
* Is the counselor’s ethnicity or sexual orientation a factor?
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Mental Health Care
Want to live to a hundred? Start with finding your purpose. Having purpose in life is one factor that many centenarians share.
Think about what motivates, inspires and fulfills you. Then, set a plan for accomplishing your goals. Finding purpose in life gives it meaning and added richness to keep you going for the long haul. Research also suggests that having a sense of purpose in life may also help:
* Improve your life expectancy, including those with life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer
* Improve heart health
* Improve brain health and decrease your risk for Alzheimer’s disease
* Give added protection from the effects of stress
* Help you manage pain and chronic illness better
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine