Befores speaking about the general process of accessing Emergency Psychiatric Services, I would be remiss if I didn't spend a little time on preventative measures.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as they say.
A far too frequent patient story in my field goes like this:
Someone realizes that they don't feel like themselves. Often, they don't quite know what is going on.
They decide to see what happens if they wait it out a few months. Maybe it's seasonal? Maybe it's just stress?
Eventually they realize that they might need some type of professional help. However, they don't know what professional help means or where to go.
They start online searches, often taking weeks to months to figure out where to start the process of getting help.
Once they figure out a direction to take, they learn it can take weeks to months to get an intake appointment with a mental health care provider
While waiting for their appointment, they realize things are getting worse. There's also frustration because it was difficult to find someone for a standard appointment. Now there's confusion on where to go urgently.
They find one night that they need help immediately, and also that most mental health clinics are open only during business hours.
While medicine in general is trying to increase access to urgent and emergency psychiatric care, not every community has such a service available.
Also, even when psychiatric emergency services exist sometimes there are logistical limitations that can't be helped.
The most important point for this post? If you feel you need help with your mental health, please ask for help. You don't have to wait until you are with a "mental health professional'' to bring up your concerns.
Many primary care providers are able to start the care process. Regardless of specialty, many clinics now employ additional staff who can help you find resources for accessing mental health. If needed, many primary care physicians can also start first line medications.
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