Recovering Your Mental Health - Getting Health Care

Table of Contents

1. Foreword
2. Introduction
3. Taking A Look At Yourself
4. Things To Remember
5. What To Do If Your Symptoms Are Very Serious
6. Getting Health Care
7. Your Health Care Rights
8. Using Medications
9. Additional Things You Can Do Right Away to Help Yourself Feel Better
10. Things To Do When You Are Feeling Better To Keep Yourself Well
11. Further Resources

Getting Health Care

If you possibly can, see a doctor or another health care provider you like and trust. He or she can help you find out if the way you are feeling is caused by a medical illness, such as a thyroid problem or diabetes. In addition, your health care provider is often your best source of referral for other kinds of help. The sooner you get help, the sooner you will feel better.

It's always easier to go to the doctor if you take along a good friend. Your friend can help you remember what the doctor suggests, and could take notes if you want notes taken.

When you go to see your health care provider, take a complete listing of all medicines and anything else you may be doing to help yourself feel better, and a list of unusual, uncomfortable or painful physical or emotional symptoms--even if they don't seem important to you. Also describe any difficult issues in your life--both things that are going on now and things that have happened in the past--that may be affecting the way you feel. This will help the doctor give you the best possible advice on what you can do to help yourself.

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