Mental Health Specialists Can Work Wonders. Is it Time You Met with One?

April 10, 2025 in Wellness Checks Mental Health

Invasive. Intimidating. Uncomfortable. For many folks, these are words that come to mind when considering seeing a mental health specialist. Confiding in a stranger can be unsettling, but for anyone struggling with mental health, it’s an essential first step in getting the support needed to live a healthier, happier life.

The good news is you are not alone. The need for comprehensive mental health services has never been greater. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in five adults in the U.S. experiences a mental health condition each year, and mental health concerns among adolescents have reached crisis levels. Anxiety, depression, and other challenges have only been exacerbated by social, economic, and pandemic-related stressors.

A Mental Health Specialist Can Help You

Mental health specialists can help individuals cope with these and other mental health problems and improve their well-being through various methods including therapy, counseling, and crisis intervention, while also assessing, diagnosing and developing treatment plans:

Assessment and Diagnosis: Mental health specialists conduct interviews, administer tests, and observe patients to assess their mental health status and identify potential problems.
Treatment Planning: Based on their assessment, they work to develop individualized treatment plans that address the patient’s specific needs.
Therapy and Counseling: They provide individual, group and/or family therapy to help clients explore their thoughts, feelings and behaviors and develop coping mechanisms.
Crisis Intervention: They may be involved in providing immediate support and intervention during mental health crises, such as suicidal ideation or substance abuse.
Case Management: They help patients navigate the healthcare system, connect them with necessary resources, and monitor their progress.
Education and Prevention: Mental health specialists may educate individuals and communities about mental health issues and promote prevention strategies.
Referrals: They may also refer patients to other specialists or services that can better address their needs.

So, what are some indicators you may have a mental health concern and how might seeing a specialist be beneficial?

Anxiety

Some amount of worry or anxiety is normal and healthy. However, when this anxiety causes disruptions in your day-to-day activities, it becomes a problem. Anxiety can sometimes worsen over time. Therefore, it is essential to seek help at the right time from a mental health specialist. They will help you with talk therapy or medication, or a combination of both:

Talk therapy involves working with a therapist to reduce your anxiety symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most effective form of talk therapy for anxiety disorder. Generally, a short-term treatment, it focuses on teaching you specific skills to directly manage your worries and help you gradually return to the activities you've avoided because of anxiety.
Medication - Several types of medications are used to treat anxiety disorder, including antidepressants, but it is best you first understand their benefits, risks and possible side effects.

ADHD

Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health disorder that includes a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. Adult ADHD can lead to unstable relationships, poor work or school performance, low self-esteem, and other problems.

Though it's called adult ADHD, symptoms start in early childhood and continue into adulthood. Struggles with impulsiveness, restlessness, difficulty paying attention, and inability to control impulses such as impatience waiting in line, driving in traffic, mood swings, and outbursts of anger may continue. Other Adult ADHD symptoms may include disorganization and problems prioritizing; poor time management skills; problems focusing on a task; poor planning; and trouble coping with stress. The most effective treatment for ADHD in adults typically involves medication, combined with education, skills training and talk therapy.

Depression

Depression affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn't worth living. Depression isn't a weakness you can simply "snap out" of and should never be taken lightly. Symptoms include fatigue, loss of appetite, and sleep problems; often wanting to stay at home rather than going out to socialize or doing new things; and suicidal thinking or feelings. Most people with depression benefit from seeing a mental health specialist who can help them feel better with talk therapy, medication or both.

Bi-Polar / Mood Swing Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder where people feel extremely happy at one moment and extremely sad during another period. These periods typically last a few days to weeks. In between, one may feel relatively normal. A vital treatment tactic, talk therapy, can be provided in individual, family or group settings. Types include:

Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy to establish a consistent daily routine, eating, sleeping, etc., to help manage moods; and
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to identify unhealthy, negative beliefs and behaviors and replacing them with healthy, positive beliefs and behaviors.

Adjusting to Life Changes

Losing a job or a loved one or some other major changes in your life can cause headaches, sleep loss, extreme anxiety, or other symptoms. When facing such emotional strife, it is best to seek help from a mental health specialist who can help you work towards developing new coping mechanisms and stress-reducing tactics. Many people with adjustment disorders find a brief period of talk therapy treatment helpful. It can be provided individually, or with a group or as a family to provide emotional support, help you get back to your typical routine, help you learn why the stressful event affected you so much, and help you learn stress management and coping skills to deal with stressful events.

Suicidal Ideation

Suicidal thoughts are most often the result of feeling like you can't cope when you're faced with what seems to be an overwhelming life situation. Warning signs of suicidal thoughts, which are rarely always obvious and vary from person to person, include:

Talking about suicide — for example, making statements such as "I'm going to kill myself," "I wish I were dead" or "I wish I hadn't been born"
Withdrawing from social contact and wanting to be left alone
Having mood swings, such as being emotionally high one day and discouraged the next
Feeling trapped or hopeless about a situation
Increasing use of alcohol or drugs
Doing risky or self-destructive things, such as using drugs or driving recklessly
Giving away belongings when there's no other logical explanation for doing so
Saying goodbye to people as if they won't be seen again

If you have suicidal thoughts, but are not in a crisis situation, a mental health specialist can work with you to develop a treatment plan and goals. The specialist may utilize talk therapy to help you explore the issues that make you feel suicidal and learn skills to help manage emotions more effectively. Other solutions include involving your loved ones in treatment to help them understand what you're going through, give them better coping skills, and improve family communication and relationships.

Take The First Step

No matter your struggle, speaking with a mental health specialist will help you gain insight and develop a treatment plan to address your needs. TrustCare offers mental health and wellness services to support both adolescents and adults. The high-quality services are readily accessible with minimal wait times, if not same-day appointments.

Program Administrator Thomas Howington, MSN, RN, PMHNP-BC has an exceptional reputation for diagnosing, treating and managing mental health disorders for patients of all ages, including children and adolescents with a history of Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, depression, and mood disorders. Through his support and guidance, he can help you gain insight into your struggles and develop a treatment plan to address your needs. Learn more or schedule a secure virtual visit or in-person appointment with him click here.