How do you find mental health for your loved one ? He asked for mental health. He has been sober a couple of weeks and depression and mental state worsening.
How do you find mental health resources for your loved one?
polly
#2
When my husband had detoxed and been through rehab he struggled with depression - didn’t feel like doing much and I would try to suggest fun things to do that I knew he liked and believed would snap him out of it but he just didn’t want to.
I learned that since addiction affects the reward pathways in the brain and we’ve taken away the reward (substance) then they don’t function all that well, and it takes quite some time (months) for them to heal and start feeling joy in doing things they used to like doing. Knowing this helped me stand by him and might help him to know this too. It doesn’t feel great now but the brain is healing and he will feel better.
That said, I’m sure a mental health professional would be very helpful for him. I’ll let our Village Professional @erica weigh in on that specifically with some suggestions about how to find resources.
<3
erica
#3
This is a great question, thanks for asking!
I first want to give some information on why there are mental health concerns that come up in recovery. There’s a tendency to think about addiction treatment as getting rid of the substance causing harm and staying sober for as long as possible. This is very important, of course, but it’s also important to recognize that sobriety-based symptoms (that can include depression and other mental health concerns) can be the factors that make sobriety so difficult to manage.
The good news: the impact of substances on the brain can be reversible and with proper treatment the major symptoms can go away. If our loved ones are engaged in a healthy recovery program that includes working with a mental health professional one on one to manage mental health symptoms that come up in sobriety, they can learn to manage their mental health and hopefully improve it over time!
When my brother got sober from opiates he had a lot of mood fluctuation - one minute he was depressed and hopeless, then he was happy and motivated to improve his life. As a family we were supportive and always gave encouraging words of how great he was doing even when he felt his worst. He found an addiction specialist he could work with 1:1 to manage his mental health and although it took about 6 months, he did start to feel generally more hopeful, happy, and energetic to live a fulfilling life. It can take a while for the brain to heal, but the key here is the brain CAN heal!
Now onto suggestions to find resources!
- Ask people you trust in the community if they have any referrals to mental health professionals that are also trained in addiction
- If your loved one received treatment to help get them sober, inquire with the treatment facility about referrals to mental health specialists in the area who have knowledge in addiction
- Check out psychologytoday.com This is a website that can be used to find any mental health resources you may need in your area. You first put in your zip code, then filter down based on your loved one’s insurance provider, what type of resource you’re looking for (psychiatrist, therapist, group), the issue you are hoping to work on (addiction, depression, mood, etc), and filter down even more based on your individual preferences. You then reach out to the provider straight from the site to see if they will be a good fit!
I hope this helps in providing some insight as to why our loved ones may need to address mental health concerns as well as how to address these concerns!
Dtroutt61
#4
The bigger question is - how do you find mental health resources for your loved one which is covered by state insurance? Also, most rehab’s don’t seem to identify the mental health piece with addiction so when you mention both - it is considered a dual-diagnosis and then the stakes get harder to get them help as the beds/help are much more limited.
erica
#5
Good question! Here is a good resource for treatment options, including state funded facilities - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMSHA) – www.samhsa.gov
SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness in America’s communities. The website is full of information about drugs of abuse, treatment options (evidenced-based), and mental and physical health issues. They also have a treatment finder that is helpful for looking into programs in other parts of the country - http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/
Hope this helps a bit 
Dtroutt61
#6
HI Erica,
Thank you for responding, I do appreciate it. Though, I did contact this site a few years ago for further info and help. It was pretty useless sadly, the links weren’t always working and/or they couldn’t help since he was on state insurance. Some links also, the info given there weren’t any resources in the area.
Again, sadly for the addicts on state insurance their resources/help is quite limited. The attitude I was given wasn’t pleasant and it pretty much made me feel like he was below their expertise, now of course if I could afford private pay insurance it’s a different story. He’s 37 so I can’t cover him on my insurance either.