Mental Health Self-Help: Resources & Tips

Half of the battle of living with mental illness is getting proper care. Nearly 75% of counties in America lack a single psychiatrist in the region. The situation is even more dire for people who don’t have health insurance at all, let alone access to treatment. While navigating the mental health field can be confusing, it is simply inaccessible to most, which leaves the majority of people with mental illness, left to their own devices.

If you do have health insurance and live in the United States, you can search for a healthcare professional here. But, unfortunately, most people do not have access to professional help.

However, there are some tools which you can use to help yourself recover and cope with having a mental illness. From videos to workbooks, you can help yourself improve, or at least have a fighting chance. There are also other things you can do in your life which can improve your situation. So here are some things to do, and steps to take, when you are in need of mental health treatment but have no way of accessing professional help.

1. Take a questionnaire. In this day of the internet, there are many mental health questionnaires which can help you reflect on your symptoms. Of course, these should be seen as “just for fun”, but they can be a great tool in exploring your mind and habits. Here are some good mental health questionnaires which are fun to take:
   
   • This one is a lengthy online mental health questionnaire that mainly focuses on depression, bipolar, and anxiety.
   • This is a neat self-test that can help you determine if you are showing signs of a personality disorder. 
   • This is an official bipolar mood questionnaire which professionals use to screen patients in a clinical setting. 
   • This is a general depression self-test.
   • This is a suicide risk screening tool which can help you determine your risk.
   • This test focuses on generalized anxiety disorder. 
   • This is an OCD screening tool.
   • This is an anxiety screening tool.
   • This is a screening tool for experienced trauma. 

2. See a regular doctor. Many primary care doctors will prescribe basic antidepressants. If you need something more, you may have to see someone else, but you should be able to get a prescription for antidepressants from a family doctor. 
   
   
   

   

   
   

3. Understand that self diagnosis is valid and often necessary. As already made clear, most people don’t have access to mental health treatment so most will go undiagnosed. Denying a problem because you don’t have a professional diagnosis can cause even more damage in your life. If you want to be well, you are going to have to address your symptoms. And the only way to do that, is to reflect on your behavior and diagnose the problem to the best of your ability. Then, once you know your problem areas, you know what symptoms to work on. Even in the case of seeking professional help, it is a good idea to go in with somewhat of an idea of what you are experiencing. When you go to a regular doctor, you have to tell them what hurts, so you have to do the same with mental health.

4. And then read my article on The Art Of Self Diagnosis because it really is an art. There are many tips in the article to help guide you.
   
   
   
   

   

   
   
   

5. Look up NAMI and DBSA. National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) offers groups and classes for both patients and their families. Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) offers support groups. While your area may not have a psychiatrist, there are sometimes resources in the community which can give you support.

6. Consider self-taught Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). This type of therapy focuses on healthy coping mechanisms and retraining your brain towards more healthy behavior. While it was invented for the suicidal person with Borderline Personality Disorder, it can be useful with nearly any mental illness, especially those who are experiencing substance abuse or anger problems. Cognitive Behavior Therapy is also an option, which slightly differs from DBT, but is similar and just as useful. Here are some resources to get you started:
   
   • These are printable cheat sheets and worksheets.
   • These are worksheets made for DBT therapists to give to their clients.
   • This is a super good collection of worksheets made for DBT clients and their therapists.
   • This is a self-help website created by people who have successfully completed the DBT therapy program. 
   • This is a PDF of a DBT introduction book written by a psychiatrist for therapists to use. It is geared toward youth clients, but the information enclosed is still relevant and accurate.
   • This is an ebook on severe personality disorders.
   • These are an ebook of The DBT Training Worksheet books. They are here (1) , here (2) , and here (3).
   • This is a handout on how to be validating to others in your life. 
   • This is an illustrated guide to DBT. 
   • This is an ebook on DBT skills which primarily focuses on anger. 
   • This is an ebook of a popular DBT Therapist Manual.
   • This is an ebook written for DBT patients/clients. 
   
   
   

7. Consider making lifestyle changes. Mental health is impacted by a persons lifestyle and often, a few changes can make a huge difference. It may be clichè, but consider doing a yoga routine or taking a daily walk in the park. Also, eating habits have a pretty big impact on mental health. Creating a routine and schedule can help a lot when trying to care for your mental health. Better eating, sleeping, and grooming habits, can make a big impact on your emotional stability.

8. Consider alternative forms of treatment. You may not have access to traditional medication, but other methods of medicating can help. CBD is mostly available to everyone now, so consider trying it out. Some people with mental illness smoke medical cannabis, with THC, and many are able to function without using other means of medicating. Acupuncture is also an option, as is Electric Shock Therapy though you will need a professional and health insurance for those treatments. 

9. Join virtual support groups. While you may not have access to an in-person support group, you have access to virtual support groups with the internet. There are many Facebook groups which are for mental health support and some are even for a specific disorder or symptom. Learning about other’s experiences can help you identify your own symptoms that you may have not recognized, and you will have emotional support in your recovery. This is a mental health support group that I created, feel free to join! This is a DIY DBT Facebook group.

10. Keep track of your mood. This is Daylio which is a fantastic app for tracking your mood. You can also go the old fashioned route and keep a journal. Some people make a simple color coded mood chart on graph paper like this. Either way, tracking your mood can give you great insight and help you in your recovery. 

11. Set boundaries and avoid toxic people. Many people who experience mental illness are also victims of emotional abuse or similar. An important step in your recovery may be recognizing your experiences of trauma, setting boundaries, or even cutting off people who actively mistreat you. This can be very difficult to do though, so it’s okay if it takes some time to do this. 

12. Address substance abuse problems. It is extremely common for people with untreated mental illness to self medicate with substances when undiagnosed or otherwise not in treatment. It is such a common occurrence that many mental health departments double as a substance abuse recovery program. This is a pretty large topic that can’t be summed up in this paragraph, but you should know that sobriety is an important piece of recovery and emotional stability. 

13. Create a crisis response plan. For some, this may be in response to a panic attack, while others may experience a crisis of suicidal behavior. Either way, create a plan that you can use in time of crisis. When you are in a neutral, stable mood, write out a list of ten things that you can do to cope in a crisis. This can be anything from taking a shower to going for a walk or calling a friend. 

14. Create a crisis resource plan. There may come a time when you desperately need emergency services. In these times, it can be helpful to talk to a professional, even though it’s on the phone. These numbers, as well as any local relevant numbers, should be posted somewhere in your house for you to reference, but also for your household to reference in a crisis. If you have a doctor or therapist, their contact information should also be listed. Here is some contact information for crisis lines for The United States:
    • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (voice): 1-800-273-8255
    • Crisis Text Line: Text “Home” to 741741
    • The Trevor Project, a LGBTQ Crisis Line: 1-866-488-7386 (voice) or text START to 678678
    • Trans Lifeline (voice) -- 1-877-565-8860
    • Substance Abuse & Mental Health help line: SAMHSA National Helpline (voice) – 1-800-662-4357
    
    

15. Educate yourself. Learning about your symptoms, and the triggers leading up to it, is essential in mental health recovery. Read scholarly articles on your condition and search for as much information as you can find. Knowledge is power in mental illness. Also, try to educate those around you. Sharing articles with those who support you will help them understand you and your experience.

(I will add more resources to this article as they come available. If you have any resources or links, please comment below.)