Behavioral health counseling is a wonderful treatment for many of life’s problems. But sometimes a person doesn’t know when to go see a therapist. How bad should you let things get before you seek out help? The sooner you seek out treatment, the faster you’ll feel better. It may sound obvious, but far too often people let their problems overwhelm them before getting help.

1. Nothing you’ve done seems to have helped – many people feel anxious for weeks on end and nothing they do to try and help calm their anxiety seems to work. Few people suffer from the symptoms of depression without having tried to reverse the lethargy, sadness, or feelings of hopelessness.

2. Your friends (or family) are tired of listening to you – friends and family members are usually pretty great. They are there for us when times are good, and when times are bad. If you need to bend someone’s ear about the feelings or thoughts you’re having, a friend is often close at hand. But sometimes a friend can also feel overwhelmed by your problems. They start to pull away from you. They don’t answer your texts or don’t take your call. These may be signs that you’ve overwhelmed your own social support system. It’s time to reach out and talk to someone whose job it is to listen, and offer tools and techniques to improve your life.

3. People have noticed and said something to you – maybe it was a friend who pulled you aside one day and said, “Hey, is everything okay? I notice you seem to be really struggling lately… maybe you should talk to someone?” Or a partner who’s said, “Look, you need help. You haven’t been yourself in weeks. Nothing I do seems to help, and in fact, we just seem to be getting worse.” Even co-workers and classmates may have noticed and made a small attempt to let you know they think you may need someone to talk to.

ChapCare believes that behavioral health services have a positive impact on the quality of patient’s lives and their families. Mental illness can not only affect the patient’s primary care and disease prevention, but can also affect other areas of their life (i.e. job, school, etc.), which support enhanced mental health. In ChapCare’s integrated behavioral health program, mental health clinicians work with primary care providers as a team to treat the mental and physical health needs of their patients. Behavioral health services are available to all ChapCare patient’s regardless of their ability to pay.

For more information on your healthcare options call ChapCare at (626) 398-6300 or online at www.chapcare.org.