When your body isn’t well, you head to the doctor. But what if your mind isn’t feeling quite right? Your doctor should hear these concerns, too. If you’re feeling depressed, anxious, or are having other trouble with thinking and emotions, don’t be afraid to speak up.
Make an appointment ASAP
Start by talking with your primary care doctor. Many health conditions can cause mental health symptoms. Your doctor can do a full physical exam to see whether your symptoms have an underlying cause and refer you to a behavioral health specialist or therapist if you need one.
In an emergency situation, such as thinking of harming yourself, call 911 or go to the emergency room immediately.
Be honest and open
You may feel embarrassed to talk about mental health concerns. To give you an accurate diagnosis and the proper treatment, your doctor needs to know what’s going on. Keep in mind that close to one in five Americans lives with mental illness. Therefore, what you’re going through isn’t unusual.
Be specific about symptoms
Tell your doctor everything you can, including symptoms that you think might not be related to mental health. Try to record these details to share with your doctor:
- How often the symptoms occur
- How severe the symptoms are
- Whether you’ve had these symptoms before
- When they started
Speak up if you have questions about what your doctor says regarding your symptoms. Remember that a conversation with your doctor should be a two-way street.
You can receive help through Teladoc®
Beginning on your plan’s 2019 renewal or effective date, you can now use our telemedicine benefit provided through Teladoc® to receive consultation for the treatment of behavioral health services (mental health and substance use). You can use Teladoc for a low copayment or even $0 member cost share, according to your plan benefits*. To learn more, visit www.independenthealth.com/telemedicine.
*Benefits vary by plan. If your plan is HSA-qualified, by law, you are responsible for paying the full cost of Teladoc services until your deductible is satisfied.
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