Early Mental Health Intervention Benefits
- Less Intense Treatment
- Fewer Logistical Consequences
- Fewer and Less Severe Continuing Symptoms
- Longer and Fuller Recovery
- Increased Self Esteem and Motivation
There is an unfortunate stigma in current society against seeking mental health intervention. Many wonderful and highly functioning people require mental health intervention to cope with difficult situations and biological imbalances. Few seek intervention until they are forced to, and by then the consequences are much more severe. These 5 long-term benefits of early mental health intervention are design to break down the stigma and promote mental health for all.
1. Less Intense Treatment
The sooner people seek mental health intervention, the less intense treatment they will have to endure. Many people hope their symptoms will just go away, but mental illness gets worse over time. Early intervention allows people to gain coping mechanisms while they are still capable of using them. This prevents the need for medication in some, and reduces the dosage and frequency needed for those who require medication regardless. It prevents people from turning to harmful and even deadly coping mechanisms such as substance abuse, self-harm, and even suicide.
2. Fewer Logistical Consequences
When people begin to succumb to mental illness symptoms, many important aspects of their lives become affected. Relationships deteriorate, and performance at school or work declines. This can result in loss of friendships, break-ups, family disputes, unemployment, and college drop-out. The more severe the problem gets, the more severe the documented diagnoses will be. Potential employers often look at mental health records, so this could negatively impact future career opportunities. Many medical professionals and insurance companies still increase treatment costs when severe mental health diagnoses exist in medical records.
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3. Fewer and Less Severe Continuing Symptoms
The added life challenges discussed above result in symptoms of depression and anxiety on top of the original underlying mental health concern. This makes recovery more difficult and lengthy. People end up having to manage symptoms that could have been prevented with earlier intervention. As explained by professionals and posted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the power of prevention even applies to the most severe of mental health psychosis symptoms.
4. Longer and Fuller Recovery
One of the biggest dangers of untreated mental health problems is the risk for relapse. The sheer trauma itself of progressed mental illness is enough to make people more vulnerable for relapse even after initial treatment and recovery. Receiving intervention when the problem is still minor prevents the problem from becoming as traumatizing. Early awareness makes it easier to for people to self-identify early signs of recurring mental health symptoms. It also arms people with healthy coping mechanisms to prevent recurring symptoms from becoming unmanageable.
5. Increased Self-Esteem and Motivation
Once people overcome the societal stigma, seeking early mental health intervention actually increases overall self-esteem and motivation. Part of treatment will involve gaining a sense of pride in having sought the right resources at the right time. Overcoming this challenge will motivate people to take on other challenges in life they have been neglecting. The resulting increased mental and emotional wellbeing will further motivate people to pursue healthy lifestyles.
One of the hardest challenges people face is learning to admit when they need help. Mental health concerns are particularly easy to ignore since they do not immediately present physical and social consequences. In reality, these consequences will eventually surface. Seek intervention early, and enjoy the long-term benefits.