People who have been diagnosed with a chronic, serious mental illness often do not fully understand the importance of health care maintenance. Health care maintenance in the mental health field means finding a psychiatrist and a therapist who are qualified to meet the individual’s needs. Many times, other mental health (social workers, caseworkers, etc.) and medical health workers (general practitioners, specialists, etc.) need to be involved as well. Over time, people who accept the need for a team approach, do better in daily life than those who choose not to, according to the British Journal of Psychiatry.
All of the therapists at Centers work with clients who struggle with their illnesses. One of my clients, Josie (not her real name) recognized early on that having a team that supported her contributed to her success. She was diagnosed in 1999 with bipolar disorder, seizure disorder and borderline personality disorder. She went to MHMR to access a psychiatrist and to Centers for access to a therapist. Over the years, her psychiatrist and I have added an MHMR caseworker to help with her medication, a neuro-psychiatrist for help in managing her seizures and various medical doctors as those needs arose.
[For more of this story, written by Kristi Edwards, go to http://www.mrt.com/health_and_...8b-5b3f51613868.html]
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