You don’t have to travel far to seek out mental health support. In fact, you can seek out mental health support from the comfort of your own home by accessing resources online.
Where can you find the right support online? Well, there is a lot of poor and false information out there. It’s important to get support from the right places. Below are just some of the best places to get mental health support.
Blogs and articles
There are lots of blogs and articles dedicated to mental health topics. This can be a great place to start if you need basic advice or are looking to tackle mild mental health problems yourself.
Try to look for experts and advocates dedicated to your specific problem. For example, you’ll find advocates out there such as Mike Smeth that specialize in addiction recovery – which could be ideal if you or someone else has addiction.
Try to use trusted websites when looking for factual advice on treatment options. Sites like WebMD, Mayo Clinic and Healthline are great examples.
Mental health apps
There are apps out there that can help when overcoming various mental health illnesses. Such apps allow you to get support from your phone wherever you are.
Moodfit is one such mental health app recommended by the likes of VeryWellMind that offers exercises to help address negative emotions. Whether you’re trying to overcome depression, anxiety or general stress, such an app could be great at helping you to manage your emotions and feel better without having to talk to anyone. This app is also free.
Other apps worth trying include MoodMission, Calm and Talkspace. Some apps may be designed with specific mental health illnesses in mind, which could be worth looking into if you have a specific diagnosis. For example, there are apps such as ACT Coach for veterans with PTSD and there are apps such as Recovery Record for treating eating disorders.
Forums
Online forums are great places for connecting with people who may be going through the same mental health issues as you. Such forums can be great places for sharing problems and developing a sense of camaraderie, all in all making you feel less lonely in your recovery process.
You can find forums dedicated to different mental health issues. For example there are forums for addiction recovery such as The Sober Recovery Forum and forums for those with schizophrenia such as Schizophrenia.com.
Try to stick to trusted online support groups that are moderated by professionals. This way you know that you are always getting the healthiest support. Some online forums may also host physical meetups where you can meet people in person. You may even be able to build lifelong friends through these support groups.
Helplines
Need to find the number of a specific mental health helpline? The internet can be a great tool for finding the phone number you need.
There are helplines and listening services dedicated to all kinds of mental health problems from suicidal thoughts to concerns about other people. Check out Open Counseling for a list of helplines.
Web chat services
If you’re anxious about talking to someone over the phone, another option could be to use a web chat service. These work much like helplines. They give you the option to talk to a mental health counsellor for free and work through your problems.
My Black Dog is a popular web chat service that caters to all kinds of mental health problems. When you need someone to talk to and don’t want to use a phone call, this can be the next best option.
Online counseling sessions
You can also book online therapy courses that are conducted entirely via the internet. These can be a flexible option for many people with busy lives as you don’t have to travel anywhere.
Online counseling sessions may be conducted via video chat or via phone. A professional therapist will be able to help you understand your problems and then find a way of overcoming them. They’ll be able to help you set goals and then check in on you from week to week to ensure that you’re working to meet these goals.
Such counseling sessions are typically paid, but can vary in price. It’s worth taking the time to shop around for options. Make sure that the person taking the therapy session is qualified.