Frequently Asked Mental Health Questions

By Mark Korduba

How Do I Improve My Self-Confidence in Life?

Self-confidence is about recognising your true nature of mind. This is where people develop their true self-confidence. When they learn to get beyond their ego. It starts with trying not to be overly concerned what other people think of you. Problems arise (in regards to self-confidence) when this occurs. A really good test is what you do when you get criticised in life. A lot of people will take the feedback personally and believe that it is a criticism of themselves. An antidote is to simply say “It’s not me.” For more information please read Section 3: Your True Mind. Instead of trying to get confidence from others, you’ll be able to find it from within.

How Do I Have A Healthy and Functional Romantic Relationship?

The main problem that people have in romantic relationships is that they become overly attached to the other person. To the point that their happiness depends on their partner “liking” them. This is not a sustainable situation. Why? Romantic relationships by their very nature are impermanent and constantly changing. Why cling onto something that is not stable? If you can learn to reach the stage of non-attachment, where you are able to love and open yourself up to the other person, while remaining unattached to the outcome of the relationship. This is how the best relationships develop and maintain.

What Is The Fastest Why to Overcome My Anxiety and Depression?

The best way is through applying all of the principles in this article. Specifically, you need to understand that negative feelings are impermanent and will eventually pass and not to become attached to positive feelings returning. Reaching the stage of non-attachment in regards to these thoughts and emotions. “If they leave then great.” “If they stay around then that is ok as well”. Neither being attached nor averse to either outcome. Thirdly, you need to understand how your mind actually works. Specifically to realise that your thoughts and your emotions are not actually your true mind and will eventually pass. Finally, to view mental health in philosophical terms and try to use your experience to help others, through compassion.

Where Does My Anxiety and Depression Come From?

Generally speaking, any mental health problem that you have in life is due to overanalysis and over thinking. It is a failure to be more fully present in life and living too much in your head. This is especially the case when it comes to anxiety. Your normal strategy of thinking your way through problems is not going to work when it comes to mental health issues. You need to adapt. Try not to be as goal driven and learn to let go a little. Ultimately it comes back to the four main principles in this e-book and failing to live by them.

How Do I Stop Myself From Worrying Too Much?

You need to appreciate that worrying doesn’t accomplish anything in life. There is no real point of doing it. You need to challenge the belief that worrying is useful. Impermanence is pretty powerful when it comes to worrying. Realising that everything is constantly changing is very stabalising. If you can do something about a problem that you have, then great. Ultimately the best way to overcome worry is through action. Think, do. Not think, think, think, think.

What Is The Secret To Happiness?

The secret to happiness is contained in this article. Getting out of your mind and into your life. What does this mean? Realising that you will die someday, so live life with some sense of purpose and urgency. Not being overly concerned what others think about you because in the long run it doesn’t matter. And realising that what they are judging you on isn’t actually who you are. And being compassionate and understanding towards others.

How Long Will This Process Take?

How long is a piece of string? Real change can happen in a matter of weeks. Significant change can happen in a matter of months. Life changing change can happen within a year. Ultimately, this process and principles contained in the article, will continue occurring for the rest of your life. We find its simplicity the major problem. Our minds like to think that the process should be more complicated. Remember simplicity does not mean simplistic! Change needs to occur at both the conscious and sub-conscious level.

Will I Need To Get Professional Help? Why?

Some of you reading this article may find that you will want to seek out professional help by consulting a Psychologist or a Psychiatrist. A lot of people choose to consult mental health professionals when life gets too much and they feel that they can’t cope on their own. Others feel that a trained professional will speed up the process and provide extra motivation to help them to better understand their mind. While other people feel that they can manage the process on their own without any outside help. It’s up to you as an individual. [http://psychologistbrisbanenorth.com/]Psychologist Brisbane [http://psychologistbrisbanenorth.com/counselling/]Counselling Brisbane

Article Source:  Frequently Asked Mental Health Questions

The term “eating disorders,” like so many diagnostic labels, describes a spectrum of experiences and dynamics; while two people might both overeat and purge, the psychological reasons why they do so can be very different. I’d like to discuss one of my clients who suffered from bulimia, along with the emotional factors involved, because her story sheds light on a much larger issue: how we may cope with unbearable emotions and feelings by trying to get rid of them.

When I began working with this client (I’ll call her Sharon), I had little experience with eating disorders. I understood that there might be a connection between childhood sexual abuse and bulimia; I was aware that low self-esteem and perfectionism likely played a role. The first time we met, Sharon told me she’d been sexually molested by her step-father during her early teens; while she didn’t strike me as having particularly low self-esteem, she did seem quite perfectionistic and self-critical. In our early sessions, however, what struck me most was how little she could tolerate her emotions and feelings.

A pattern began to emerge: whenever an experience threatened to stir up emotion (it could be an intensely pleasurable feeling just as well as an anxious or painful one) the powerful urge to overeat would arise. Eventually she would give in, binge eat and force herself to vomit afterward; an enormous sense of relief always followed. We came to understand that what she wanted was to feel empty, void of emotion. Her bulimia, in a very literal sense, was a process of emotional evacuation. By throwing up, Sharon felt she’d gotten rid of the unbearable emotions and feelings along with the food she’d eaten.

The solution wasn’t permanent, of course: the feelings usually came back. Sometimes evacuating her feelings gave her enough time to find an alternative way to remove or avoid the cause of those feelings; on other occasions, emotions would resurface and she’d go through the binge-purge cycle again. In almost every situation, her goal was first to avoid having any feelings if possible, and then to get rid of them whenever she couldn’t.

Sharon’s mother was a very logical, remote woman who also tried to avoid any kind of emotional turbulence. The fact that she somehow managed not to know what must have been obvious, that her husband was molesting her daughter, shows just how far she would go to avoid facing painful and difficult situations that might agitate her. In other words, Sharon grew up in a family with little tolerance for emotions and feelings; she never learned how to cope with them in a mental way and developed bulimia, in large part, as a physical alternative.

There are many other ways to avoid or evacuate unwanted emotions and feelings; the process of projection isn’t usually as literal as it is in this case of bulimia. But I believe it’s something we all do at one time or another. On the other hand, when we’re unable to get rid of such feelings, it may give rise to intense rel=nofollow [http://www.afterpsychotherapy.com/anxiety-symptoms-and-panic-attacks]anxiety symptoms or even panic attacks. In addition, the inability to cope with sudden, overwhelming and unbearable emotion can also give rise to post traumatic stress disorder.

You might have a hard time identifying with Sharon’s methods, but you may use eating in related ways. Many people turn to food as comfort, of course, trying to satisfy an emotional need by physical means. Others use food as a sort of numbing agent. As to the larger issue of avoiding intense emotions and feelings, you may find more common ground with Sharon. Here’s a personal example. When my children were small and the emotional demands of rearing them were high (in addition to the emotional demands of my psychotherapy practice), all I wanted at the end of the day, after everyone was fed, bathed and in bed, was to watch repeats of “Law & Order” with a glass of wine. Nothing stimulating, nothing unexpected… just the comfortable routine of crime and punishment, with characters who never surprised me. Sound familiar? At the end of your day, do you numb out in front of mindless TV shows with alcohol or ice cream? Maybe it’s because, after the stimulation of your day, you can’t take any more intense feelings.

How does your own routine serve to limit the kinds of emotions and feelings you have? Are you a creature of habit? Sometimes repetitive ways of doing things allow us to know (or believe we can know) what we’ll feel in advance. Who of us really likes the shock of unexpected feeling? It might be a wonderful surprise if the Publisher’s Clearing House guy showed up at my door, telling me I’d won the sweepstakes, but I hate late-night phone calls that mean bad news, death or a serious accident.

You’d think, given the shortness of life and the wealth of possible experiences, we humans would constantly be searching for new sources of stimulation and excitement. It’s surprising how many of us prefer the comfort of routine and the set of knowable emotions and feelings that come up in our ordinary day.

Joseph Burgo PhD is a clinical psychologist with 30+ years experience in the mental health profession. He writes two blogs, one called ‘After Psychotherapy’ where he discusses psychotherapy issues such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder and [http://www.afterpsychotherapy.com/post-traumatic-stress-disorder]post traumatic stress disorder from a psycho-dynamic perspective; on the other blog, ‘Movies and Mental Health’ hosted by PsychCentral, he uses classic and contemporary films to illustrate his ideas. Dr. Burgo also offers online counseling via Skype. His forthcoming book on psychological defense mechanisms will be released by New Harbinger Publications in Spring 2013.

Article Source:  Unbearable Emotions and Feelings

By Gerry Ayers

I believe that more top level athletes have some form of fear of failure. In my opinion the athletes with the highest goals, highest standards, and highest expectations of themselves usually suffer from fear of failure the most.  These people usually tend to think in a pain avoidance mindset rather than a seek pleasure mindset.

I believe this is what I suffer from.  Last week during training I was struggling with some techniques and getting frustrated with myself.  My coach told me my technique was looking good and that I was just a perfectionist.  Then it dawned on me that I have had very high standards for myself my entire life, couple that with the pressure of everyone else expecting myself to perform at peak levels every time, it’s no wonder I developed a fear of failure.

I sit here writing this article slight anxiety has built up within me. I have a sense of fear that this article will fail, and I can hear my inner voice warning me to not screw this up.  The fear that people who read this will find it to be garbage is stressful to me.  This exact scenario is played out during competitions.  Luckily I have a moderate level of mental toughness and I can usually push past the fear during competition.  Looking back at all my previous competitions I think the fear of failure has hindered me from competing at my highest level.

I am in the progress (sic) of incorporating a couple of Neuro-Linguistic Programming techniques that I have learned reading Anthony Robbins’ “Unlimited Power”.

1. Determine the behavior you would like to change. (Fear of Failure)
2. Determine the external environmental trigger.  What is in the environment that triggers the undesired behavior? (The stress of competition)
3. Determine what internal modality is triggered?  Do you see a picture? (visual modality)  Do you hear a voice? (auditory modality)  Do you feel something? (kinesthetic modality) (I would visualize a compilation of past competitions where I lost.)
4. Determine what your overall reaction is to the aforementioned modality.  (I would create poisonous negative self-talk that would spawn greater fear, thus creating a downward spiral type loop, ultimately leading to what I feared most-failing.)

After all these discoveries are written down, we need to find a way to reframe our internal reaction to the external trigger.  What that means is that when the external trigger is present we want our internal reaction to be reframed to something that will result in a positive internal trigger.  So next we need to have a state of mind that will reframe our internal beliefs.

1. Determine what mind set we need to achieve in order to succeed at changing our behavior.  (Mine would be a high level of confidence in my abilities to compete and win)
2. Remember an experience from our past when we were in that desired mind-set and determine what type of internal reaction that was experienced and what exactly that experience was.  (Mine was the Empire State games when I took the Bronze medal in freestyle wrestling and I had a kinesthetic reaction of an unusual sense of calm, and confidence)
3. Then determine your overall reaction of how you felt, and what actions you took toward the external trigger.  (I performed at my highest level ever and had the most fun ever in my wrestling career)

Now you should have a written list of both the behavior you want to change and the behavior would like to replace it with.

Now the next steps are very simple, but they will be challenging. Every time you experience the external trigger, you need to acknowledge it and stop the internal modality reaction.  You will literally have to say “STOP” in your own head.  Next replace the initial modality reaction with the “good” reaction and keep running through you head all that is associated with that good modality.  This will change you overall reaction to the desired behavior.  These last steps can also be done without the external trigger being present.  Since our brains cannot tell the difference between real and imaginary, you can practice alone by yourself.  Imagine the external trigger, which will begin your old patterns.  At that point say “STOP” and start the new pattern.  Do this 20-30 times in a row every day for a month and I bet you will see amazing results.

This will not happen overnight and it is not easy to accomplish (but nothing worthwhile is ever easy right?), but with enough practice you will soon atrophy your old behavior and you will have reconditioned your mind.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gerry_Ayers
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Therapy and Counseling – Five Basic Things You Should and Should Not Get
By Christopher O Michael

These are just the very basics–this does not get into any given therapist’s methods or theory. We are talking simple therapeutic courtesy and bare-bones requirements. If your therapist or counselor is not offering you the basics or is offering things that should not be happening, then they might consider a new profession and certainly you might consider a new therapist or counselor. They either have not themselves been on the client end of the therapy interaction, have not been with a respectful therapist, or did not learn despite training and example, which would be the worst possibility.

I wrote this article after having heard one of the most pathetic stories about a doctoral-level therapy / counseling practitioner I have ever heard–short of actual abuse or other illegal behavior. I am not including most things that should be in the practitioner’s code of ethics or the law. Those things, however, are sometimes violated too.

In therapy or counseling you should get:

1. The absolute, undivided attention of the therapist or counselor on YOU (with some occasional and minor lapses being acceptable and probably expected…). Furthermore, you should be unconditionally prized and supported (within reason) and the therapist or counselor–again, within reason–should not ‘judge’ you or your behavior so much as he or she should explore and call your attention to things he or she notices.

2. A relatively quiet and private atmosphere that remains consistent in terms of location is usually very important. Some therapists may take you to locations specific to your problems in order to work on them, but the majority of contact should be private and consistent. For example, a therapist or counselor might occasionally take you onto a bridge in order to address your bridge phobia or fear of heights.

3. Informed consent to therapy so that you know what therapy involves and does not involve and are still willing to participate. The therapist or counselor’s office policies and usual procedures should be outlined, as well as the times that he or she can or must break confidentiality. Informed consent can, to some degree, also help you to know when the therapist has truly violated a boundary.

4. Clear discussion of fees and fee arrangements, including what happens when sessions are missed, any insurance arrangements, and so on.

5. Although depending upon the type of problem being treated this may actually become a repeating and important part of the therapy, in nearly all cases the therapist should apologize or otherwise make things right–or at least productively explore what happened–if something has led to negative feelings.

Things you should not get–please note that even wonderful therapists and counselors occasionally slip up on these, but if it occurs too frequently there are problems that need to be dealt with–perhaps starting with your departure…:

1. A therapist or counselor whose main focus in the session is his or her self. There are many therapists out there who talk amazingly frequently and constantly about themselves! If there is a lot of this, it is NOT normal. Run away. Unless there is some therapeutic reason, more than brief and social personal sharing about the counselor or counselor’s acquaintances, friends, or family should be a red flag about a possibly self-centered or temporarily stressed practitioner who uses paying clients as social time-fillers, friends, or ego-supports. Even ‘gossiping’ and getting the client’s ‘oh my’ reaction is a sign of this if there is no good clinical reason for the disclosure. Finally, such persons may basically use paying clients as therapists / counselors!

One good reason for therapist self-sharing might be to give limited and appropriate information about how someone else–including the therapist–learned from and coped with something very similar to what the client is going through. Also, late in a long-term treatment a bit more revealing from the therapist is perhaps more acceptable, but not a constant focus. Another acceptable time for a therapist or counselor to share about him or herself is when they use their own inner feelings about you or your situation to help you learn something about yourself or your situation. However, a good counselor will be cautious and sensitive in how they use such information.

2. Changes in the conditions or fees unless discussed with and agreed to by you. I have seen it done by excellent therapists in terms of raising fees or changing the financial rules in the middle of a course of therapy or training, but I do not agree with the practice. Especially if work has been going on for some time, the client is now more likely to agree to the change even if he or she does not really want to–because an intimate and valued process has started. Therapists who need to raise fees should do so with new clients. Fees and other financially related rules are a surprisingly sensitive area for both therapists and clients, and once set should usually be left alone. If you are having serious financial trouble, however, the therapist should offer a lower fee or other temporary arrangement rather than simply terminating therapy or counseling only because of the financial issue.

3. Therapists who answer the phone, text, email, etc. during a session–unless it is for a purpose that will immediately help the client, or unless the therapist or counselor is literally ‘on call’ for a birth or a death. I cannot even come up with the words for this one. Rude does not suffice. It is enough that we have to endure loud (and personal!) conversations in beautiful surroundings, movie theatres, and fancy restaurants, but in a process in which the client pays for calm, undivided, intimate attention to his or her deepest concerns? My jaw hurts from dropping open whenever I hear this one.

4. Therapists who take care of delay-able personal needs during the session. Filing nails, looking in a compact or mirror, constantly fixing his or her hair, checking their schedule, eating, using the restroom (like a 5-year-old on a car trip…he / she should have done that beforehand–unless the therapist is so sick that he/she probably should not be at work anyway), and on and on. Drinking water or drinks is usually less disruptive, but if done it is nice of the therapist or counselor to ask you if you would like something.

5. Therapists who are frequently quite late and do not make up the time, or who otherwise do not respect the therapy hour and overall process of the therapy as a whole. Your therapist or counselor should be taking regular vacations or he or she will not be as effective. However, that does not mean that he or she should be vacationing every two months for 2 weeks at a time if you are having serious problems at that time.

Hopefully, you do not run into these last 5 ‘should nots’ on your journey, but if you do I wish for you the strength and savvy to find yourself a better treatment situation. The first 5 ‘shoulds’ are moderately common to find in most therapists, which is the good news. However, given the outrageousness of some of them, the last 5 ‘shouldn’ts’ are surprisingly common! Here’s to avoiding them if possible.

Dr. Chris Michael is a licensed clinical psychologist practicing privately in Laguna Hills, California. He specializes in therapy with the gifted, talented, and creative, and with those dealing with serious mental illness, and also performs clinical and forensic psychological evaluations.

Dr. Michael graduated with his Ph.D. from the University of Tulsa, a respected APA-accredited institution. He took his internship in clinical psychology and post-doctoral fellowship in forensic psychology at Patton State Hospital, a large high-security mental health facility. For more information about mental health, Dr. Michael’s practice, or to consult Dr. Michael, please feel free to visit his website http://www.michaelpsychological.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_O_Michael

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Willard Scott, a victim of panic disorder himself, hosts this film. At the end of the film a toll free number (1-800-64-PANIC) is provided for free information about panic disorder and its treatment.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Willard Scott, a victim of panic disorder himself, hosts this film. At the end of the film a toll free number (1-800-64-PANIC) is provided for free information about panic disorder and its treatment.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“I have tried to show that the notion of mental illness has outlived whatever usefulness it might have had and that it now functions merely as a· convenient myth. As such, it is a true heir to religious myths in general, and to the belief in witchcraft in particular; the role of all these belief-systems was to act as social tranquilizers, thus encouraging the hope that mastery of certain specific problems may be achieved by means of substitutive (symbolic-magical) operations. The notion of mental illness thus serves mainly to obscure the everyday fact that life for most people is a continuous struggle, not for biological survival, but for a “place in the sun,” “peace of mind,” or some other human value. For man aware of himself and of the world about him, once the needs for preserving the body (and perhaps the race) are more or less satisfied, the problem arises as to what he should do with himself. Sustained adherence to the myth of mental illness allows people to avoid facing this problem, believing that mental health, conceived as the absence of mental illness, automatically insures the making of right and safe choices in one’s conduct of life. But the facts are all the other way. It is the making of good choices in life that others regard, retrospectively, as good mental health!”

While I disagree with his statements that tie religious belief in the same category as belief in mental illness, there are some powerful statements in this quote.

To purchase the original book by Thomas Szasz, “The Myth of Mental Illness” – click here

Medical intervention is currently pushed almost to the exclusion of other options such as Cognitive Behavorial Therapy and alternative treatments. Here is a booklet put out by the National Institute of Mental Health which follows this medical model. There is some good information in the booklet but the slant towards medication is not subtle.

A recent research article noted the fact that a youth mental illness diagnosis paved the way for over half of the adults classified as having Anxiety or Panic Disorders. Here is the article

Willard Scott, a victim of panic disorder himself, hosts this film. At the end of the film a toll free number (1-800-64-PANIC) is provided for free information about panic disorder and its treatment.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The truth is that most of us, if not all of us, have suffered from some type of mental problem at one time or another.

Here is a famous person who struggled in this area during his lifetime. Be sure to follow the links for more information on this subject.

Robert Burns (1759 – 1796)

Robert Burns is regarded as Scotland’s National Poet. Debts, chronic physical illness, and domestic troubles led to Burns ‘nervous disease’ and he addressed Alexander Cunningham thus:

“Canst thou minister to a mind diseased? Canst thou speak peace and rest to a soul tost on a sea of troubles without one friendly star to guide her course, and dreading that the next surge may overwhelm her? Canst thou give a frame, trembling alive as the tortures …, the stability and hardihood of the rock that braves the blast? If thou canst not do the least of these, why wouldst thou disturb me in my miseries with thy inquiries after me?

For these two months I have not been able to lift a pen. My constitution were, ab origin, blasted with a deep incurable taint of hypochondria, which poisons my existence. Of late a number of domestic vexations; losses which, though trifling, were yet what I could ill bear, have so irritated me, that my feelings at time could only be envied by a reprobate spirit listening to the sentence that dooms it to perdition. Are you deep in the language of consolation? I have exhausted in reflection every topic of comfort. A heart at ease would have been charmed with my sentiments and reasoning; but as to myself I was like Judas Iscariot preaching the gospel; he might melt and mould the hearts of those around him, but his own kept its native incorrigibility.

Still, there are pillars that bear us up, amid the wreck of misfortune and misery. The ONE is composed of the different modifications of a certain noble, stubborn something in man, known by the names of courage, fortitude, magnanimity….. gives the nerve of combat, while a ray of hope beams on the field …” (25 February 1794).

Robert Burns bathed in the freezing waters of the Solway Firth as part of what seems like a kill or cure remedy by his friend Dr Maxwell.

To read about some other famous people who suffered with mental illness visit this site. Some of the people featured may surprise you!

For a more exhaustive listing visit this page at the NAMI website

State Crisis Lines (24-hour)*

* Except where different times are noted next to that number.

Free calls in-state only.

Alaska
Central Peninsula Counseling Services
(907) 283-7511

Alabama
Crisis Services of N. Alabama, Inc.
(256) 716-1000 or 1-800-691-8426

Arkansas
NW Arkansas Crisis Intervention Center
888 274-7472 or (479) 756-2337 (local)

Arizona
EMPACT-Suicide Prevention Center
(480) 784-1500

EMPACT-Sexual Assault Line
(866) 205-5229

California
Suicide Prevention Center
Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center
(877) 727-4747

Colorado
Jefferson Center For Mental Health
800 201-5264 or (303) 432-5049 (TDD)

Connecticut
River Valley Services Services
(860) 344-2100

Wheeler Clinic, Inc.
(860) 747-3434 or (860) 524-1182

Delaware
CONTACT Delaware, Inc.
800 262-9700 or (302) 761-9100 (local)

District of Columbia
Access Helpline
888-793-4357

Florida
Switchboard of Miami, Inc.
(305) 358-4357

Georgia
Emergency Mental Health Services
(404) 730-1600

Iowa
Foundation 2 Crisis Line
(319) 362-2174 or (319) 332-4224

Crisis Line: Service of the American Red Cross
800 244-7431

Idaho
Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline
800 564-2120

Region VII Mental Health 24-hour emergency
(208) 528-5700

Illinois
Mental Health Association of Illinois Valley
888 799-7373 or (309) 673-7373

Hawaii
Crisis Line
800 877-7999

Indiana
Community Health Center
(877) 849-1248

Crisis Contact Help Line
800 519-0469

Kansas
Headquarters Counseling Center
(785) 841-2345 or 1-800-SUICIDE

Kentucky
River Valley Behavioral Health
800 433-7291

Life Skills Hotline
800 223-8913

Louisiana
Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center, Inc.
(225) 924-3900 or 1-877-923-2114

Massachusetts
The Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands, Inc.
800 893-9900 or (508) 548-8900

Maryland
Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center, Inc.
(410) 531-6677 or 1-800-422-0009

Maine
Ingraham
888 568-1112

Crisis Response Service
888 568-1112

Michigan
Third Level Crisis Center
800 442-7315

University of Michigan Health System
(734) 996-4747

Minnesota
Crisis Line & Referral Service
800 462-5525

Listening Ear Crisis Center
800 854-9001

Missouri
St. Louis Life Crisis Services
(314) 647-4357 or 1-800-SUICIDE

St. Louis Behavioral Health Response
(314) 469-6644 or 800 811-4760

Mississippi
CONTACT Crisis Line
(601) 713-4357 or (866) 322-9832 (Spanish)

Montana
Crisis Line-Voices of Hope
(888) 587-0199

North Carolina
Riverstone Counseling and Personal Development
(252) 537-2909 or 800 742-2572

North Dakota
Mental Health Association HELP-LINE
800 472-2911

West Central Human Service Center
888 328-2112 or 800 366-6888 (TTY)

Nebraska
Girls & Boys Town National Hotline
800 448-3000

New Hampshire
Riverbend Community Mental Health Services
800 852-3323

The Samaritans of the Monadnock Region
(603) 357-5505

New Jersey
Center for Family Services
800 648-0132

New Mexico
Crisis Response of Santa Fe
(888) 920-6333 or (505) 820-6333 (local)

The Dutchess County Department of Mental Hygiene
(877) 485-9700 or (845) 486-2866 (TTY)

Ohio
Portage Path Community M.H. Center
(330) 434-9144 or 1-888-434-8878

Crisis Intervention Center of Stark County
800 956-6630

Oklahoma
Contact Telephone Hotline
(405) 848-2273

Pennsylvania
Montgomery County Emergency Service, Inc.
800 452-4189 or (610) 279-6100

Adams/Hanover Counsel Service
(717) 632-4900

Contact Pittsburgh, Inc.
(412) 820-4357 or (412) 820-TALK

Harrisburg – 717-232-7511

Oregon
NW Human Services Inc.-Crisis & Information Hotline
800 560-5535 or (503) 588-5833 (TTY)

Rhode Island
The Samaritans of Rhode Island
800 365-4044

South Carolina
Aiken County Help Line, Inc.
(803) 648-9900

United Way 2-1-1
(866) 744-7778

South Dakota
Help! Line Center
(605) 339-4357

Tennessee
Centerstone Community Health Centers, Inc.
800 681-7444

Texas
Suicide and Crisis Center
(214) 828-1000

Crisis Intervention of Houston, Inc.
(713) 468-5463

Utah
Valley Mental Health Crisis Service
(801) 261-1442

Virginia
New River Community Services-ACCESS Services
(888) 717-3333

ACTS Helpline
(703) 368-4141

Vermont
Clara Martin Center
800 639-6360

Washington
North Islands Mental Health
800 584-3578

Crisis Clinic of the Peninsulas
800 843-4793 or (360) 479-3033

Wisconsin
Walworth Co. Department of Human Services
800 365-1587

West Virginia
Contact Huntington Inc.
(304) 523-3448 or 1-866-399-7273

Wyoming
Victims of Violence Center
(307) 347-4991

Updated 07/2005