Mental Health Introduction

Taking Care of Your Mental Health

A person who is thinking or talking about suicide or homicide should seek help immediately.

If you or someone you know is a danger to themselves or others, please call 911. Many law enforcement agencies have officers who have been trained to respond to persons who may be experiencing a mental health related crisis.

Schizophrenia

Bi-Polar Disorder

Major Depression

Adult Mental Health Outpatient Services

Veterans Services

What is Mental Health?

Mentally healthy people have a positive self-image and can relate successfully to others most of the time. They are able to handle life’s everyday challenges and changes, as well as its traumas and transitions—loss of loved ones, marriage difficulties, school problems, the challenge of retirement.

Persons who are mentally healthy may experience occasional problems such as a brief depression, especially after a significant loss. However, persons experiencing mental illness do not display the characteristics of a mentally healthy person; for instance, the ability to handle the loss of a loved one. Experiencing depression on a constant and sustained basis is a sign that help is needed.

Unlike the short-term difficulties people may experience occasionally in life, severe and persistent mental illnesses are diseases of the brain that have psychological, biological and sometimes situational causes. Just like physical illnesses, they range from mild to severe. Fortunately, most mental illnesses have become much better understood in the last 20 – 30 years and most can be successfully treated. Help ranges from counseling, to medication, to support groups and other types of supports.

Recognizing and Addressing Problems

Mental health issues affect people of all ages, races, cultures and economic conditions. There is nothing to be ashamed of if you are experiencing a mental illness or have a friend or family member who is ill. You are not alone. Experts estimate that one in six people in the U.S. experiences a form of mental illness. The first step in dealing with mental illness is to acknowledge and identify the problems the person is experiencing.

A person who is thinking or talking about suicide or homicide should seek help immediately.

For more information on mental illness, check the following links:

Schizophrenia
Bi-Polar Disorder
Major Depression

For information about TPC Adult Mental Health Services and how we can help, click on the link below:

TPC Adult Mental Health Services
Or call our Crisis Line at 359-6699 (in the Amarillo area)
or toll-free at 1-800-692-4039

Sources: The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) and the American Psychiatric Association