For individuals of any age that are diagnosed with a mental health disorder in El Paso, Texas dealing with the disorder and seeking treatment may be the easiest part of their life. The patients that come into our facility find that they are treated with compassion, respect and importance and we appreciate the personal commitment that they have in their recovery and treatment.
However, the same is not always the reality outside of our psychiatric treatment facility. This is true for both our inpatient and outpatient clients that often face a much more complicated part of moving forward once they try to talk to others about their diagnosis and what it means in their lives.
To help our patients with any mental health disorder as well as their family members that have been involved in their treatment and recovery we would like to offer the following tips for talking to people about the diagnosis.
Talk to those that Need to Know
One mistake that often happens, even in a large city like El Paso, Texas, is that everyone seems to know everyone else’s business. In our small neighborhoods and communities sharing too much information with people that don’t need to know and don’t care about you personally is often a mistake.
Unless you need to share information about your diagnosis with others you don’t have to. That doesn’t mean you should not talk about your diagnosis when appropriate, but it doesn’t have to be the center of your discussion. People rarely talk about medical issues this way, so mental health issues should be treated the same.
Be Educated about the Mental Health Disorder
When you attend a well-designed and managed treatment program you will get educational information about any mental health diagnosis that applies to you or for your family member.
Reading that information, as well as reading from reputable online sites and in books written for families and those diagnosed will help you to feel comfortable in being to answer questions that you may be asked.
Finally, be proactive in talking about your mental health disorder with employers, your family, your friends and those that are important in your life. For our patients in El Paso, Texas we offer group settings where these discussions can occur, helping everyone to get to know more about being supportive, compassionate and helpful.
