A Complete Guide to Mental Health Urgent Care
Do you need help with mental health? Urgent care for mental health is an ideal option. Urgent care centers provide immediate and short-term mental health services if someone has a crisis. Mental illness can be debilitating, but it’s important that those who need help receive it as soon as possible.
Mental health urgent care offers clients with mild to moderate symptoms, like depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, an opportunity to get help immediately.
Urgent psychiatric care services are available at some hospitals across the country for patients who would usually be sent home after an emergency visit or who had more serious needs but could not get in to see their regular provider right away.
What is Mental Health Urgent Care?
A typical urgent care clinic has walk-in hours during its open hours with doctors on site ready to work with any person who is experiencing mental health problems. A referral from a primary-care physician may be necessary.
A psychiatrist or other mental health professional on-site will typically do an initial assessment and determine how serious the individual’s needs are.
The intervention, usually medication, may be immediate or offered as part of a program after the initial assessment. It may be followed up with outpatient psychiatric services or programs that help people learn skills to manage their illnesses and avoid relapses.
Mental health urgent care can benefit anyone in crisis but, it is designed to meet the needs of high-risk individuals, such as active duty service members and veterans or college students.
It is also ideal for people exhibiting symptoms of mental illness for the first time, individuals with co-occurring disorders, or those with acute mental illness that is becoming more frequent or severe.
When Should You Go to Mental Health Urgent Care?
You can visit the urgent care if:
- You are feeling overwhelmed by your mental health symptoms, if you have tried to cope on your own and it isn’t working, or if you are thinking of hurting yourself or someone else.
- You never had any prior treatment or contact with a psychiatrist can visit a mental health urgent care center.
- A patient can also be visited by a psychiatrist if they are experiencing an emergency mental health problem or if their case is problematic for any reason.
- A crisis center may be used when someone’s suicidal tendencies are increasing, is involved in self-harm activities, or is dangerously neglecting their hygiene.
- A psychiatric hospital would be necessary for patients with more extreme signs of mental illness, especially if they’ve shown an unwillingness to get help voluntarily.
Do not wait too long to seek out help because it can make the symptoms worsen.
The main goal of behavioral health urgent care centers is to help the person receive help promptly.
Why Should You Visit an Urgent Care Center?
There are many benefits of going to a mental health urgent care center. A person may not know what to do when experiencing a mental health crisis or may be afraid of being alone and want someone to talk to. A mental health urgent care center is often the quickest and most affordable way to get help when experiencing a crisis or other mental health issue.
A patient can walk in without an appointment and will be seen right away by a clinician who specializes in mental health care. A medical professional will listen and advise on the best way to receive treatment depending on what you are going through.
What Happens When You Don’t Get Urgent Care for Mental Health?
Without treatment, mental health conditions can worsen and cause long-term damage. A person who doesn’t receive help may feel out of control or even hopeless because they cannot do everyday tasks or fulfill responsibilities at home, school, work, or social settings.
A mental illness could also put you in physically dangerous situations. Suicide is a major concern for people who suffer from mental disorders and depression. Untreated mental illness can cause people:
- Fail to take good care of themselves, such as by eating properly or getting enough sleep
- Engage in risky behaviors, such as reckless driving or unprotected sex
- Overconsume alcohol or use illegal drugs
Visit Texas Psychiatry Associates for assistance if you are experiencing anxiety, depression, and other mental symptoms.