If you believe you are suffering from a psychological disorder, it might be necessary for you to take the next step: seeking treatment. If you have already been diagnosed with a psychological disorder (if not, click here), it is essential that you begin receiving the help you need as soon as possible.

If you or a friend are in crisis, call 911 immediately. If you are in the Ann Arbor area, you can use the Psychiatric Emergency Services at the U of M hospital, which provides 24-hour emergency services. PES contact information:

24-hour Crisis Line: (734) 996-4747

Location: 1500 E. Medical Center Drive

(Emergency Medicine Reception)

Click here for directions

As you begin your search for treatment, be aware that a number of different options are available to you. If you are a University of Michigan student, you can use the university’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), which provides free, confidential, short-term counseling to U of M students. CAPS contact information:

Phone: (734) 764-8312

Office: 3100 Michigan Union

Website: www.umich.edu/~caps 

If you are unsure of where to go to find help, you might want to start with one of these people or places that will make a referral to, or provide, diagnostic and treatment services:

• Family doctors
• Mental health specialists, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, or mental health counselors
• Health maintenance organizations (HMOs)
• Community mental health centers
• Hospital psychiatry departments and outpatient clinics
• University- or medical school-affiliated programs
• State hospital outpatient clinics
• Family service, social agencies, or clergy
• Private clinics and facilities
• Employee assistance programs
• Local medical and/or psychiatric services

  Online Resources:

  • MedlinePLUS

  Searchable, nationwide directories of different types of physicians and information on consumer health topics, organizations, and medications

  Website: www.medlineplus.gov

  • Michigan Mental Health Networker

  Online listing of Michigan-based therapists and psychiatrists, their specialties, and insurance information.

  Website: www.mhweb.org

  Another source of information on mental health professionals is the Yellow Pages. Check under “mental health,” “health,” “social services,” “suicide prevention,” “crisis intervention services,” “hotlines,” “hospitals,” or “physicians” for phone numbers and addresses.

  It’s completely normal to be unsure whether or not getting help is necessary. So if you are ambivalent about receiving psychological treatment, don’t worry. Most people who need psychological treatment believe at first that they are overreacting, being melodramatic, or seeking attention. These fears are understandable, but in the vast majority of cases, are not true. If you instinctively feel that something is wrong, you need help.

  Other people fear that they will not be in control of their treatment if they seek help. But throughout the process of diagnosis and treatment, unless you are in immediate danger of suicide, you remain in control. Any time you disagree with a treatment provider or are unsure about the quality of the treatment you are receiving, you have the option of leaving that provider and choosing a new provider.

  Lastly, many people fear being stigmatized as a result of seeking treatment for a psychological disorder. Unfortunately, this fear is realistic—stigma exists and it is powerful. But protecting your health is by far more important than any reaction someone else might have to your seeking treatment. If you need help, get it. The people who may react negatively to your decision are, after all, not the ones living with the pain of a psychological disorder.