Question? If you know you have a mental health problem? Where do you go to get easy & free help?

[Stuart G]

Let's say you steal pets, or you abuse children?..And you know you have a ..."serious problem"..

In the U.S.A. are there places to go to get easy and free help? (without going through endless cycles of this & that?)

and........without being thrown in local jail or state prison immediately?..........(Just asking for the sake of asking.)

[alfredo]

1. If you are a veteran, the VA would be your best option.

[Stuart G]

2. Sounds like a good option.........."IF YOU ARE A VETERAN" most people are NOT "Veterans"

[alfredo]

15. It was worth a try.

[RandySF]

3. This is 'merca, but I wish you luck.

[cbabe]

4. 988 national hotline connects caller to local help

https://www.npr.org › sections › health-shots › 2023 › 01 › 16 › 1149202586 › 988-lifeline-sees-boost-in-use-and-funding-in-first-months

988 Lifeline sees boost in use and funding in first months

4 days agoThe 3-digit suicide and crisis lifeline - 988 - fielded nearly half a million more calls, texts and chats in its first 5 months than the old 10-digit Lifeline did during the same time in 202

[questionseverything]

5. In Illinois there is a crisis hotline but

After the intervention/ hospitalization you would be on a wait list for a counselor

It’s a bad situation

[meadowlander]

6. Having thoughts isn't a crime, but going to a psychiatrist can result in being reported

to the police and placed under surveillance:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/j5y8zy/the-men-who-call-themselves-non-offending-pedophiles

In Europe in particular, I think there's a growing recognition of the need to provide support and reduce stigmatization of people like this before they start offending.

I'd also suggest rethinking your question as a "mental health problem" as the vast majority of people with "mental health problems" do not pose a threat to anyone and don't engage in anti-social behaviour.

You're talking about a very specific subset of people with intrusive thoughts towards causing harm to others.

[Phoenix61]

7. Not really. Most places have a county mental health unit that

charges on a sliding scale. Wait times are to get help are long. That are low paying jobs so they are typically staffed by entry level counselors. They have a high turn over rate so there is a lack of continuity of care. Personally, as a mental health counselor, I’d rather waitress than work at my local one. It not that I don’t want to wok with that population it’s that it is run that poorly. Money won’t fix everything but it would definitely fix that. Counselors are required, by law, to report child abuse.

[Chainfire]

8. I had a family member in an emotional crisis

to find psychological or psychiatric help was to get an appointment in about six months IF you had health care to pay for it. We helped in the search and the bottom line was, you are one your damn own.

[Kaleva]

9. I know from experience that it can take months to get an appointment

Drove my wife to a facility where there was supposed to be a bed available. A 5 hour drive. There wasn't any beds available when we got there so it was a five hour drive back home. Getting home at dawn. When we woke up, we went to the local ER where she stayed until a bed opened up at another facility just 2 hours away .

[Stuart G]

12. I am glad you eventually got help. 10 hour drive ...& No help? Local ER.Help much closer?

What a system.

[Kaleva]

14. ERs can keep her stable but can't provide the care she needs

She has excellent insurance but the issue is lack of facilities and lack of trained professionals.

I'm her primary caretaker and I can't leave her by herself for more then a few hours. Some days I can't leave her alone at all. It has been this way for close to 20 years now . Her illness can be managed but will never be cured. She has told me that she hopes to die before I do because she won't survive for very long after I'm gone and I suspect that would be the case

[multigraincracker]

10. If you are thinking about

harming yourself or others, go to the ER.

[Haggard Celine]

11. I don't think there's any free mental service around here.

They take insurance, but if you don't have any insurance and can't pay, I don't know what you do. If you are on disability, you can get help, but for people who aren't already receiving some sort of aid, it isn't easy to navigate through all of the bureaucracy. I was employed and had insurance when I first needed help, but it was still expensive and confusing. I started out at the hospital and was referred to the help I needed. Unless you have been hospitalized, it's hard to find help. We need better mental health service all over the country. I don't think it's easy to get help anywhere in this country.

[GGoss]

13. This May Sound "Out of the Box", But...

AA meetings are free, have people who care, and might at least be able to point you in a good direction a lot faster that surfing the web, or waiting on hold will.

Many people who attend meetings have multiple issues, including mental health issues.

You can sit in as a guest, and maybe find someone who makes sense to approach.

Plus... free coffee !!!

Just a thought.

[alfredo]

16. What, no frickin donuts?

Cheap mofos