Back in 2023, I finally had the courage to visit a psychiatrist to receive the right treatment for my mental health issues. Over the years, counselling and mental health apps didn't work, and whether I liked it or not, I needed to get therapy from the right healthcare professionals before I fall into a deeper spiral with no way out. Speaking about mental health, especially my own, has always been a taboo and a topic that I feel shy speaking about, but one thing is for sure - as long as you are looking forward to recovery, it's alright to seek for help and talk about it.
When I was at the psychiatrist, he outlined 4 pillars that were crucial for recovery of mental health issues. You can't pick and choose - it's absolutely crucial that you have the right resources to and support from all 4 at once when recovering, to support you in your journey and recover faster. Here's what they are:
Pillar 1 - Psychiatrist
The role of a psychiatrist is to utilise his or her professional healthcare experience to understand your symptoms, rightfully diagnose ou and if needed prescribe the right medication for your recovery. As mental health is a difficult topic to speak about especially to conservative family members, psychiatrists also have a role to explain to family members about your condition - that it is in fact a real disease and not a made-up one to seek attention. Both mentally and physically, they take the lead in ensuring that you will eventually recover from your illness.
Pillar 2 - Counselling
Counsellors have the important role to listen to you, speak to you and build your strength mentally and emotionally, so that you can go through life without relying on medication in the future. They are unable to prescribe medicine, but they are here to listen to your pain and help you manage it. While medication helps temporarily to ease your symptoms as you recover, counsellors help you discover and understand the root of your pain, and solve it slowly from there. Speaking to a counsellor is always a safe space and you're welcomed to share your thoughts and worries, or even just cry your heart out as I had done. Counsellors can be found in many places - professional establishments, specialists, hospitals or even in schools or universities.
Pillar 3 - Family
For most of us, we spend countless hours with family, and their validation is somehow always the most important to us as compared to others. Family members need to give their utmost support in your recovery, and this includes listening to you, going out of their way to understand your illness and not giving unsolicited advice whenever possible. Beyond everything that has happened, as long as you did put anyone in harm, they should love you unconditionally and always seek for better ways to support you in your journey.
Pillar 4 - Self
The most important of all, but always put to the side: yourself. Remember, even if the first three pillars are doing all their can to help you, you cannot recover if you do not make it a priority to choose and help yourself. Making the right and needful decisions, such as putting your career on hold or leaving a long-term relationship to focus on your mental health is not easy, but it requires you to put your total focus into recovering, so that you can life a good quality of life, that you have always deserved. Be patient with yourself, and be brave.
Sooner or later, you won't just be alright again - you'll come out even stronger than before mentally, emotionally and physically.
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