Dealing with mental health issues is much more complex than your usual medical conditions. People suffering from these problems are usually scarred for life, tackling debilitating symptoms all the time. Mental issues are generally chronic in nature and require heavy medication.
To make matters worse, people suffering from depression, anxiety, and other disturbances are stigmatized and shunned by society. Even if you have a great patient advocate, that doesn’t mean other practitioners are keen on helping you.
Because of that, mental health treatment usually requires a different approach compared to other diseases and conditions. However, despite all the challenges, you can introduce improvements that will have a positive impact on your quality of life.
Common Mental Health Challenges
Millions of people across the globe require psychiatric care. These conditions have a major impact on our daily well-being while also affecting our ability to contribute to society. Sudden mood swings, lack of motivation, inexplicable fears, and delusions prevent people from keeping a job or excelling at school.
Not only are mental health issues challenging for patients, but they send a ripple effect to their families and friends. There’s nothing worse than seeing your child or partner wither away in front of your eyes.
The problem doesn’t only lie in patients but also in people surrounding them. When you confide to someone that you have depression or anxiety, they tend to take this information for granted. Many people don’t fully understand the full scope of mental conditions and how harsh they are for those suffering from them.
The chronic nature of these conditions even affects how practitioners help us. Unlike the usual treatments, where doctors are enthusiastic to help you, psychiatrists sometimes lose patience with their clients. Over time, they lose the initial energy, which makes it harder for patients to cope on a daily basis.
Advocacy in Mental Health
Due to all these barriers, advocacy is vital in mental health. A medical consultant can educate the patient as well as his entire family on how to deal with various aspects of the conditions. They can alleviate prejudice and stigma that follow some of these problems. That way, your friends and family will stop neglecting your needs and have a better understanding of your daily challenges.
Hiring a mental health advocate can serve in the short or long run. This professional can manage all your communication with other healthcare providers, insurance companies, and other stakeholders. Alternatively, they can just provide temporary assistance by settling things with a clinic or a company.
Advocates work as valuable liaisons between a psychiatric care patient and medical providers. They ensure treatment is on point and that the practitioner is doing their best to help their client. Having an advocate is critical for patients who don’t have family members, as these professionals ensure clients’ rights are respected.
Role of Nurse Advocates
A nurse advocate can do a lot of things for their clients. These are some of the main services that a provider offers to the mental health patients:
Education
Perhaps the most important thing about the treatment of mental conditions is getting everyone on the same page. Bias, misconceptions, and lack of compassion from the family and friends are the biggest hurdles patients tackle.
On top of that, you should also suggest several treatment options. You need to explain how different drugs work and the long-term implications of administering some of these products. Armed with relevant information, family members can make the best possible decision for their loved ones.
Mediation
Unfortunately, even medical practitioners sometimes lack compassion for people suffering from mental ailments. Some people go as far as to try different experimental treatments despite the fact these therapies have shown limited potential.
In these cases, you need to work as a liaison between the patient and the doctor. Good communication is especially important in cases of conflicts, as there are many things that can go awry from the first meeting. Nurse advocates should communicate patients’ needs and desires and how they perceive the entire process.
Suggestions
While nurse advocates don’t possess the same experience as doctors who have been in the field for decades, they can still provide a professional opinion. Specifically, if a nurse has been working with mental patients for a while, she should have a good understanding of various treatments and drugs.
These experts can provide suggestions regarding the best practitioners in the area. They can point a patient in the right direction or suggest another course of action. These suggestions are especially beneficial if a person has tried several treatment methods to no avail.
Error Minimization
Many people hire a nurse advocate only when things get bad. They rely on these experts to resolve disputes and communicate with doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies.
Among others, you should never underestimate the expertise of nurse advocates. Most of them were practitioners (and good ones) before exploring this career path. They can recognize issues even before you do and suggest corrective measures. All of this will reduce errors and hasten the recovery.
Money Saving
Mental health patients often see nurse advocates as an unnecessary expense. Truth be told, the best practitioners in the field can cost a pretty penny. Nevertheless, these experts might save you money by suggesting cost-effective alternatives.
As someone who works with drugs, insurance companies, and clinics, they have a solid understanding of prices. They know how much medicines cost, how to get the most out of your insurance, and which clinics offer affordable mental health services. As a result, not only will you get access to a quality consultant, but you might also save money in the process.
Conclusion
Having a nurse advocate can change the outcomes for mental health patients. Armed with extensive knowledge and quality information, these experts can alter the course of your treatment. They can recommend better drugs, treatments, and providers, ensuring you get better much faster.
