This sub needs to have more a more realistic way of dealing with mental health issues. Here are some unsolicited advice.

I have seen way too many posts about people who have slid down the slope of mental illnesses into psychosis, addiction, and things that can’t be helped after a certain point. These posts are posted by suffering family and/or friends.<br><br>I’ve been there. I just recently left the hospital under the same circumstances as what so many people have posted here about. I went from having a good job as an engineer and making good money and functioning in society to being unemployed, unqualified a homeless in a matter of two years. <br><br>I think I was an alcoholic. At least I was drinking way too much. I was at a crossroad right before all fell apart. I had a girlfriend and we had a fight and broke up and I settled on going on a drinking binge for 6 months straight instead of trying to fix the relationship. At the time I thought it was her fault and that I was justified in my anger. In reality I was being a piece of shit. That was the crossroad. After that everything was down hill. She called me to see how I was doing and I was 6 months into the binge. I didn’t even have a car anymore. Eventually I got to the point where the only place I felt comfortable and could actually sleep was the hospital. It was a small hospital and I was able to get a private room. I was under observation and no longer alone. It was the first time in a year that I wasn’t alone and I could actually relax without anything going wrong at the time. After a week in the hospital they sent me to the psych ward.<br><br>This is what needs to change on this sub:<br><br>1. A lot of posts that show a family member or friend taking someone to the hospital are met with backlash saying that the psych ward isn’t a solution and that it won’t help. It doesn’t help if you are just taking them there and leaving them. It doesn’t help if you’re going home and not being part of their recovery. It doesn’t help if you don’t push to have them see a psychiatrist and try a new medication right away. When you’re in that mental state your perspective of reality is fucked, but that’s still your reality. It doesn’t help if you don’t take the time to argue with them and have them argue back and you both come to an understanding. Being able to argue things out is a key part of therapy. <br><br>2. There needs to be more posts about people who have been a patient in the psych ward and how it helped. <br><br>3. There needs to be more posts about people who have had their lives turned around by therapy and medication. <br><br>TOPICS THAT NEED TO BE DISCUSSED FOR EVERYONE’s SAKE<br><br>1. What are the different types of counseling? <br><br>2. What are the different types of therapy?<br><br>3. What is the difference between a counselor and therapist?<br><br>4. What is the difference between a psychiatrist and psychologist? <br><br>5. What are the qualifications for each of these roles? <br><br>6. What are the differences in qualifications for each of these roles based on each state?<br><br>7. How do you find a counselor/therapist/psychiatrist/psychologist?<br><br>8. What different mental illnesses are there and how quickly are they progressing? What are the odds of recovery? What are the odds of being able to function with it? <br><br>9. What are a list of medications that are used to treat each of these mental illnesses?<br><br>10. How much does all of this cost? What are the different options for sliding scale pricing? How do you pay if you don’t have insurance and you have no money?