In the past, health insurance coverage of treatment for mental illness was much different than coverage for physical conditions. Mental health care coverage had its own structure when it came to cost-sharing, was much more restrictive, had different pre-authorizations requirements, and even had different caps when it came to annual and lifetime coverage. Needless to say, finding a plan with generous mental health benefits was near impossible.

In 1996, Congress passed the Mental Health Parity Act (MHPA), which prohibited large employer-sponsored group health plans from imposing higher annual or lifetime dollar limits on mental health care than on medical or surgical care. While this was a needed step toward coequality, there were still a lot of holes in the act and insurers were able to loop-hole their way out of many of the mandates. States followed the MHPA by passing their own mental health parity laws, some trying to fill in the gaps of the ‘96 act.

Then, in 2008, Congress passed another act, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). This historic stride was motivated by both the public and legislators, encouraging greater acceptance for mental illness. The new act was created to cover the holes left by the previous act and to include application for substance abuse treatment. And, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went further by “mandating coverage rather than requiring parity only if coverage is provided.”

The ACA amended the MHPAEA to apply to individual health insurance coverage (and not just group health plans and group health insurance coverage). The Affordable Care Act even “defined coverage of mental health and substance use treatment as one of the ten essential health benefits.” 

• Behavioral health treatment, such as psychotherapy and counseling
• “Mental and behavioral health inpatient services
• “Substance use disorder (commonly known as substance abuse) treatment.”

However, even with all the progress that has been made on this issue, mental health care is still outlandishly unaffordable. Questions must be addressed like,

• “Will employers and consumers know their rights and responsibilities under the law?
• “Will health plans and insurers follow the law and pay for behavioral health services equal to those routinely covered for other conditions?
• “Will federal and state regulators monitor and enforce compliance with the law?
• “How will state and federal courts interpret the law as questions about its implementation come before them?”

Unfortunately, “health insurers face little enforcement of federal mental health parity law,” and, “even with insurance parity rules, counseling may count as specialty care.”

As you can see, while the U.S. has made progress toward making access to mental health care more affordable, there are still miles to go. Get involved in your local and state governments. Make MHPAEA compliance a high-priority item to your state’s insurance commissioners.

And, lastly, if you’re worried if you’ll be able to afford our mental health care services, please don’t hesitate to call 385-313-0055. One of our administrative staff members can discuss payment options with you so you can get the care you need.

“One in four people in the world will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives.” That’s a big deal. Such a statistic calls for increased awareness of and attention to mental health. Whether or not you suffer with a mental illness, taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health.

How do you improve your mental health? The answer depends on the individual. However, there are some good mental health habits everyone can adopt.

Below is a short list of effective ways to improve mental health, tips nearly everyone can follow.

1. Practice Gratitude

More than likely, parents, teachers, friends, and/or religious leaders have told you to be grateful time and again. And while the cry to “have an attitude of gratitude” sounds simplistic, insignificant, and cliche, research can back up the importance of thankfulness. Being thankful has been linked to less anxiety and depression, higher long-term life satisfaction, as well as other psychological benefits.

Start practicing gratitude with small steps. Keep a gratitude journal in which you write down three things you are grateful for each day, write a thank you note, take time to appreciate ordinary moments, and express gratitude to a higher power.

2. Meditate Regularly

Meditation used to be associated only with Buddhist, East Asian monks and New Age hippies. But now research abounds showing the powerful benefits it can have on the mind and today people from all over the globe practice it. Real evidence shows how meditation can actually change the brain and decrease anxiety.

There are many different types of meditative practices based on compassion, mindfulness, transcendentalism, yoga, and Sahaj. But they all have certain common benefits. Figure out what works for you and then stick with it. It doesn’t need to be complicated or take up a lot of your time. You can even learn to meditate when you’re really impatient.

3. Improve Physical Health

Your physical and mental health are closely intertwined. Taking care of yourself physically drastically helps you take care of yourself mentally.

Exercise And Mental Health

Working out increases endorphins and raises levels of serotonin, which helps fight depression, other mental illnesses, and negative thought-processes.

Sleep And Mental Health

Sleep-deprivation causes depression, exhaustion, anxiety, and more. If you feel tired often, feel drowsy while driving or watching TV, need caffeine to get through the day, and don’t feel refreshed after waking up, you are likely sleep deficient. Set a regular time for you to hit the sheets and follow other sleep-happy practices to improve the quantity and quality of your time asleep.

Diet And Mental Health

What you put into your body impacts the chemistry of your body. Eat nutritious meals and drink plenty of water. Choose foods with lean proteins and healthy fats (fish, nuts, avocado, etc.) and stay away from refined sugars that spike your blood sugar levels.

Drugs And Mental Health

Avoid alcohol and drugs. It is impossible to achieve a healthy mental state while your mind and body are impaired by addictive substances. If you are struggling with addiction, recognize the hope and power in getting help right away.

4. Seek Medical Help

Consult a medical doctor if you fear you are suffering from an illness related to your mental and emotional health. General physicians offer depression screenings and mental health consultations. After assessing your specific needs, they can refer to you to other clinicians, specialists, and/or therapists accordingly. Psychiatrists can provide you with holistic supplements and psychiatric medications to help you overcome trauma, addiction, anxiety, depression, and other psychological illnesses.

Taking antidepressants and other medication to become mentally healthy has carried a negative stigma in the past. However, that is changing, and today people are rightfully more outspoken and unashamed for choosing to get help. Celebrities are coming out, stating how they are unafraid to take medication to take care of their mental health. Truthful and positive comparison are made from mental to physical health: we don’t look down on a person with type 1 diabetes for taking medicine to increase insulin, so why should we look down on a person with depression for taking medicine to increase serotonin?

5. Counsel with a Therapist

More than 59 million Americans seek care from a mental health care provider every year. And approximately 80 percent of people who go to mental health counseling reap benefits according to a 2006 study. Speaking with a mental health therapist can not only improve your life but also actually save it.

While counseling can help individuals overcome mental health problems, it can also fortify good mental health habits you’ve already established. In other words, “The benefits of therapy extend far beyond periods of crisis,” said Ryan Howes, Ph.D., a California-based psychologist. Therapy provides personal empowerment, wellness, development of skills, hope, professional insight, and even prevention of future mental illnesses.

6. Lean on Your Support System

Did you know social connection is vital to staying mentally healthy? Investing in social relationships with friends and family is one big way you can invest in your mental health. And spending time with a best friend can dramatically increase your sense of self-worth and happiness as well as decrease levels of stress hormones.

Whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, you need social connection. Friendships — and social interaction in general — serve important cognitive, emotional, social, and mental purposes. Even if you lead a busy life, be sure to take time to call up your sister, write a letter to your neighbor, go to dinner with your friends, or watch a movie with your partner. Sometimes just getting out, going to the store, and making small talk with the cashier can increase levels of oxytocin, improving your mental health. Develop and lean on you support system.

Make your mental health a priority. Become resilient and develop habits that will help you steer through life’s ordinary moments and crises. Don’t dismiss your mental well-being. Take action today to improve your life. If necessary, seek professional treatment and support. Follow these and other ways to improve mental health by making gradual changes to your lifestyle. The payoff will be well worth your investment. Take hope, practice self-compassion, and strengthen your mental wellness.

I recently read a brilliant BuzzFeed article called, “15 Things Therapists Actually Want You To Know.” I immediately connected with it and decided to republish it here to help clients and readers.

Please note, everything below comes from the article and was not written by me.

Therapy can be mysterious and intimidating, especially if you don’t know what to expect. So BuzzFeed Health spoke with three psychologists who all have extensive experience with psychotherapy: Stephanie Smith, Ph.D., clinical psychologist in Colorado; Ryan Howes, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and professor at Fuller Graduate School of Psychology; and Lynn Bufka, Ph.D., associate executive director of Practice Research and Policy at the American Psychological Association. Here’s what they wish people knew about therapy:

1. It’s not really a therapist’s job to give you advice.

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They’re not here to tell you if you should call off your marriage or quit your job. “The real job of therapy is to get to know yourself better and change the way you’re thinking, the way you’re behaving, or the way you’re understanding the world,” says Smith. “The process of therapy is not to give good give advice.”

Sure, they might tell you about strategies to cope with a mental illness like depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder, but when it comes to your personal life decisions, they’re more of a facilitator. “Do you really want to come to therapy to give your power away to someone else or do you want to learn to have that power on your own?” says Howes.

2. They probably see a therapist, too.

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“I would never trust a therapist who hadn’t been to therapy,” says Howes. And according to these experts, most psychologists do see their own therapists — maybe not all the time, but at least at some point in their careers. Most graduate psychology programs even require that candidates participate in therapy, says Smith.

3. Most therapists don’t prescribe medication

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That’s typically the job of a psychiatrist or a primary care provider — not a psychologist or social worker, says Bufka. However, your therapist can coordinate with another provider to help you start or end a medication, if that’s something you’re interested in..

4. You don’t have to be diagnosed with a mental illness to go to therapy

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One common misconception: “That you have to be ‘crazy’ to go to therapy,” says Howes. “There are a lot of reasons why people go to therapy that have nothing to do with disorders. And when people do go because they have a disorder, that’s nothing to be ashamed of. You’re going to get help and speak to an expert just like you would seeking help for any other medical condition.”

It’s usually this in between area — when you’re struggling but not completely debilitated — that people hesitate to go to therapy because they feel like they don’t need it. “But if you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed or not able to function as you’d like to, that’s a sign you do need to talk to somebody,” says Bufka.

5. Your therapist isn’t talking about you with their friends at the bar.

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“Rule number one is confidentiality,” says Howes. “I would quickly lose my license if I talked about my clients with my friends or family.” However, they may discuss certain cases or broader themes with a small group of trusted colleagues. “We have groups that meet every other week or monthly to discuss difficult cases and get feedback from peers,” says Smith. “We talk about cases, but it’s a stripped-down version with no identifying information.”

6. And they probably aren’t Googling you.

“My understanding is that it is an overstepping of bounds and almost a breach of confidentiality in some ways to Google a client without their permission,” says Smith.

Plus, they’d rather talk about things as you bring them up, not force you to explain That Picture they saw on Facebook over the weekend. “I don’t Google my clients because I’m of the philosophy that I want everything to happen in the room,” says Howes.

7. Your therapist probably won’t acknowledge you in public unless you do first

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Don’t worry about running into them at a restaurant and hearing “Hey, glad to see you out and about!” while you’re on a date. The general consensus is that therapists won’t acknowledge you in public unless the client initiates it, and even then, they won’t acknowledge that they are your therapist unless you do first, says Bufka.

So feel free to say hi and introduce them as your therapist/yoga teacher/neighbor, or ignore them entirely. It’s your call, and it’s something you can talk to them about ahead of time if you’re worried about it.

8. Just going to therapy won’t necessarily help — you have to participate

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Therapy isn’t like going to your primary care doctor for a sinus infection and leaving with antibiotics. It takes collaboration — not just passively sitting back and waiting for results. “It’s pretty disappointing for clients when they think that’s the way it works,” says Howes. “They want the therapist to ask them a bunch of questions and it’s like a treasure hunt.”

But if a client is prepared and willing to talk about what brought them in and what they’d like to work on, it can make the whole process more collaborative and efficient.

9. Therapy doesn’t have to be a long-term commitment

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“Sometimes I think people hesitate to embark on therapy because they feel like ‘If I go once I’m going to be sucked in for 10 years, three times a week,’ and it feels like this huge decision,” says Smith. But the length and frequency of therapy is very individual. It can be a one-time deal, a few months of sessions, or longer depending on what you’re going through and what you’re looking to accomplish.

It’s perfectly reasonable to ask questions about a therapist’s approach in the first session or two, says Bufka. Things like: What would treatment look like? How long are we going to be working together? How will I know when we’re finished?

10. The right “fit” is the most important factor when it comes to finding a therapist.

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“You could be seeing the best, most qualified therapist in the whole world, but if the fit isn’t good, its not going to be as effective,” says Smith. “What research tells us is that of all the different variables in therapy — types of treatment, education of the provider, length of treatment, all that stuff — one of the biggest factors in therapy success is fit.”

What does that look like? Feeling heard, understood, and respected. “The experience of therapy itself isn’t always going to be fun or enjoyable,” says Bufka. “But in the context of that, you should feel safe, accepted, and heard, and at times challenged.”

11. And stopping therapy doesn’t mean you can never go back

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“As a therapist, what I’m hoping is that by the end they feel like they’ve improved their functioning, whether in their relationships or their job or as a student,” says Bufka. “That they’re feeling like they’re contributing to whatever is of value of them and not distressed by the symptoms they were experiencing.”

Of course, life happens and things change, and just because you felt better for years doesn’t mean you won’t necessarily need help again in the future. “It doesn’t mean that you’ll never need a booster session, just like you see a primary care provider,” says Bufka.

12. If you’re worried that something might be inappropriate — like hugging them or asking about their personal life — just talk about it

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Not every therapist will be open to hugging their clients, but if you really feel compelled to, don’t be embarrassed to bring it up. “The client should feel free to say anything or ask anything,” says Howes. “Ask it if it’s on your mind and then let the therapist decide whether or not they’re going to answer that. Try not to filter yourself or censor yourself.”

13. They don’t have all the answers.

“Sometimes people think therapists have a special ability to see inside you but we really don’t,” says Bufka. “We have a particular training and understanding of how humans are, how humans behave, how emotions work, and we’re able to use that to understand the specific situation someone is in. We don’t have these magical skills that we’re instantly going to read into you — it’s a process.”

14. Being a therapist can be hard work.

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Between juggling several clients every day and helping patients through particularly traumatic events, it can be an incredibly daunting profession. “Obviously it can be hard to hear difficult stories hour after hour, day after day and then still have enough energy for your own family at night,” says Smith. “That can be a challenge, but it’s certainly manageable.”

“We’re professional secret keepers,” says Howes. “That takes a toll after a while. It’s really important for us to have our own confidants and our own people we can talk to about things.”

15. But chances are, they also find what they do incredibly rewarding

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“When therapy works, and it does, you’re going to walk out of there with a new understanding and new ways of doing things. You own it. It’s yours. It goes with you for the rest of your life,” says Bufka.

“I just love people,” says Smith. “I love to get to know people, and it’s really as simple as that. I find people endlessly interesting.”

“Whenever I’m able to see someone’s growth process taking place, I’m delighted,” says Howes. “And I spend much more time laughing than I ever thought I would.”

Always consult with your doctor about your personal health and wellness. BuzzFeed posts are for informational purposes only and are no substitute for medical diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical advice.