Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Wellness

BlissMark may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

The best mental health resources everyone should know about

BethAnn Mayer
By

More than one in three adults reported symptoms of anxiety and depression in 2020, up from one in 10 in 2019. While this is a staggering statistic, it does mean that if you’re struggling with your mental health, you are not alone. However, finding the assistance you need can seem like a tall task. Luckily, you don’t have to go far to receive professional help. Nowadays, you can do just about anything online, and receiving mental health treatment is no exception.

Some free mental health resources, such as helplines and support groups, are just a phone call or click away. Other tools, like individual therapy, require a fee (but don’t fret, many therapists take insurance). The key is finding the best mental health resource for you. These are some of the best mental health resources to try if you’re looking to get help.

woman-on-phone-taking-notes-therapy
Anna Shvets/Pexels

Free mental health resources

Often, money is a significant barrier that prevents people from getting the help they need. Luckily, trained counselors typically staff helplines and provide toll-free, confidential support, including crisis center referrals. Some of the hotlines also have counselors available to text or chat via a desktop or mobile device if that is a more comfortable method for you. There are also virtual and in-person support groups, often run by community centers, places of worship, and other nonprofits.

Recommended Videos

National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline

Call: 1-800-950-6264
Email: info@nami.org

The NAMI helpline is a free mental health resource that offers nationwide peer support. Trained staff and volunteers are available to listen and support you. They can also refer you to the best mental health resources in your area or online.

National Eating Disorder Association Helpline

Call or Text: (800)-931-2237
Chat

About 20 million women and 10 million men in the U.S. will have an eating disorder during their lifetimes. Though they are common, eating disorders are serious. They are also treatable. If you’re struggling with disordered eating, the National Eating Disorder helpline has counselors ready to give you the support, resources, and treatment options you need.

RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline

Call: 800-656-4673

Every 73 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. If you are a survivor of sexual assault, you are not alone. The National Sexual Assault Hotline is a free mental health resource that is available 24/7. A trained staff member in your area will listen to and support you, as they have specialized information that helps survivors. The person can also guide you on anything from legal steps you can take to medical and mental treatment options.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Call: 800-237-8255

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline connects you with a trained, empathetic crisis worker who will listen to you without judgment. They will help you feel safe and identify options for more assistance in your area. The call is free and confidential.

SMART Recovery

SMART Recovery offers support for people struggling with addiction. Often considered an alternative to groups like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, SMART recovery doesn’t use labels like “addict” or “alcoholic.” There are no steps, either — individuals choose their own path that focuses on healthy coping mechanisms. SMART also assists friends and loved ones of individuals who may have an addiction.

The Tribe

The Tribe is one of the most comprehensive, free mental health resources online. It provides members with peer-to-peer support for anxiety through forums, chat rooms, and blogs. Members can also see patterns in their emotions by using the mood map and wellness tracker, giving a more general view of their mental health over time. Recognizing these patterns, members can then make lifestyle adjustments and move forward in a positive direction. Online therapists are also available (for a fee) to provide individualized emotional support and guidance.

woman-text-therapy
Freestocks/Unsplash

Fee-Based Mental Help Resources

Every person is different. If general helplines or support groups aren’t working for you, that’s okay. Here are a few more of the best mental health resources available.

Talkspace

Michael Phelps and Demi Lovato are just two of many celebrities who have plugged Talkspace, an app that connects users to mental health providers. You’ll start by answering a few questions about your preferences, then you swipe and scroll through a list of recommended therapists before choosing one. You can call, text or video chat with your therapist on your own time. Further, you don’t need insurance to sign up, but some health plans have partnerships with Talkspace.

Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts

Jennie Allen’s New York Times bestseller, released in January 2020, helps you break free of negative thoughts, like “I’ll never be good enough” and “Other people have better lives than I do.” Readers say it helped with their anxiety and transformed their inner monologue using positive affirmations. The book, named one of the best of the year by Cosmopolitan, is available in print and on Google Play.

Mental health illnesses and concerns are treatable, and the first step is as simple as knowing where to look for help. The key is to find the best mental help resources for you, though. Support groups and helplines put free mental help resources in the palm of people’s hands, but they aren’t one size fits all. You may need to try a few groups or services until you find one that fits your needs, or maybe you’d rather try individual therapy through an app like Talkspace. 

If your mental health continues to get worse or you or someone you love has thoughts of self-harm, seek emergency medical help.

BlissMark provides information regarding health, wellness, and beauty. The information within this article is not intended to be medical advice. Before starting any diet or exercise routine, consult your physician. If you don’t have a primary care physician, the United States Health & Human Services department has a free online tool that can help you locate a clinic in your area. We are not medical professionals, have not verified or vetted any programs, and in no way intend our content to be anything more than informative and inspiring.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
BethAnn Mayer
BethAnn Mayer
Contributor
Beth Ann's work has appeared on healthline.com and parents.com. In her spare time, you can find her running (either marathons…
What you need to know about traveling after you’re vaccinated for COVID-19
Woman wearing a mask sitting at the airport

The end of the COVID-19 pandemic may finally be in sight. As of the end of May, over 60 percent of the total U.S. population have had at least one vaccination dose, and with the summer right around the corner, people are antsy to start venturing out beyond their local grocery store. Travel is set to make a huge comeback this year, but is it safe, even if you’re vaccinated? Do you still need to quarantine if you do plan to take a trip? Keep reading to learn more about traveling when you’re fully vaccinated, which regulations still apply, and how to be as safe as possible.

Can people who are vaccinated travel?
Per the current CDC guidelines, fully vaccinated people are less likely to contract and spread the coronavirus and can travel within the United States at a lower risk to themselves. For international travel, it’s crucial to consider the state of the crisis in the destination to determine whether it’s safe to visit. Remember, you are not fully vaccinated until two weeks after your second dose of a two-dose vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson).

Read more
The best way to improve sleep could be through gut health
woman-sleeping-in-bed-white-sheets

A healthy gut is an essential part of a healthy day, and digestive issues, like bloating and constipation, aren’t just pesky. They’re painful problems that limit our ability to socialize, enjoy our favorite foods, and focus at work. A healthy gut also has a significant impact on your sleep quality. For example, if you ate something for dinner that doesn’t sit well, you and your stomach will be tossing and turning all night.
Diet is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to gut health and sleep, though. The naturally occurring bacteria in your belly also play a huge role, so let’s dig into the most pressing questions about gut health and sleep.

How does good gut health lead to quality sleep?
Living microorganisms in your gut, known as probiotics, fight diseases like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and they also might play a role in getting a good night’s sleep. During an eight-week study, one group of Japanese students took a daily probiotic, and the other took a placebo. The group that took the daily probiotic reported better quality sleep at the end of the eight weeks than the control group.
Our gut’s microbiomes also play a role in producing sleep-regulating hormones, including melatonin, serotonin, and dopamine, so a healthy gut might mean more shut-eye for you every night.

Read more
How to not stress about work while working from home
woman-working-from-home

Working from home has its perks: There’s no commute, delayed trains, or traffic. You can sleep in later and get away with pairing a dress shirt with sweatpants.
However, there are plenty of drawbacks. Even before COVID-19 turned many of our homes into offices, a 2017 United Nations report revealed that more than 40 percent of remote workers had high stress levels, compared to 25 percent of office employees. This is likely because, without a commute or office space, it’s easy to blur the lines between when a workday starts and ends. There’s also less face-to-face conversation, and it can be difficult to read tone via Slack, Microsoft Teams, or email. Your boss may have sent a quick note that they feel is kind, but you may feel the one-sentence response says, “They are annoyed at me.”
If you’re feeling burnt out while working from home, you might need a few stress relief tips for the office, even if that office is your kitchen.

Hop on spontaneous calls
A common stress relief tip for the office is to interact with your colleagues. In an office, this is easier since you may make small talk while pouring coffee or go out to lunch with a co-worker. It’s harder to have these impromptu conversations from home, and that may leave you feeling lonely. Try to manufacture these interactions and, instead of Slacking or emailing a co-worker, pick up the phone.
This call may feel like yet another thing to do, but it doesn’t have to be a long conversation. A new study suggests talking on the phone for just ten minutes can reduce loneliness, depression, and anxiety. Consider calling your manager to clarify a task or catch up with your co-worker over a lunch break.

Read more