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| Pt's Guide To Mental Health On The Web - Brief Article Lynda Liunancy, a 40-year-old college professor, had been battling clinical depression for years when she discovered the depression message boards at iVillage. She had been reluctant to talk about her disease with others for fear that it might change their opinion of her or compromise her career. Online, though, using a pseudonym, she felt completely free for the first time to discuss anything she wanted. "You can talk about things that you can't say to other people," she says. "We're constantly educating ourselves and each other about what we've learned from doctors, therapists and books." Katelyn McKenna, ., a research scientist in the psychology department at New York University, confirms, "a lot of people can find relief in knowing that they're not alone in their situation." It's also reassuring, she says, to find a community of people who understand what you're going through and can offer advice on coping. continued below... |
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"They can really support one another in their attempts to change and grow."
Virtual support groups also have the advantage of being convenient. Nancy can visit the message boards whenever she wants--usually at midnight--right from her bedroom.
In spite of its growing popularity, online mental health care is no substitute for a live professional. "I would never recommend that it be the primary source for mental health information or mental health help," says John Krantz, ., associate professor and chair of psychology at Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana. "If you have issues, you should always seek out a mental health professional in your community."
Still, for people like Nancy, the Internet provides a groundbreaking first step. Here, PSYCHOLOGY TODAY reviews choice sites that can make your mental health help a virtual reality.
drkoop (.com)
SPEARHEADED BY THE FORMER surgeon general, C. Everett Koop, this user-friendly site contains an impressive array of mental health information, with hundreds of articles on concerns ranging from compulsive gambling and stress to bipolar disorder and suicide. It also boasts more than 130 daily chat support groups with topics such as first-time fathers, addiction and recovery, aging, weight loss and surviving panic attacks. For the latest news from the mental health field, click on "Health News."
Mental Health Net ()
ONE OF THE LARGEST INTERNET SITES devoted exclusively to mental health, Mental Health Net is a veritable self-help center. Here you can read extensive articles on mental disorders and treatments, participate in more than a dozen support groups, peruse multiple bulletin boards, locate mental health organizations, consult online resources, check out the latest book reviews, and even find a therapist. There are some interactive tests, for Alzheimers disease, for instance, but you have to dig to find them.
National Institute of Mental Health (.)
THIS GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED WEB site features the latest studies and advances in research. Here you can look into participating in clinical trials that have posted notices for volunteers, and review straightforward descriptions of diseases and treatments, with a long list of organizations to contact for more information. No printer? The site lets you order free publications on topics such as "What to Do When A Friend Is Depressed" and "A Consumer's Guide to Mental Health Services." But since it's geared toward practitioners and researchers as well as the public, this site ends up being less consumer-friendly than others.
iVillage (.com)
A NEW ONLINE PSYCH TEST and Quiz Center make this women-focused site truly participatory. Test yourself on everything from your emotional intelligence to your compatibility with your mate. A mental health section offers basic information on dozens of conditions including ADD, eating disorders, post-partum depression, and trauma and abuse; daily articles on topics such as "mourning for an ex-husband"; bulletin boards posting readers' questions with answers from professionals; and multiple chat opportunities.
PlanetRx (.com)
UNDER ITS "LEARN MORE" ICON, this site offers mental health information in a well-organized format. On the same page as disease descriptions and treatments are related conditions and drug information. Most impressive is an alternative health roundup, which cites studies that support efficacy claims for alternative medicines. Read more about those remedies and consult a list of related books in the "Resources" section.
HealthWorld Online (.net)
ALTHOUGH THE SITE'S "DISEASES/CONDITIONS" search function will yield a multitude of articles, its biggest draw is its "Wellness Center," which addresses issues of body, mind, spirit and health, and features articles from heavy hitters in these fields such as Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and Dr. Carolyn Myss. Read the practical "Mind/Body Health Archive," with articles such as "Depression and Health Care" and "Halting Time Pressure."
(.com)
N ITS "CONDITIONS A-Z," THIS ONLINE PHARMACY contains an alphabetical listing of mental health conditions such as separation anxiety disorder and schizophrenia. In addition to basic descriptions and symptoms, it lists the tests and treatments you might expect to receive. You can also get thorough, easy-to-understand information on different medications through the site's drug factsheets. Skip the "Natural Medicines" guides, however, which provide only limited information.
iHerb (.com)
IF IT'S ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT you seek for your mental health needs, this site gives the scoop on mood-modifying herbs such as St. John's wort, kava kava and Sam-e. For each herb you can read descriptions written by doctors, links to informative articles from publications such as Newsweek, and the opportunity to spend, spend, spend on the site's herbal supplements and related books.
CVS/Pharmacy (.com)
THIS SITE'S "PHARMACY COUNTER" is like a dictionary of medications, listing uses, directions, precautions and more. With the "Drug Doublecheck," you can enter the name of your prescription and learn of any potential interactions.
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