Wellness involves your whole health—emotional and mental, as well as physical. The DBSA Wellness Tracker is a free, innovative, and user-friendly online tool that allows you to keep track of your emotional, mental, and physical health.

Track Key Health Trends

• Overall mood
• Well-being
• Mood disorder symptoms
• Lifestyle (including sleep, exercise, etc.)
• Medication (and side effects)
• Physical health

With the DBSA Wellness Tracker’s monthly reporting feature, you get an at-a-glance summary of your health trends. This valuable information can help you better recognize potential health problems and mood triggers in your daily life. It can also help you better partner with your clinician on treatment plans that address your overall health and well-being.

Stay on track with DBSA Wellness Tracker. It’s easy, takes only a few minutes a day, and, like the other tools in the Facing Us Clubhouse, it’s free.

Start Tracking with Two Simple Steps

• Register on FacingUs.org to access DBSA Wellness Tracker
• Login to DBSA Wellness Tracker on FacingUs.org

Download the DBSA Wellness Tracker App!

NOTE: If you already have a DBSA Wellness Tracker account, you can sign in and start tracking. If you do not have an account, you can create a new one from the app’s initial screen or by going tohttps://www.facingus.org/account/signup.

Why is registration on FacingUs.org required?
DBSA Wellness Tracker is one of many customizable tools on FacingUs.org. Like the other tools, when you use the DBSA Wellness Tracker, you are recording personal information that is uniquely yours. So, we need a way to retrieve your unique information when you want to access it—like pulling your file out of a filing cabinet. Please be assured that we will not distribute or sell your information to anyone outside of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. The only reason we require you to register on FacingUs.org to use DBSA Wellness Tracker is so that you can chart your own personal health information. Once registered, you will also be able to use all of the other features and tools on FacingUs.org.

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What Is Psychiatry?

Psychiatry is the branch of medicine focused on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (an M.D. or D.O.) who specializes in mental health, including substance use disorders. Psychiatrists are qualified to assess both the mental and physical aspects of psychological problems.

People seek psychiatric help for many reasons. The problems can be sudden, such as a panic attack, frightening hallucinations, thoughts of suicide, or hearing “voices.” Or they may be more long-term, such as feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or anxiousness that never seem to lift or problems functioning, causing everyday life to feel distorted or out of control.

Diagnosing Patients

What Treatments Do Psychiatrists Use?

Psychiatric Training

Where Do Psychiatrists Work?

What Is the Difference Between a Psychiatrist and Psychologist?

People with bipolar disorder may face a long wait from when their symptoms start to the time they get a proper diagnosis.

In fact, a new study reports the average delay is six years.

That lost time can result in greater frequency and severity of episodes of the psychiatric condition, the researchers said.

“While some patients, particularly those who present with psychosis, probably do receive timely treatment, the diagnosis of the early phase of bipolar disorder can be difficult,” study leader Matthew Large, a professor psychiatry at the University of New South Wales, Australia, said in a school news release.

“This is because mental health clinicians are sometimes unable to distinguish the depressed phase of bipolar disorder from other types ofdepression,” he added.

The new research reviewed the results of 27 past studies. Those studies included more than 9,400 patients.

Many patients had distressing and disruptive symptoms for many years before they received proper treatment, the researchers noted.

The delay in diagnosis and treatment was often longer for young patients because symptoms such as moodiness can sometimes be mistaken by parents and doctors as just part of being a teen, the study authors said.

“The diagnosis of bipolar disorder can also be missed because it relies on a detailed life history and corroborative information from careers and family, information that takes time and care to gather,” Large explained.

He recommended that doctors look more closely at a patient’s history of mood symptoms, especially distinct changes in mood and mood swings caused by outside events, such as overseas travel or treatment with antidepressants. He also suggested a closer look at mood symptoms in people who have a family history of the disorder.

A long delay in diagnosis and treatment is “a lost opportunity because the severity and frequency of episodes can be reduced with medication and other interventions,” Large said.

The study was published July 25 in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.

Major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder rarely appear “out of the blue.” Most often family, friends, teachers or individuals themselves begin to recognize small changes or a feeling that “something is not quite right” about their thinking, feelings or behavior before one of these illnesses appears in its full-blown form.

Learning about developing symptoms, or early warning signs, and taking action can help. Early intervention can help reduce the severity of an illness. It may even be possible to delay or prevent a major mental illness altogether.

Signs and Symptoms

If several of the following are occurring, it may useful to follow up with a mental health professional.

• Withdrawal — Recent social withdrawal and loss of interest in others
• Drop in functioning — An unusual drop in functioning, at school, work or social activities, such as quitting sports, failing in school or difficulty performing familiar tasks
• Problems thinking — Problems with concentration, memory or logical thought and speech that are hard to explain
• Increased sensitivity — Heightened sensitivity to sights, sounds, smells or touch; avoidance of over-stimulating situations
• Apathy — Loss of initiative or desire to participate in any activity
• Feeling disconnected — A vague feeling of being disconnected from oneself or one’s surroundings; a sense of unreality
• Illogical thinking — Unusual or exaggerated beliefs about personal powers to understand meanings or influence events; illogical or “magical” thinking typical of childhood in an adult
• Nervousness — Fear or suspiciousness of others or a strong nervous feeling
• Unusual behavior – Odd, uncharacteristic, peculiar behavior
• Sleep or appetite changes — Dramatic sleep and appetite changes or decline in personal care
• Mood changes — Rapid or dramatic shifts in feelings

One or two of these symptoms alone can’t predict a mental illness. But if a person is experiencing several at one time and the symptoms are causing serious problems in the ability to study, work or relate to others, he/she should be seen by a mental health professional. People with suicidal thoughts or intent, or thoughts of harming others, need immediate attention.

Taking Action, Getting Help

More than a decade of research around the world has shown that early intervention can often minimize or delay symptoms, prevent hospitalization and improve prognosis. Even if a person does not yet show clear signs of a diagnosable mental illness, these “red flag” early warning symptoms can be frightening and disruptive.

Encourage the person to:

• Have an evaluation by a mental health or other health care professional.
• Learn about mental illness, including signs and symptoms.
• Receive supportive counseling about daily life and strategies for stress management.
• Be monitored closely for conditions requiring more intensive care.

Each individual’s situation must be assessed carefully and treatment should be individualized. Comprehensive treatment to prevent early symptoms from progressing into serious illness can include ongoing individual and family counseling, vocational and educational support, participation in a multi-family problem-solving group, and medication when appropriate.

Family members are valued partners and should be involved whenever possible. Learning about mental illness and what is happening in the brain can help individuals and families understand the significance of symptoms, how an illness might develop and what can be done to help.

Just as with other medical illnesses, early intervention can make a crucial difference in preventing what could become a serious illness.

Resources

Helping Students

Typical or Troubled? is a school mental health education program from the APA Foundation. It helps educate school personnel to be able to identify and support students who may need help.

Learn more

Increasing Understanding, Changing Attitudes

The Change Direction initiative is working to change the culture of mental health in America. It encourages people to know the five signs of emotional suffering and to change the culture around mental health and mental illness.

Learn more

Creating a Supportive Workplace

ICU (“I See You”) is a mental health program offered to employers at no cost through the APA Foundation’s Partnership for Workplace Mental Health. Through the program, employees learn how to reach out and connect with distressed peers who may need support.

Learn more

Addressing Depression in the Workplace

Right Direction is a free program for employers aimed at raising awareness about stress and depression in the workplace, demystifying the symptoms and treatments, and giving employees the information they need to get help.

Learn more

Mental Health Impairments under ADA

Many people with mental health conditions have a right to reasonable accommodations in their workplace. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) gives protections to individuals with disabilities for equal opportunity in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications.

The ADA requires that employers provide “reasonable accommodations” to help people with disabilities, including mental health impairments, do their jobs. An individual has a “disability” under the ADA if he or she has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities or has a history of such an impairment. In many circumstances, small, inexpensive accommodations can make a big difference a person’s ability to do their job effectively.

Workplace Accommodations

While many physical impairments and related workplace accommodations may be fairly obvious to others, challenges related to mental health impairments are often not obvious. A range of workplace accommodations are possible depending on the situation and the individual’s needs. A few examples of accommodations for mental health problems are listed below.

• For difficulties with memory: using written checklists and instructions, using electronic organizers, allowing more training time, providing a mentor for daily guidance.
• For organization/time management: using daily, weekly, or monthly task lists, dividing larger tasks into smaller assignments, prioritizing tasks, meeting regularly to discuss progress.
• For stress/emotions: allowing flexible scheduling (breaks, work from home, leave for counseling), allowing the presence of a support animal, encouraging use of stress management techniques.
• For panic attacks: allowing the employee to take a break, allowing use of relaxations techniques or contact with a support person, removing environmental triggers.

Not all people with mental health conditions will need accommodations to do their jobs and some may only need minimal accommodations or may only need them at certain times.

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a service of the U.S. Department of Labor, provides free expert guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues. If you’re interested in exploring possible accommodations, you can review specific ideas for accommodations by disability, by topic or by limitation through JAN’s Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR) system.

JAN also provides practical information on how to request accommodations from an employer. Additional guidance on requesting accommodations and on the mental health provider’s role is available from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

APA Resources

For Patients & Families

Learn about common mental disorders, including symptoms, risk factors and treatment options. Find answers to your questions written by leading psychiatrists, stories from people living with mental illness and links to additional resources.

Despite much progress in recent years, there is still much public misunderstanding and discrimination surrounding mental illness and addiction. Every year the Voice Awardsprogram honors individuals and television and film professionals who are making a difference in public attitudes and understanding about mental illness and recovery.

This year’s Voice Awards will be held on Aug. 10 at the University of California, Los Angeles’s (UCLA) Royce Hall at 7:30 p.m. PDT. You can watch the live webcast of the event and join the conversation using#VoiceAwards.

The Voice Awards program is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), part of the Department of Health and Human Services and supported by more than 35 Program Partners, including the American Psychiatric Association Foundation. Among the other program Partners are:

The annual awards recognize consumer/peer leaders (people who have received services for a mental and/or substance use disorder) who have

• Personally demonstrated that recovery is real and possible
• Led efforts to reduce the discrimination and misperceptions associated with behavioral health conditions
• Made a positive impact on communities, workplaces, or schools

These are individuals who are helping others by sharing their stories of resilience and recovery.

The awards program also recognizes television and film writers and producers who incorporate dignified, respectful, and accurate portrayals of individuals with behavioral health conditions into their productions and convey a sense of optimism about the possibility of recovery from behavioral health conditions.

This year’s awards will focus on “Strengthening Families through Hope and Help.” The awards will honor family members who have embraced and promoted family support in prevention, treatment, and recovery. Family members are often instrumental in individuals’ recovery process—identifying problems, stepping in to help, advocating for services, and being a support system.

Among those recognized in the 2015 Voice Awards were actors Wayne Brady and Brittany Snow. Snow, who has appeared in numerous television shows and films including “Hairspray” and “Pitch Perfect,” co-founded the Love is Louder program with The Jed Foundation. Love is Louder supports people feeling mistreated, hopeless or alone. Brady, an Emmy award winning talk show host, Broadway star, and Grammy-nominated recording artist, was involved with the #StrongerThanStigma PSA campaign that encourages men to talk about their mental health.

Previous television and film winners have included the series “Elementary,” “Madam Secretary” and “The Newsroom” and films “Silver Linings Playbook” and “Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw” (documentary).