What keeps you from getting help?

Here are some common reasons teens don't get mental health care, and some ideas to get around them.

• "I don't understand what mental health care is." Mental health care means getting treatment for concerns in your life, like feeling stressed, anxious, angry, lonely, or hopeless. It can also help with difficult things from your past, such as the death of someone you cared about. And it can help with stuff you want to change now, like stopping vaping or using drugs.
• "I can lean on my friends and family." It's good to have support from people you're close to, but for some issues you may benefit from extra help. When you get mental health care, you have regular visits with a trained health professional like a counsellor or therapist. With their help, you find ways to manage your concerns so you can feel better.
• "I can't trust counsellors. They'll tell others about my issues." Counsellors take privacy seriously. They will keep the information you share confidential. But they have to let someone know if you have plans to hurt yourself or someone else, or if someone is hurting you. Talk to your counsellor about the adults you trust. Depending on your age and other factors, your parents or guardian may be able to look at your medical records. You can talk to your counsellor more about how this works.
• "I'm worried about what people will think." You get to decide which friends you tell. But you likely won't have that choice with some adults around you, like your parents or guardian. If a trusted adult is hard to talk to, you can work with your counsellor on what to do.
• "I'm too busy to go to counselling." It may help to think of counselling as important too—especially if issues keep you from learning or having fun. What are some ways you could work counselling into a busy week? One idea is to look for a counsellor who can see you after school or on the weekends. Or you could ask about virtual options, which might be more convenient and can reduce travel.
• "I don't know how to get to counselling." If you don't live near a counsellor, you may be able to meet with one online. Many counsellors do online video counselling, or teletherapy. If you're under 18, you'll need permission from your parents or guardian to sign up. There are also mental health resources that you can access by phone in Alberta:
  • Health Link: 811
  • Mental Health Helpline: 1-877-303-2642
  • Addictions Helpline: 1-866-332-2322
  • First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line: 1-855-242-3310
  • 211 Alberta: 211 (text and online chat are also available)

If you want more information, you could talk to a school counsellor or your doctor. You may also want to look online. Some resources you could try are: