Mental Health Service Center

The Mental Health Service Center is not an "exclusive clinic" that only people diagnosed with mental illness can enter. It is open to all ordinary people with emotional distress, adjustment disorders, and needs for self-exploration. From insomnia and anxiety during the postgraduate entrance examination, to panic due to quarrels with family and partners, to post-traumatic psychological repair and social support intervention for mood disorders, you can find corresponding adaptive services here.

I worked as a front-desk volunteer at a mental health service center in a university for 8 months, and I met too many people who stood at the door and lingered for more than ten minutes without daring to come in: Last week, a junior girl clutched a crumpled postgraduate entrance exam paper, and the first thing she said when she walked in was, "I don't dare tell my roommates that my hands shake when I pick up a pen. They will only say that I am too pretentious. Do you think there is really something wrong with me?" ” ； There was also a senior boy who was preparing to take the public examination. He wore two layers of masks to cover his face except for his eyes. He asked first, "Your consultation records will not be put into my political review file, right?" I don’t want to delay my future because of this matter.”

In fact, in accordance with the Mental Health Law and industry ethics, unless you have clearly revealed a tendency to harm yourself or others, or are involved in the abuse of minors, all consultation content and registration information are absolutely confidential. Even if your counselor or family members ask, we have the right to refuse to disclose it. This is the bottom line of all formal mental health service centers.

Many people think that after entering the center, they have to lie down and undergo long-term psychoanalysis. In fact, this is not the case at all. Nowadays, regular service centers are equipped with counselors with different orientations: If you want to immediately relieve anxiety and insomnia before the interview, it is most suitable to find a counselor with a cognitive behavioral orientation. They will usually teach you 478 breathing methods, emotion record sheets and other small tools that can be used immediately in the first consultation to solve the current problem quickly. ； If you always feel that "you don't know what you want" or "seem to be unhappy all the time" and want to explore deeper self-understanding, then psychoanalytic and existential counselors will be more suitable. They will not rush to give you solutions, but will accompany you to slowly clarify the unseen emotions in your growth experience. ； There are also humanistic counselors who specialize in "non-judgment and total acceptance." Even if you just want to find someone who won't interrupt you or casually give you advice like "you have to be strong" for two hours, they are the right one. There has been debate in the industry about which approach is more effective. In fact, to put it bluntly, whichever consultant you feel comfortable talking to and can let down your guard is the most suitable for you. It really has nothing to do with the school.

Of course, many people now complain that some mental health service centers are "not easy to use": for example, the centers in universities often have to wait in line for half a month, and the emotions are gone when the number is queued.； There are also community center counselors with varying levels of skill. After ten minutes of chatting, they start to advise you to "be more open-minded." In response to these problems, different centers are now exploring different paths: in addition to one-on-one consultations, many universities now also open many small salons without reservations, for mindfulness-based stress reduction and intimacy sharing. If you don’t have any serious problems, you can stop by after get off work and school and sit for half an hour. Do breathing exercises and chat with everyone, which can also relieve a lot of stress. ； There are also many centers with 24-hour psychological hotlines. If you have a breakdown at 3 o'clock in the middle of the night, you can call them. Someone will answer your call, so you don't have to wait for an appointment.

To be honest, the mental health service center is actually like the community health service station downstairs of your home: if you have a cold or fever, you can get medicines. If you want to know how to control your sugar and exercise to be healthier, you can also go for consultation. You really don’t have to be hospitalized before you dare to step through this door. I have seen many people sit up straight with clenched fists when they come in, and their shoulders are relaxed when they go out after talking. In fact, many times all you need is a safe space to express what you have been holding back for a long time.

When I was leaving after my last shift last week, I happened to bump into the boy who was taking the public exam wearing a double mask. He was holding a glass of iced Americano in his hand. He greeted the consultant at the front desk and said, "Last week, I took ten more mock exams than last time. I can finally sleep through it. Thank you." The mask had been taken off early, and there was still some sweat on his forehead from playing basketball. You see, many times the difficulty is not solving the problem, but your willingness to cross the threshold and admit that you need a little help.