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Choosing a Mental Health Provider

Choosing a mental health provider if you have Borderline Personality Disorder can be an overwhelming task, and acknowledging your need for proper treatment is only the first step. You need to find a doctor and/or therapist to see on a regular basis; one who is familiar with Borderline Personality Disorder and your special needs. You may also need to find a psychiatrist in addition to a family doctor to prescribe medications to treat your Borderline Personality Disorder, and you may need to see other mental health providers to help you as well.

If you haven’t consulted a mental health provider before, you may be wondering where to begin; you may also be wondering what questions to ask. This article contains information and questions that will assist you as you choose a mental health provider to help you with your Borderline Personality Disorder.

Following are several considerations that can help guide you in making your decision:

• The severity of your symptoms (determines how often you need to see someone)
• Your specific medication needs (determines if you need to see a psychiatrist or doctor, who can prescribe medication; or just a therapist, social worker, or psychologist, who cannot prescribe medication – or both)
• The potential provider's level of expertise and competence (they need to have experience treating someone with Borderline Personality Disorder)
• Your own health insurance coverage (you need to know in advance whether they will cover the provider you choose, or even if you have a choice in who you see)

Unfortunately, many people with Borderline Personality Disorder don’t have a choice – their providers are determined by their insurance carriers. Therefore, your first phone call should be to your insurance company. Ask your insurance company (or Medicaid/Medicare) what types of mental health providers it provides coverage for and what your benefit limits are, such as how many visits you're allowed and over what period of time. Some insurance plans, for example, authorize more visits to a nurse practitioner, social worker or psychologist/therapist rather than a psychiatrist, whose fees are usually higher.

If your Borderline Personality Disorder symptoms are severe and you need medication to control them, your first priority will be to consult someone who can prescribe these medications for you. Although your family physician can prescribe medications, a psychiatrist will be more familiar with specific medications prescribed for Borderline Personality Disorder so, hopefully, your insurance carrier will cover this. If not, find a family physician as soon as possible.

Because most people with Borderline Personality Disorder find the most success with a combination of medications and therapy, you will probably want to find a therapist or psychologist as well as a psychiatrist. Ask the therapist or psychologist if they have experience using Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (a specialized type of therapy designed specifically for people with Borderline Personality Disorder), as he/she will be the most familiar with treating patients who have Borderline Personality Disorder.

Finding the right mental health provider takes some time and effort on your part. You may need to have referrals from your family doctor. If it seems overwhelming to you (in light of your Borderline Personality Disorder symptoms), ask a friend or family member to help you. It is very important to choose a mental health provider best suited to your special needs, as this may make the difference in whether you succeed or fail in your recovery.

About the Author

David Oliver is the founder of BorderlineCentral.com a one stop source of information on how to cope and deal with borderline personality disorder.

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