If you have an issue with mental health, you might not know where to go to get help with it. Here are some tips for finding the mental health assistance you need and increasing the chances that you are going to be able to pay for it.

1. Check Your Insurance

If you have an insurance policy, there's a good chance that mental health coverage is provided. The Affordable Care Act states that all insurance policies that are offered on the marketplace need to cover both mental health treatment and substance abuse treatment. If you have an insurance plan from your employer that was made before the Affordable Care Act went into effect, there is still a good chance that you're going to find that your mental health treatment is covered. Call your insurance agency or go online to see if you have mental health coverage. Bear in mind that your normal health insurance plan might have mental health insurance covered by another company, but organized through them. Going through your insurance policy is going to be one of the cheaper methods of being able to get the help that you need. It will also help limit your choices with regards to all of the different providers that are available, making your decision easier.

2. Try a Clinical Study

If you don't have health insurance, you might find that the out of pocket costs that are associated with seeing a therapist regularly, seeing a psychiatrist to get drugs prescribed, and actually paying for those medications is too high. One way to get around this is to consider participating in clinical trials. In a clinical trial, you might be able to get the medications that you need in order to start feeling better and to start getting your mental disorders under your control. Check out sites online to see which clinical trials are currently in session and which are in your area to see if you qualify for any.

3. Get Help With Emergencies

If you are worried that your mental health problems are going to cause you to hurt yourself or to hurt someone else, you need to get help right away. You can either go to the emergency room, call your local emergency services, or call one of the hotlines that will help talk you through what you're going through and get you the help that you need. These services can also help connect you with local mental health assistance that is designed to help those that need it but cannot afford it. 

For more information, talk to a company that specializes in mental health services. Read more here.