Health care is extremely important. It’s crucial to get regularly treated in order to stay healthy, but unfortunately, people are sometimes held back from receiving full care because they’re too embarrassed to talk about their issues.
While feeling uncomfortable about certain stigmatized health problems is completely normal, it can be harmful to your overall wellbeing if you refuse to talk about it and get it taken care of. The good news though, is that there are other resources and outlets that can make it easier to take care of yourself without going directly to your physician. Read along for alternative options!
Telemedicine:
In this age of technology, almost anything can be done via the internet on your phone. Telemedicine companies offer the ability to speak with a doctor directly about your health issues and receive necessary prescriptions through an online chat. This form of consultation is particularly helpful for patients who might brush certain health issues under the rug during their yearly physical or are too embarrassed to discuss symptoms in-person. When you’re able to talk to doctors online who can accurately prescribe the medications that you need, you’re one step closer to having your health issues resolved without even having to leave your house.
Issues that are common, but often stigmatized, like erectile dysfunction or anxiety, are ones that are best suited to treatment through telemedicine. For example, instead of having to make an appointment and bring up embarrassing issues with your regular physician, you can have a short online chat or video consultation with a doctor who would be able to prescribe the necessary treatments like a medication that strengthens erections, or a prescription to manage anxiety. These could then be to your door so you don’t have to pick them up at a pharmacy or talk face-to-face. While you can’t get your prescriptions anonymously, dealing with these health stigmas on your phone can make dealing with it a lot less intimidating.
If you want to learn more about how telemedicine works, check out the Facebook page of Hims, one of the original direct-to-consumer telemedicine companies, which shares helpful tips about modern healthcare and commonly stigmatized issues.
Online Counseling:
Realizing that you need to talk to a counselor or therapist is already a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, certain mental health conditions have become negatively stigmatized, and the treatment process can intimidate those who suffer, which prevents a lot of people from seeking the necessary help (despite the fact that one in five U.S. adults experiences mental illness each year. There is nothing wrong, however, with asking for help and needing to talk with somebody, and you can actually benefit greatly from having an unbiased third party to work through your issues with.
While it’s smart to talk to anyone you can about your mental health issues, sometimes it can be hard to discuss it with the people in your life if you fear that they won’t understand or will look at you differently because of your mental health illness. That’s where a counselor comes in with an alternative and professional outlook.
Online therapy gives you access to your own therapist that suits your needs and whom you can chat with anytime, anywhere. That way, when you’re really struggling, you can deal with it in real-time instead of waiting until the next time you go into a counselor’s office for an appointment. Write down your feelings between therapy chats, as well as right after speaking with the online counselor, so that you can look back and realize the helpful impact it has on you, which will encourage you to keep utilizing it in times of need.
Support Groups:
While getting treated for your health over the phone is a viable option, going to a support group can help you talk about your issues as well. When you’re surrounded by other people who are going through the same thing as you, it makes talking about it easier because you don’t feel alone. Find support groups near you that you can attend and get a group feeling of encouragement and community.
You can find a support group to help with almost anything you might be dealing with. You can, of course, go to Alcoholics Anonymous, but there are also groups to help deal with depression and anxiety, grief and loss, sexual abuse, drug addiction, eating disorders, postpartum depression, and so much more. It is common to feel overwhelmed and on your own when you’re dealing with any of these issues but being able to talk in a group setting with others who feel the same exact way can help make the recovery process just a little bit easier.
Anonymous e-chat About Sexual Health:
Sexual health is just as important as every other aspect of your health, so not getting the proper help you need can be harmful or dangerous. Planned Parenthood is a great resource when you don’t have access to an OBGYN, but sometimes it can still be intimidating or difficult to make it to their clinic in person. There is often a lot of shame surrounding the idea of sex and intimacy which can scare people away from seeking help
The good news is, Planned Parenthood also has an online anonymous chat, where you can talk back and forth with health educators about your sexual health. Their health educators can talk with you about pregnancy, birth control, abortion, STDs and UTIs, and even what to do if you forgot to use a condom during sex. Instead of feeling scared and alone, you’ll gain the help you need to treat anything you might be dealing with and find the answers you need. Especially when you feel like you might not be able to talk to the people in your life about whatever is going on with you, this resource can be helpful to find out your next steps.
It’s important that you get the help that you need with your health to stay strong, healthy, and stable for many years to come. While it might seem okay to just ignore certain awkward health issues and push your feelings aside, you won’t be doing yourself any favors long-term. These resources are just a few ways to stay on top of your well being, embarrassing issues and all. You’ll thank yourself later!