Mental health care: How do you begin helping a loved one with severe mental illness?

An Interview with Dr. Alan J. Gelenberg M.D., Professor and Chair of Psychiatry at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

You’ve been worried about a loved one, or maybe yourself, for a little while.

He or she is acting out of character. They’re not sleeping, or they are sleeping all the time. They’re erratic. Maybe they’re volatile at times in a way they never were before. They’re not quite making sense. They’re in their late teens or early 20s.

The family has talked, and you’re afraid he or she could be in the early stages of severe mental illness. With help, they can be treated, and hopefully recover.

Where do you begin to help? We asked Dr. Alan J. Gelenberg, the Chair of Psychiatry at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

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