Grief And Grieving: When To Call A Health Professional

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When to Call a Health Professional

If you or someone you know develops complications of grief such as disturbing or suicidal thoughts, depression, or anxiety, get help.

Call 911 or other emergency services if:

• You think you cannot stop yourself from harming or killing yourself.
• You hear voices that frighten you, especially if the voices tell you to hurt yourself or other people.
• Someone who is grieving tries to harm himself or herself or someone else.
• Someone who is grieving threatens to hurt someone else or makes threats of suicide.

Call a health professional if:

• You feel hopeless and detached for more than a couple of weeks.
• You cannot stop yourself from thinking about death or suicide.
• You have a sudden change in your behavior that concerns you, such as drinking more alcohol than you normally do.
• You have been grieving longer than you think is good for you.
• Someone you know has symptoms of depression.

Who to See

Counseling is best done by a mental health professional with experience in grief counseling, such as a:

• Clinical social worker.
• Psychologist.
• Licensed professional counselor.
• Psychiatrist, who can prescribe medicine to control symptoms. Some psychiatrists also offer counseling.

Health professionals who can help you if you are having medical or mental health problems requiring medicine include:

• General practitioners.
• Family medicine doctors.
• Internists.
• Physician assistants.
• Nurse practitioners.

Last updated:	November 12, 2007
Author:	Jeannette Curtis
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Sidney Zisook, MD - Psychiatry
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC