INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Talk to your primary care doctor about whether a psychologist or psychiatrist is right for you. There are some important considerations to make, including what kind of mental health issue you’re facing, what sort of treatment is available, and what sort of treatment you prefer. Your doctor can help you make an informed decision. You may also need a referral from your doctor to see a mental health professional. Check with your health insurance to determine what the requirements are. Many insurance plans now cover psychological and psychiatric services and must, by law, treat them on equal footing with other medical coverage. However, that doesn’t mean that insurance will cover your visits, and they may only cover a certain number of visits per year. You’ll need to check your coverage before making a final decision.  Legally, insurance companies can’t charge you higher co-pays for mental health services than for medical services. However, they can limit your ability to access psychologists and psychiatrists in other ways. Many insurance companies haven’t increased payment rates for psychologists and psychiatrists in 10 to 20 years, or have even cut them. This means that many networks have trouble attracting mental health specialists. You may, therefore, have to pay more out of pocket and then claim the visit as an “out-of-network service.” Insurance companies can also make you get “prior authorization” before accessing psychiatric services like inpatient treatment, even in emergencies like having suicidal thoughts. The doctor will have to get this from the insurer before you can be admitted as a patient. Make sure to talk to your doctors as well as your insurer to see what services are covered, how you can access them, and what the potential costs are. When you call to make your first appointment, you can ask questions about the psychiatrist or psychologist’s experience and area of expertise to help you make your decision. For example, you might ask:  How long have you been practicing? I have been struggling with ___. Is this something that you have experience treating? What types of treatment do you use? How much do you charge for each session? Do you accept my insurance?

SUMMARY: Talk to your doctor. Weigh the pros and cons of insurance and access. Ask questions.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: When you notice a problem is brewing, do not ignore it. Instead, discuss the issue before it becomes a large problem. This way you can prevent future blow-ups. Letting things bottle up means when the next argument happens you'll end up bringing things up from the past. This can make your girlfriend feel attacked and bombarded. When a problem arises, address immediately. Even a small issue can lead you to build resentment over time. Anger can make it hard to respond to a situation rationally. People often lash out in anger and end up alienating those close to them. Try to work with your girlfriend on finding a way to resolve issues without succumbing to anger. A good way to do so is to take 5 minutes to express your feelings when you have a disagreement rather than immediately trying to talk. Fights are often related to the fact certain emotional needs are being neglected. When your girlfriend is upset or frustrated with you, try to examine whether she has needs you're failing to meet. Have you been distance lately? Have you been busy to the point you're not spending as much time with her? Consider whether you're not meeting your girlfriend's needs and what you can do to help meet them. After an argument, always take a moment to summarize what was discussed. How do you feel? How does your girlfriend feel? How are you both willing to work on the situation to assure it won't happen again? Taking five minutes to summarize a situation after an argument can prevent the argument from reoccurring.

SUMMARY: Discuss new issues immediately. Create a process for resolving arguments without anger. Listen for underlying emotional needs. Summarize what is discussed to assure you understand.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Pay attention to your physical behavior. Notice how you react instinctively when your crush is around. Different people will react differently, and generally it will be a subconscious reaction. Generally, when you have a crush you will react in one of two ways--either by becoming really shy and tongue-tied, or by becoming really outgoing.   The Shy Reaction: Do you suddenly feel like you might like to curl up into a ball when your crush is around? Do you blush incessantly and can’t seem to raise your eyes up from that suddenly very interesting speck of dirt on the ground? Do you suddenly feel like you don’t have anything witty or interesting to say? All of these reactions tell that you like the guy or girl in question.  The Outgoing Reaction: Do you suddenly feel the urge to tease your potential crush? When they are around, do you get the sudden urge to talk a lot because you want their attention? These are all symptoms of a crush as well. Just make sure that you don’t make your crush uncomfortable if you act this way--try not to tease them too much or they might not want to hang out with you.  The Flirty Reaction: Do you feel like you want your crush to notice what you are wearing or how your hair is done that day? Do you feel like giggling and joking around? Maybe you suddenly feel the urge to make sure you look as good as possible so that your crush will notice you. Batting your eyes, flipping your hair over your shoulder, and playing with your hair are all signs that you have a crush. The most common sign of having  a crush is the feeling that you have a million butterflies flying around inside you when that special someone is around. It can also feel like your heart does a leap when you see your crush and you feel warm and giddy.  Do you suddenly feel nervous but excited at the same time? Maybe you feel like you want to hug that person or be with them all the time. These are all normal reactions to having a crush. Do you feel like you would give up anything to be near that person? Having a crush can cause you to suddenly want to be the star of the conversation, or not talk at all when your crush is around. If you are talking with a group of friends and the person you think you might have a crush on walks up do you do the following things, what do you do? If so you have a crush, you will probably do one of the following:  Do you: suddenly feel like you need to be the center of attention? You might find yourself directing the conversation so that you can talk about something cool you did in an attempt to impress your crush. You may even talk over one of your friends so that your story can be heard. You might also try to make as much contact with your crush as possible, keeping their attention on you. Do you: suddenly feel like you’re tongue-tied? Having a crush can sometimes make people feel embarrassed and like they don’t have anything to say. If you are normally talkative but suddenly clam up when that special person is around, you most likely have a crush. Do you: feel like your friends sort of disappear when your crush walks up? You may be surrounded by people but suddenly all you can see is your crush. You might smile a lot, even if what your friends are talking about isn’t funny. If your friends asked you something, would you have a hard time paying attention to the question because you’re focused on that special person? These are all signs that you have a crush. A major sign of having a crush on someone is wanting to look nice around that person. Do you spend more time getting dressed in the morning? Have you bought new clothes you thought your crush might like? Do you spend an extra amount of time getting your hair or makeup just right, just in case you see your crush that day? If so, you most definitely have a crush.

SUMMARY:
Note your behavior around the person you might have a crush on. Consider how you feel around your potential crush. Notice how you act around your friends and your crush. Decide whether or not you’re putting more effort into your appearance.