Lubbock, Texas Therapists

Finding Mental Health Resources in Lubbock, Texas

Lubbock, Texas is located in the northwestern part of the state, and it’s the central city in the Lubbock metro. Lubbock is often named an excellent place to start a business because of the low commercial rent prices and the business-friendly attitude of the city government. It’s the home of Texas Tech University, which is the sixth-largest college in Texas. It’s also where Lubbock High School, which is often ranked by media outlets like Newsweek as one of the best high schools in the U.S.

Lubbock is part of a region called the Texas High Plains, which is where 80% of the state’s grapes used for wine come from. As a result, there are several major wineries in the area including one that’s frequently award-winning. There are also several ranches in and around Lubbock, and the Depot District is where people go for dining, cultural venues, and theaters.

While Lubbock is often considered a great place to live, there are downsides as well. Many of these are related to issues that commonly plague communities throughout the country such as substance abuse and mental health issues.

Mental Health in Lubbock

The entire U.S. is currently being affected by an opioid crisis. Opioids are drugs that include prescription pain medicines like hydrocodone and oxycodone, as well as heroin. In the state of Texas in 2016, there were 1,375 overdose deaths related to opioids in 2016. As is the case in most states, since 2010 the number of deaths related to heroin has steadily increased in Texas as well. The number of deaths related to the potent synthetic opioid fentanyl has dramatically gone up in Texas.

In all of Texas around 162,000 adolescents aged 12-17 used marijuana in the past month in reported survey results from 2014-2015 according to the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. The same survey showed around 10% of adolescents in Texas reported using alcohol in the past month at the time they were asked. Around 11.5% of adolescents in the state experienced a major depressive episode in the past year.

Around 3.5% of all adults in Texas reported having serious thoughts of suicide in the past year, in 2014-2015, and more than 3% of all adults in the state said they’d experienced serious mental illness in the past year when asked. However, of the adults in Texas with various mental illnesses, only 38.4% received mental health services, while nearly 62% didn’t.

In 2016, the percentage of people living in Lubbock below the poverty level was higher than the numbers for Texas as a whole. In Lubbock, 26.5% of people were living below the poverty level, while that number was 20.7% for all of Texas.

Mental Health Resources in Lubbock

Whether a person is struggling with depression another mental health issue, or a situation in their life such as relationship problems with their spouse or partner, or even substance abuse issues, help is available in Lubbock. People need to know there are local Lubbock resources, especially since so many people do not receive mental health services when they need them.

There are an estimated 125 mental health professionals for every 100,000 people in the area. This is compared to only 78 primary care physicians for every 100,000 people.

Mental health is provided through the StarCare Specialty Health System, including medication management, and intensive support for people with a dual diagnosis like substance abuse and mental illness. There are various inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment centers near Lubbock. The National Alliance on Mental Illness has a presence in Lubbock and offers support and education programs for people who have mental illness as well as their loved ones.

Connecting with a Lubbock Therapist

Regardless of the specific scenario, you may be facing, or your loved one could be grappling with regarding mental health, connecting with a qualified therapist or care provider is the best option available. Despite the value of working with a therapist or counselor, many times people are unsure of where to start their search or they don’t know exactly what they’re looking for.