Mental Health Treatment

Treating mental health is a complicated manner that needs the assistance of professionals capable of treating the underlying issues. Licensed health care professionals are trained to guide the patient, and occasionally their loved ones, to a healthier mindset through a structured recovery program and series of therapies. Therapies are often prescribed and the effects are noted in furthering the individuals progress to success.

ADHD

Attention Deficit Disorder is a chronic condition by which it’s afflicted are continually inattentive, hyperactive, and occasionally impulsive. ADHD starts in childhood and often lingers into adulthood. As many as 2 out of every 3 children affected by ADHD continue to have symptoms well into adulthood. This includes inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity – which are the key behaviors of those with ADHD.

Crisis Management

Often characterized by a mental breakdown, crisis management is dealing with extreme situations in an effective manner. People who suffer from this are typically incapable of thinking of practical solutions and will negate the issue at hand. The patient suffering from crisis management tends to need help very early on in the process. This means reaching out to family/friends and contacting a doctor or mental health provider.

Grief & Loss

After loss, some individuals have a difficult time returning to their lives before and require special attention and help. The grieving process is very individualized; there is no actual timetable for it to end. Grief encompasses shock and disbelief, sadness, guilt, anger, and fear.

Stress Management

Dealing with stress and stressful situation with calm, level-headed intentions and charisma. Physical symptoms of stress range from low energy and headaches to chest pain and dry mouth. If left unchecked, ongoing stress can cause serious health issues including depression, cardiovascular disease, obesity, sexual dysfunction, and gastrointestinal problems.

Substance Use Disorders

Abuse, consistent use, or addiction characterizes the plight of substance use disorders. The substance could be interfering with the person’s personal or professional life or even life-threatening. Common Substance Use disorders include Alcohol Use Disorder, Tobacco Use Disorder, and Cannabis Use Disorder. Regardless of the substance, many of the same behaviors are prevalent and require the same course of treatment.

Anger Management

Anger management is dealing with the inability to cope with stressful situations, controlling one’s anger, attitude, and ability to deal with situations productively and responsibly under calm duress. Suppressed anger can also be an underlying cause of anxiety and depression. Doctors suggest deep breathing and positive self-talk as the first steps in helping manage anger.

Chronic Pain Issues

People with issues resulting from medicating chronic pain issues require specialized healing that can come in numerous forms and must be discovered individually with guidance from a trained professional. Chronic pain is often defined as any pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks. Whereas acute pain is a normal sensation that alerts us to possible injury, chronic pain is very different. Chronic pain persists—often for months and sometimes even longer and may be complicated by issues associated with prescription medication.

Impulse Control Disorders

Controlling feelings or actions that are immediate and often reactionary. These individuals need assistance in finding new psychology in dealing with their intense immediacy and needs.  Scientists are still researching the cause of these types of disorders but many think that there are a good handful of factors including physical or biological, psychological or emotional, and cultural or societal issues.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Caused from a moment or moments of extremely stressful situations, environments, and individuals. This disorder can cause the afflicted to avoid people, places, or activities in fear and completely disrupt their personal and professional lives. Not every traumatized person develops ongoing (chronic) or even short-term (acute) PTSD. Not everyone with PTSD has been through a dangerous event. Some experiences, like the sudden, unexpected death of a loved one, can also cause PTSD.

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are a cluster of mental disorders marked by feelings of anxiety or loathing. Anxiety is a worry about the future and loathing is a reaction to current happenings. These feelings could manifest in physical forms, such as a faster heart rate or trembling. Disorders in this category include Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Sleep Disorders.

Mood Disorders

Mood disorders refer to a plethora of swinging, bipolar, or mood control disorders. These disorders often ruin relationships and take control of the individual’s free will. About 20% of the U.S. population reports at least one depressive symptom in a given month, and 12% report two or more in a year. Depression is a common feature of mental illness, whatever its nature and origin. People are more easily demoralized by depression and slower to recover if they are withdrawn and unreasonably self-critical or irritable, impulsive, and hypersensitive to loss.

Relational Trauma

Trauma is caused by a personal experience with another individual. Often characterized by mental, verbal, and physical abuse inflicted on the sufferer.  Women experience remarkably high rates of relational trauma including child abuse and neglect and intimate partner violence (IPV) during adulthood, and the childbearing years are no exception.

Personality Disorders

Personality disorders are disorders in which a person may forget who they are or become another person they think they are. It causes major disruptions in their daily lives and relationships. Symptoms of each personality disorder differ and can be either mild or severe. People with personality disorders often have trouble identifying that they have a problem; they believe their thoughts are normal and that it is other people who are to blame. Treatment usually includes talk therapy and sometimes medicine.

Body Image Issues

Body image issues are when an individual sees themselves in an extremely negative light. It could stem from mental and verbal abuse from any age and typically attacks the psyche by focusing on what the sufferer perceives as a flaw.  Researchers have noted that people with body image issues or disordered eating have difficulties with visual processing.

Family Issues

Issues pertaining to family are treated with the help of clinicians who know how to break down communication barriers in relationships in order to fix the problems at hand. Conflicts are a part of family life. A lot of different issues, such as Parenting Issues can lead to conflict, including illness, disability, addiction, job loss, school problems, and marital issues. Listening to one another and actively working to resolve conflicts are key to reinforcing the family.

Relationship Issues

Problems between loved ones typically stemming from communication breakdowns and the inability to compromise or change to make the other person happy. These issues can arise from a couple spending too little – or even too much – time together. They can stem from fighting over the same issues, from insecurities over your future to feeling misunderstood. Money is also a common root of relationship issues.

Sexual Disorders

Sexual disorders are involving sex, perversion, or acts that have nothing to do with sex in the standard definition but have been fetishized and cause a disruption in the individual or society’s regular agenda. Psychotherapy is a common treatment for desire disorders. Treatment focuses on bringing awareness to any unresolved conflicts and how they impact the patient’s life. While improvement is possible, the sexual dysfunction often becomes autonomous and persists, requiring additional techniques. Various hormones have also been studied for the treatment of sexual desire disorders.

ADHD

Attention Deficit Disorder is a chronic condition by which it’s afflicted are continually inattentive, hyperactive, and occasionally impulsive. ADHD starts in childhood and often lingers into adulthood. As many as 2 out of every 3 children affected by ADHD continue to have symptoms well into adulthood. This includes inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity – which are the key behaviors of those with ADHD.

Crisis Management

Often characterized by a mental breakdown, crisis management is dealing with extreme situations in an effective manner. People who suffer from this are typically incapable of thinking of practical solutions and will negate the issue at hand. The patient suffering from crisis management tends to need help very early on in the process. This means reaching out to family/friends and contacting a doctor or mental health provider.

Grief & Loss

After loss, some individuals have a difficult time returning to their lives before and require special attention and help. The grieving process is very individualized; there is no actual timetable for it to end. Grief encompasses shock and disbelief, sadness, guilt, anger, and fear.

Stress Management

Dealing with stress and stressful situation with calm, level-headed intentions and charisma. Physical symptoms of stress range from low energy and headaches to chest pain and dry mouth. If left unchecked, ongoing stress can cause serious health issues including depression, cardiovascular disease, obesity, sexual dysfunction, and gastrointestinal problems.

Substance Use Disorders

Abuse, consistent use, or addiction characterizes the plight of substance use disorders. The substance could be interfering with the person’s personal or professional life or even life-threatening. Common Substance Use disorders include Alcohol Use Disorder, Tobacco Use Disorder, and Cannabis Use Disorder. Regardless of the substance, many of the same behaviors are prevalent and require the same course of treatment.

Anger Management

Anger management is dealing with the inability to cope with stressful situations, controlling one’s anger, attitude, and ability to deal with situations productively and responsibly under calm duress. Suppressed anger can also be an underlying cause of anxiety and depression. Doctors suggest deep breathing and positive self-talk as the first steps in helping manage anger.

Chronic Pain Issues

People with issues resulting from medicating chronic pain issues require specialized healing that can come in numerous forms and must be discovered individually with guidance from a trained professional. Chronic pain is often defined as any pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks. Whereas acute pain is a normal sensation that alerts us to possible injury, chronic pain is very different. Chronic pain persists—often for months and sometimes even longer and may be complicated by issues associated with prescription medication.

Impulse Control Disorders

Controlling feelings or actions that are immediate and often reactionary. These individuals need assistance in finding new psychology in dealing with their intense immediacy and needs.  Scientists are still researching the cause of these types of disorders but many think that there are a good handful of factors including physical or biological, psychological or emotional, and cultural or societal issues.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Caused from a moment or moments of extremely stressful situations, environments, and individuals. This disorder can cause the afflicted to avoid people, places, or activities in fear and completely disrupt their personal and professional lives. Not every traumatized person develops ongoing (chronic) or even short-term (acute) PTSD. Not everyone with PTSD has been through a dangerous event. Some experiences, like the sudden, unexpected death of a loved one, can also cause PTSD.

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are a cluster of mental disorders marked by feelings of anxiety or loathing. Anxiety is a worry about the future and loathing is a reaction to current happenings. These feelings could manifest in physical forms, such as a faster heart rate or trembling. Disorders in this category include Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Sleep Disorders.

Mood Disorders

Mood disorders refer to a plethora of swinging, bipolar, or mood control disorders. These disorders often ruin relationships and take control of the individual’s free will. About 20% of the U.S. population reports at least one depressive symptom in a given month, and 12% report two or more in a year. Depression is a common feature of mental illness, whatever its nature and origin. People are more easily demoralized by depression and slower to recover if they are withdrawn and unreasonably self-critical or irritable, impulsive, and hypersensitive to loss.

Relational Trauma

Trauma is caused by a personal experience with another individual. Often characterized by mental, verbal, and physical abuse inflicted on the sufferer.  Women experience remarkably high rates of relational trauma including child abuse and neglect and intimate partner violence (IPV) during adulthood, and the childbearing years are no exception.

Personality Disorders

Personality disorders are disorders in which a person may forget who they are or become another person they think they are. It causes major disruptions in their daily lives and relationships. Symptoms of each personality disorder differ and can be either mild or severe. People with personality disorders often have trouble identifying that they have a problem; they believe their thoughts are normal and that it is other people who are to blame. Treatment usually includes talk therapy and sometimes medicine.

Body Image Issues

Body image issues are when an individual sees themselves in an extremely negative light. It could stem from mental and verbal abuse from any age and typically attacks the psyche by focusing on what the sufferer perceives as a flaw.  Researchers have noted that people with body image issues or disordered eating have difficulties with visual processing.

Family Issues

Issues pertaining to family are treated with the help of clinicians who know how to break down communication barriers in relationships in order to fix the problems at hand. Conflicts are a part of family life. A lot of different issues, such as Parenting Issues can lead to conflict, including illness, disability, addiction, job loss, school problems, and marital issues. Listening to one another and actively working to resolve conflicts are key to reinforcing the family.

Relationship Issues

Problems between loved ones typically stemming from communication breakdowns and the inability to compromise or change to make the other person happy. These issues can arise from a couple spending too little – or even too much – time together. They can stem from fighting over the same issues, from insecurities over your future to feeling misunderstood. Money is also a common root of relationship issues.

Sexual Disorders

Sexual disorders are involving sex, perversion, or acts that have nothing to do with sex in the standard definition but have been fetishized and cause a disruption in the individual or society’s regular agenda. Psychotherapy is a common treatment for desire disorders. Treatment focuses on bringing awareness to any unresolved conflicts and how they impact the patient’s life. While improvement is possible, the sexual dysfunction often becomes autonomous and persists, requiring additional techniques. Various hormones have also been studied for the treatment of sexual desire disorders.

Personalized Treatment Models

Depression

Trauma / PTSD

Anxiety

Eating Disorders

Suicide Prevention

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

ADHD

Co-Occurring Disorders

Bipolar Disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder and Addiction

Many individuals diagnosed with a mental health issue find relief by engaging in individual or group treatments assisted by professionals. There are a multitude of different treatments available and no treatment works the same for any one person.

Psychotherapy

A trained mental health professional guides the patient through this therapy that helps in exposing underlying issues in the psyche including thoughts, feelings, and behaviors seeking to improve an individual’s overall well-being. Psychotherapy paired with medication is often the most efficient way to gain recovery. Examples include: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Family Therapy, etc

Medication

Medication does not cure mental health problems. However, it may help curb symptoms and help the individual manage their impulses and feelings.

Case Management

Dealing with mental health must be taken case by case. A case manager assesses the situation and problems in order to plan and implement a strategies finding the solutions for recovery.

Hospitalization

In very few cases, hospitalization may be required in order to keep a close eye on the patient, accurately diagnose or have medications adjusted when his or her mental illness is at it’s worse.

Support Group

A support group meets with members and a guide to coax each other toward the common goal of recovery. Support groups are also occasionally made up of non professionals, but similarly situated individuals that have suffered some of the same ailments.

Complementary & Alternative Medicine

Complementary & Alternative Medicine, or CAM, is treatment and practices that are not normally associated with standard care.

Self Help Plan

A self-help plan is a plan where an individual addresses their own condition by utilizing what they have found to help themselves best. Self-help plans often times involve addressing wellness, recovery, triggers or warning signs.

Peer Support

Peer Support refers to receiving help from individuals who have suffered from similar experiences.

Pet Support

With the help of a furry friend, some seek solace and assistance from having a pet with them at all times.

How Are Mental Health Disorders Diagnosed?

Assessments are most commonly carried out by a licensed professional psychologist or psychiatrist. An assessment and diagnosis may come at different times in the treatment process depending on the issue being treated, but commonly involves investigating past incidents, symptoms, current quality of life, previous diagnoses, and active behaviors and thoughts.

Who Is Qualified to Treat Mental Health Issues?

A licensed professional in the field of mental health is qualified to diagnose after a serious assessment and detailed inquiry into the issue at hand. Moreover, the psychologist must watch over the patient to ensure he or she is reacting well to the treatment and therapies and making progress towards a more healthy mindset. Best case scenario would be a therapeutic team that would include therapists, physicians, behavioral specialists, and so on, to develop a treatment that takes into account each psychological aspect of the patient.

What Are the Most Common Mental Health Disorders?

The most common mental health disorders are anxiety and depression. Though they are common, they are not treated in any standardized manner. Each patient’s circumstances and issues are different and therefore require individualized therapies despite the general issue being the same.

When is a good time to seek help for mental health issues?

Immediately. If the issue is disrupting your way of life, it’s important to seek professional help when you aren’t finding the success on your own or with the assistance of friend or family. Often times a trained professional is capable of offering advice or lending a listening ear that is beyond the capacity of those closest to you. Not because the people nearest you don’t love you, but they may not have the training and experience to deal with mental health problems the way a professional does.

The facilities at Mission Harbor are staffed with trained experts to best assist patients with their mental health issues. We are capable of dealing with any and all cases with a licensed staff, equipment, and approved techniques. Our mission is to help those who want to help themselves, and we support your decision in seeking help.

1 in 5 American adults will experience a mental health disorder in their lifetimes. The most common are schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety.

  • 1% of adults live with schizophrenia.
  • 6% have bipolar disorder.
  • 9% of American adults will develop depression in a given year.
  • 1% of American adults suffer from an anxiety disorder.

Over half of those with a predisposition for developing a disorder will present with one by the time they are fourteen years old. Another three-quarters of individuals will develop their disease by 24. Most mental health conditions are present by the time an individual reaches the age of 50.

Filing Folder with Different Tabs Labeled with various Mental Health Conditions

Mental health disorders are not only extraordinarily disruptive and distressing for the person who is suffering, but also for their family and loved ones. They can severely hamper a person’s life trajectory, disrupting their educational and career aspirations, and destroying their relationships. Furthermore, mental health disorders are terrible for the workplace, costing billions of dollars per year to the United States economy in lost productivity.

In 1995, mental health disorders accounted for 600 dollars per year, per worker, in lost wages. Since then, that number has only grown. Also, many people with untreated mental health disorders will self-medicate with drugs and alcohol, adding further suffering to themselves and their families and costing society an untold amount of money, stress on law enforcement and healthcare facilities, and in other indirect costs.

Fortunately, the scientific and medical communities have studied mental health disorders extensively, and there are numerous treatment options available on the market. Even those who are considered treatment-resistant have found relief with new, innovative and progressive treatment methods. The following article will explore mental health treatment options and their efficacy.

What is mental health treatment?

Mental health treatment encompasses a variety of methods which can be integrated into a holistic treatment plan tailored to the individual’s needs. A combination of medications, therapy, lifestyle changes, and in some cases, deep-brain stimulation techniques can all be employed in the fight against mental illness.

Who treats mental health issues?

The following professionals can treat mental health issues in the United States:

  • Physicians
  • Physicians’ assistants
  • Psychologists
  • Psychiatrists
  • Nurse practitioners
  • Counselors, clinicians, therapists
  • Clinical social workers

Who can receive mental health treatment?

Anyone who is willing to get better can get treatment for their condition, regardless of their insurance coverage. But unfortunately, less than half of those suffering from a mental health condition will get treatment in a given year. Reasons for this are varied. Some mental illnesses cause a condition called anosognosia, where the patient cannot accurately perceive that they have a problem. This is common with people with schizophrenia and people with bipolar mania.

People with depression frequently have a tough time with motivation, and they also feel hopeless, thinking treatment won’t work for them. Those with anxiety may needlessly worry about treatment options. Also, there is still a stigma attached to mental health, and many who need treatment won’t get it because they are ashamed or embarrassed.

Social workers are trained to help people without insurance find and receive coverage for mental health conditions or comorbid drug and alcohol addictions. Furthermore, there is state aid available for people who qualify.

Where is mental health treated?

An assessment of mental health treatment usually begins in a primary care physicians office. PCPs are trained to assess patients for mental health disorders and recommend the proper course of treatment.

Depending on the individual’s needs, they may be able to receive medications and medication monitoring through their PCP’s office, or they may be referred to a specialist, such as a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist.

Mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, SNRIs, and SSRIs are often used to treat a myriad of mental health conditions. Sometimes, a combination of different drug classes is required to stabilize the patient.

Certain drugs can be harsh on the system or interact with other medications or foods and beverages. Patient’s need frequent monitoring and in some cases, require blood tests to make sure the medicines remain at proper, safe levels in the bloodstream. This is usually done in a hospital setting.

Trained, certified counselors or therapists can see patients at regularly scheduled intervals in their offices. PCPs will usually refer patients to these mental health professionals. Talk therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy have been found to alleviate the symptoms of mental health disorders. Also, trained therapists can help patients explore and mitigate their triggers to prevent a relapse from occurring.

For people with acute, potentially dangerous symptoms like psychosis, violence, or suicide attempts or ideation, patient’s can enter an inpatient mental health facility and reside on-site until they are stabilized. In severe cases, patients do not need to give consent for treatment; they can be placed under a mandatory hold by police, healthcare professionals, or concerned friends and family.

Some patients may require an inpatient stay at a detox facility if they’ve been self-medicating with drugs or alcohol. With an inpatient facility, patients can safely withdrawal from the drugs and be appropriately assessed for a mental health condition. Trained therapists and doctors are on-site to adequately treat people with comorbid addiction and mental health issues in a rehab or detox facility. Up to half of those entering rehabilitation centers also have major depression.

Patients with treatment-resistant depression, or bipolar psychosis or severe schizophrenia can benefit from deep-brain stimulation techniques. These include options such as electroconvulsive therapy, vagus nerve stimulation, or transcranial magnetic stimulation. These methods can be administered in a hospital or an outpatient treatment facility.

Family involvement is incredibly important when considering the risks of recurrence. In cases where the family was actively involved in the patient’s care, recurrence was 28%. For those without family support, relapse was close to 50%.

Fortunately, there are resources available for people with or without insurance, and for those suffering from comorbid addiction and drug abuse. With support from family, trained therapists and doctors, people can recover from a mental health disorder and live a life free from distressing symptoms.

The facilities at Mission Harbor are staffed with trained experts to best assist patients with their mental health issues. We are capable of dealing with any and all cases with a licensed staff, equipment, and approved techniques. Our mission is to help those who want to help themselves, and we support your decision in seeking help.

Ready To Start Your Recovery? Call Us Today.