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Mental Health Treatment 101: Everything You Need to Know

What is Mental Health Actually?

There is a misconception that mental health is the absence of mental illness. This could not be further from the truth. Mental health is your psychological and emotional well-being. When your mental health is doing well, you feel positively-relatively happy, healthy. Your mental health can be influenced by a variety of factors, including your genetics, so please do not be discouraged if you are struggling. If you are looking to improve your mental health, try a few of these tactics:

  • Maintain a balanced diet
  • Try your best to stay positive
  • Exercise daily, and regularly
  • Make sure you get enough sleep
  • Ask for professional help (if you need it)
  • Help others
  • Socialize with friends and family who bring you happiness
  • Develop healthy, effective coping skills to deal with your problems

Mental Health Treatment

Mental health problems are entirely common, and most of the time are due to a genetic predisposition. The most common mental illnesses are anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. These conditions manipulate your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It can be upsetting to be diagnosed with a condition, but there is a variety of treatment available.

The most important step in the recovery process is to choose the right mix of support and treatment. The course of treatment is individual, and even people who have the same diagnosis will have different needs and goals for their treatment. You should be as involved as possible in creating your own treatment plan. Be active in conversations about your goals, choosing your support system/services, and the overall experience.

Talking treatment is the most common. This is a time for you to talk through your feels and thoughts with a licensed therapist. This exploration is very helpful for:

  • Develop coping skills
  • Understanding and processing trauma
  • Improving your relationships
  • Dealing with specific problems

Talking treatment is also known as: counselling, therapy, talk therapy, or psychotherapy. There are many different styles, so you may need

Path to Improvement

Psychotherapy

Therapy is for those who are looking to make improvements in their lives. Whether you need to cope with an issue, receive emotional support, or figure out aspects of your life, there is someone out there for you to talk to. Talk therapy is a mix of psychological techniques. Typically, this is done in a one-on-one setting, but it can take place in many different forms. As part of your treatment, you will work with your therapist to figure out which techniques work best for you.

You can learn more about the different types of therapy in this article, as well as our blog. We have an article discussing the best types of therapy for depression and anxiety issues specifically. You can also use Mental Treat’s platform to filter and find the right therapist for you! We have a variety of licensed therapists for whatever issues you may need help with.

Medication

It is possibly most important to note that you and your doctor should consult about any prescribed medications to thoroughly discuss possible side-effects and other concerns. Remember, even after you are prescribed, you will have to continue to make appointments with your doctor.

Medications are not cures. They are designed to treat your symptoms, but symptoms can return. Every medication has its own risks and benefits. It is a balance, and sometimes it is hard to know what will happen until you try it. Medications are most effective when they are part of a treatment plan, not the whole. Remember, you probably will not feel better immediately. Your body will need time to adjust, and you may need to try more than one until you find the right fit. For many people, it is worth the wait. Some of the most common medications for mental health related illnesses are:

Antidepressants: These drugs help reduce feelings of sadness, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. They do not ‘make you happy’, but rather work to reduce the symptoms of sadness. Side effects can include: weight gain, sexual problems, tremors, dry mouth, constipation, drowsiness, and insomnia.

Mood stabilizers: These help reduce or eliminate extreme mood swings and related symptoms. They do not keep you from experiencing normal highs and lows, but regulate them. Possible side effects: lack of coordination or confusion, weight gain, drowsiness, stomach problems, blurred vision, and shaking.

Sleeping pills: These reduce anxiety and insomnia symptoms so you can feel more relaxed. They all cause drowsiness. Please call your doctor if you experience: nausea, slurred speech, confusion, excitability, or headaches.

Hospitalization

When deciding if you or a loved one is in need of hospitalization, please consider this option carefully. The benefits of hospitalization include the reduced stress of taking care of oneself and having time to focus on your recovery. As your crisis gets smaller, you can take better care of yourself and prepare for discharge. The goal of in-patient care is not to keep you confined, but allow you to receive the proper level of care to be independent. There are a variety of options available, including:

  • In-patient care: 24/7 care provided by psychiatric units within general hospitals or private psychiatric hospitals. Care is supervised and there are group therapists available.
  • Public psychiatric hospitals: short-term and long-term care to people who cannot afford to pay, long-term care patients, and forensic patients.
  • Partial hospitalization: provides services during the day, but not 24 hours. This is a middle step between in-patient and out.
  • Residential care: 24-hour psychiatric care provided in a residential setting for children and adolescents.

Support Groups

Support groups can be very helpful in the recovery process. Some groups are peer-led and others are led by mental health professionals. These are spaces where people can come together to share their experiences in a way that helps one another cope. When we struggle, we think we are alone. These groups work to combat that and provide us with people going through similar situations who can encourage us to get better. Typically, support groups are focused (divorce, grief, addiction, family), so take time to research and find the right group for you. It is out there!

Self-care and Self-help Plan

For individuals who feel fine, but want to take better care of themselves and their mental health, it may be helpful to create a self-care plan. We have a wide-variety of articles about meditation, how to reduce stress, deal with anger, etc. that are available on our website. Whatever self-care means to you, try to come up with a time in your day to practice it and treat yourself!

Your mental health, just like physical, should be a priority for you. When we feel good mentally, it improves so many other facets of our lives. Positive mental health keeps us physically healthy too! We wish you the best of luck on your journey to creating more positive mental health, and we hope you continue to use Mental Treat to access resources on staying healthy.

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