Mental Health Treatment: Everything You Need To Know About

Mental Health Treatment has become one of the most factors at the current time. Balancing our professional and personal is a major contributor to some of the commonly experienced mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, and stress. 

Living in a society where physical health and well-being take the central stage, it is only in the present time that people have taken mental health issues seriously. Thus, we take a deep insight into how and why taking care of your mental health is important, along with evaluating some of the effective Mental Health Treatments suggested by doctors. 

What Is Mental Health Treatment?

Mental Health is an important factor, especially in today’s generation. People are all busy with their daily schedules, which may affect their mental peace. These busy schedules, deadlines, and personal responsibilities may often affect contribute to Mental illnesses. 

Mental Health Treatments are specially designed based on the condition of the person after a thorough evaluation. They help in improving mental health disorders along with helping such people cope with such stressful situations. 

Classes of Mental Health Illness

Mental Health issues may vary from one person to another. No two condition or their causes are the same. Thus, Mental health conditions may be divided into the following classes based on their characteristics. 

Neurodevelopmental disorders

This occurs in infancy or childhood, often before the child begins grade school. Examples are- autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and learning disorders.

Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders

Psychotic disorders are detachment from reality —one of the most notable examples is Schizophrenia.

Bipolar and related disorders

This class generally includes disorders with alternating episodes of mania.

Anxiety disorders

This includes behavior aimed at avoiding situations that cause anxiety. This class generally includes anxiety disorders, panic disorders, and phobias.

Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders

These involve preoccupations or obsessions and repetitive thoughts and actions. Examples are obsessive-compulsive disorder, hoarding disorder, and hair-pulling disorder (trichotillomania).

Trauma- and stressor-related disorders

These are disorders in which a person faces trouble coping during or after a stressful life event. Examples are post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder.

Dissociative disorders

These are disorders in which your Selfsense is disrupted, such as dissociative identity disorder and dissociative amnesia.

Somatic symptoms and related disorders

These disorders have physical symptoms that cause major emotional distress and problems functioning. Some of these disorders include somatic symptom disorder, illness anxiety disorder, and factitious disorder.

Feeding and eating disorders

These include disturbances related to eating that impact nutrition and health, such as anorexia nervosa and binge-eating disorder.

Elimination disorders

These relate to the inappropriate elimination of urine or stool by accident or on purpose. Bed-wetting (enuresis) is an example.

Sleep-wake disorders

These are sleep severe enough to require clinical attention, such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless legs syndrome.

Sexual dysfunctions

These are mental health issues that occur in response to sexual disorders, such as premature ejaculation and female orgasmic disorder.

Disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders

These include problems with emotional and behavioral self-control, such as kleptomania or intermittent explosive disorder.

Substance-related and addictive disorders

These include problems associated with the excessive use of alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, and drugs. 

Personality disorders

A personality disorder involves a  pattern of emotional instability and unhealthy behavior that leads to problems in your life and relationships. Examples are borderline, antisocial, and narcissistic personality disorders.

Paraphilic disorders

These include sexual interest that causes personal distress or impairment or causes potential or actual harm to another person. Examples are sexual sadism disorder, voyeuristic disorder, and pedophilic disorder.

Other mental disorders

This class generally includes mental disorders that are caused due to other medical conditions or that don't meet the full criteria for one of the above disorders (2).

Depression

Depression is a mood disorder that causes loss of interest with persistent sadness. It can affect your feelings and how you act and behave. 

The above graph represents the prevalence of Depression in people in the USA depending on their age, gender, and race in 2022. It shows that the Depression sign is higher in people between the age of 18 to 25. The symptoms of Depression include-

• Feeling sad.

• Lack of energy or tiredness.

• Sleep disturbance.

• Agitation and anxiety.

• Difficulty thinking or concentrating. 

• Loss of appetite. 

• Suicidal thoughts. 

How To Treat Mental Illness? 

The Mental Health Treatment option varies in people based on their condition, its cause, and severity. People with the same mental health diagnosis will have different experiences, needs, goals, and objectives for treatment (1). 

These Mental Health Treatments might include Family or medical experts like doctors, and nurses, a psychiatrist ( a person who diagnoses and treats mental illness), a psychotherapist (a medical counselor), pharmacists, and social workers. 

The different types of treatment options available are- 

• Psychotherapy: This therapy is also called talk therapy. This therapy involves talking with a professional counselor. In the process, you can understand yourself better and get a reflection of yourself. This process takes almost a month or longer. Choosing a therapist should be done carefully because this helps mold your life. One common type of therapy used in mental health treatment is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which can help individuals learn coping strategies and develop more positive thought patterns.

• Brain Stimulation treatments: These treatment programs work when psychotherapy and medications stop working. These are used for mental disorders and depression. They have electroconvulsive therapy, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, deep brain stimulation, and vagus nerve stimulation.

• Hospitals and treatment programs: Depending on the severity of the illness, you might require care in a psychiatric hospital. This option is generally suggested when you are at the stage of harming yourself or others. There can be two types of treatment programs. They are Inpatient and Outpatient programs. Inpatients are those for whom treatment is provided inside the hospital. Optimum care is provided in both treatments.

• Self Care: Your care and realization are the foremost steps toward your Mental health. Your reflection is the necessary key to treating your mental health. You are so busy in this chaotic world that you don't realize about your mental health or peace of mind (2).

Treatment Options For Co-Occurring Disorders

Apart from the effects of drugs and alcohol, many addicts and alcoholics also suffer from co-occurring disorders. They may include anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, borderline personality disorder, and more. 

Many addicts begin using drugs in an attempt to self-medicate these issues. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, over half of addicts and alcoholics with co-occurring disorders receive no treatments.

While addicts may feel less anxious or depressed while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, prolonged substance abuse often does more to exacerbate these underlying disorders than to heal them. 

Therefore, mental health treatment for drug addicts and alcoholics treats these issues alongside the addiction.

Treating one while neglecting the other would only increase the chances of relapse if the patient feels the need to begin self-medicating again.

What Are The Medications Used For Treating Mental Illness?

Though psychiatric medications don't cure mental illness completely, they can often significantly improve the symptoms. They also help to make other treatments, such as psychotherapy, more efficient. 

Some of the most effective used classes of prescription psychiatric medications include-

Anti-depressants-

Antidepressants are the first line of treatment for managing signs of depression. They can improve symptoms such as sadness, hopelessness, lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, and lack of interest in activities. Antidepressants are generally non-addictive in nature and don’t cause dependency.

Anti-anxiety medications-

These are used to treat anxiety or panic disorder. They may also help in reducing agitation and insomnia. 

Mood-stabilizing medications-

These are most commonly used to treat bipolar disorders, which involve episodes of mania and depression. Sometimes they are used with antidepressants to treat depression.

Antipsychotic medications-

Antipsychotic drugs are generally used to treat psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia. They are also used to treat bipolar disorders or depression.

Armodafinil For Depression (Adjunctive Treatment Option)

The use of Armodafinil for Depression is not the first line of treatment and is often prescribed as an adjunctive therapy. It is commonly prescribed to people who do not respond well to their first line of treatment. 

Armodafinil helps improve mental health and the overall functionality of the brain. A study suggested that the augmented therapy of Armodafinil for depression improves symptoms of bipolar depression. 

User review on the use of Armodafinil or Nuvigil for Depression indicates a rating of 8.2 out of 10 on the website Drugs. Nuvigil is one of the popular brand names for Armodafinil and thus has similar clinical use and benefits. 

Armodafinil at a discounted price is available in HealthMatter. It should, however, be taken after consulting a doctor. 

Is Mental Health As Important As Physical Health?

Mental and Physical Health both are important for healthy living. A human being with no physical atrocities cannot claim that he is healthy. Mental Health should also be given equal importance. 

You live in a society that is no less of chaos. You are busy in your day-to-day lives with your tight work schedule. Have you questioned yourself, Am I really happy? This question, for a second, will keep you numb. 

A mentally healthy being is always at peace. Many people are ashamed to consult an expert and talk frankly about their mental health. And therefore breaking all taboos associated with this condition is important. 

Holistic Mental Health Treatment Centers In The USA

A holistic mental health treatment centralizes the patient, not their diagnosis and symptoms. It addresses the individual's physical, emotional, and mental aspects while treating their depressive symptoms. 

Some of the recognized holistic mental health treatment centers are

Our Final Thoughts: How Do You Treat Mental Illness?

Mental Health Treatment is the key component for the well-being of a person. A person is not healthy if he is not mentally fit. People always take medicines whenever they suffer from any physical distortion. But they fail to take care of Mental Health. 

Mental Health is important not only for an individual but also for the well-being of our future. Mental Health problems are generally seen among the youth. They are our future assets. Their well-being should be our priority.

So, if you or your loved ones are experiencing any mental health disorder such as anxiety, stress, or depression, it is important to consult a doctor and begins with your prescribed mental health treatment. Some of the common treatment options are medication, Psychotherapy, Brain Stimulation treatments, and Self-care. Grief counseling for mental health issues associated with personal loss or other causes can also be beneficial.