Mental Health Help

I do not know about Morton Plant as I life in Nevada, however, I do know that seeking help for severe depression on an inpatient basis is very, very beneficial. I have had severe depression since I was in middle school. It does not run in my family - it sprints! Most of my family has it. I turned my dpressive episodes inward and developed anorexia and bulimia in my teens and twenties. I ended up being hospitalized for a short time - only three weeks - and not only did it allow me to get control of my aberrant eating behaviors but got my depression in remission as well. How it worked for me - the doctors can give you higher doses of anti-depression medications and anti-anxiety meds in the hospital setting to jump start your brain chemistry. Also, you are in a save environment where they can constantly keep an eye on your behaviors and see how the meds are working. No two weeks of "therapeutic" doses to see if the med will make you better or worse all the while you want to end it all. . . . Please continue to research the facility you are considering and know that a good hospital can totally change a life. I am in my mid forties now, still have depression, but it is in control and I lead a completely normal "crazy" life and love living. I couldn't have imaged living like this in my early twenties. I was admitted voluntarily and was very vocal about making sure that I was "diagnosed" and not merely "oh, I think you probably have . . . ." I would work at getting a good psychiatrist whom you feel you can trust before - before - before - again - before - you seek inpatient treatment. The docs in hospital - if they only to inpatient - benefit from you staying sick. A regular psy doc benefits from you being in society and being successful. Also and so very important. Make sure that you loved one has a complete physical that includes hormones, especially sex hormones (estrogen and progestin if female, and testosterone if male), thyroid and the endorcrine hormones. I know that having my sex hormones off balance made me suicidal when combined with my depression. Good luck. Stay strong, research and do what you need to help your loved one and yourself. Bless you.

I would suggest to seek out patient help in an office setting first. That way you would have a trusted professional help you find the right treatment program. You need to find a psychiatrist that can do therapy plus medication management. My dad was bipolar, and went through a severe manic period, he only had out patient treatment and eventually got through it. It's very important to get a clinician that you can trust and that will listen to you and give you the right combination of medications. Meds for depression are trial and error, and sometimes it takes some time to get the right combo! A good place to start is to talk to your friends regular doctor, or ask around for referrals for a psychiatrist. If your friend has insurance, odds are there is mental health coverage, that is another place to get a good referral and also make sure to check the benefits.

Good luck, I'm glad that you are helping your friend and that they recognize that they need some help!

Holistic approaches that help heal body, mind, and spirit are what can resolve emotional difficulties - psychiatric care that just gives you a label and a prescription for drugs is not a real healing approach, it just momentarily hides the problems. Look for a natural healing approach for your loved ones.

B., I have worked in the mental health field (both inpatient and outpatient) for the past 7 years. The best thing you could possibly do for mental health help is if you have insurance, call your insurance company and find out what outpatient mental health providers are covered under your plan. Then you can call and set up an assessment for individual therapy. If the clinician determines that you might also require medications, they will refer you to a psychiatrist that your insurance will cover and you can then get a psychiatric evaluation to determine if you need meds.
If you don't have insurance, call your local health department or find out if there are any non-profit outpatient mental health facilities in your area and call to find out if they have funding for uninsured clients. These places will generally have a sliding scale for fees, determined by your income, bills, and what you can afford.
The thing you DON'T want to do is wait so long to start receiving mental health services that you require hospitalization. There are plenty of very good inpatient facilities (which I'd be more than happy to share with you!), but these aren't the places to start services, even though it is done all the time. You also can't always believe what you hear about inpatient mental health facilities because you have to remember that most people are under serious distress when they're inpatient (otherwise they wouldn't be admitted!) and these aren't "happy places." Most everyone that is inpatient for mental health reasons are seriously depressed and suicidal, struggling with psychotic symptoms, or are manic beyond their own control.
PLEASE message me if you would like any further information. I can personally tell you what steps you'll need to take with your insurance company (if you're insured) or if you're uninsured, I can help you find resources. This is what I do for a living. :)

I've been diagnosed with clinical depression and have never been to a treatment facility. I do however go to regular counseling sessions, work closely with a psychiatrist to find the right mix of medications, excercise. You may want to try that first before a treatment facility.

Look up your County Health Department and talk to a counselor there. The cost is relatively inexpensive, if not free. Best Wishes, S.

Please take a look at what you are eating.
What passes for food these days- a body cannot run on it.
And THAT is what people call depression.
Go to Weston Price. org and find out what is good food- and it will change your life.
No wonder folks are not better coming out of these places- they are not treating the cause.
best, k