People with clinical depression are too often just prescribed a pill and told to wait until it makes them feel better. Treating depression has become a multi-million dollar a year industry for psychiatrists who work in their own private practices. They simply bring the patients in, write a prescription, then send them on their way so the next patient can come in.
The problem with this approach is that it rarely works well. Prescriptions, while they can be an important part of treatment for clinical depression, are rarely a one-size-fits-all cure. Different medications have different effects on different people. The correct dosage is also not the same for everyone. Many people with clinical depression often come back into the psychiatrist’s office again and again, getting their medication adjusted, and hoping for that magic pill in just the right amount to make them feel better.
A far better approach to treating clinical depression is an in-patient stay in a private mental health care facility where a multi-therapeutic approach to treatment is used. Multi-therapy is one of the most effective ways to treat clinical depression, and has a very low rate of recidivism once the treatment is complete. With ongoing outpatient counseling, the multi-therapy approach (sometimes combined with medication, sometimes not) produces outstanding results in a majority of clinically depressed patients, and has been shown to be effective in numerous studies.
What is multi-therapy? It is therapy for clinical depression that involves a variety of modalities. These modalities are intended to help the patient get in touch with his or her inner feelings, deal with them, and release them for good. Those negative, old feelings are then replaced with positive new ones through the multi-therapeutic approaches a good in-patient facility uses.
Some of the most popular and effective multi-therapy treatments for clinical depression include:
- Art therapy
- Music therapy
- Recreational therapy
- Family counseling
- Group counseling
- Socialization with other in-patients, as well as socialization within the community at large
Art and music therapy allow a patient to express their creative selves. This often helps them deal with negative emotions, and gives them the outlet they need to really explore them and discover the reasons behind them…reasons that may have been hidden for decades. These therapies are also very calming to clinically depressed patients, and their use soothes anger and raises feelings of positivity.
Recreational therapy gets patients moving, and often into the outdoors. Both things have been shown to raise the feel-good chemicals in the brain and elevate the mood. Family and group counseling offer patients a chance to talk about their feelings and experiences with others, which helps release negative feelings. They also benefit from getting additional insights from others expressing their own experiences.
Finally, socialization within the clinical setting and in the community is an important part of recovery for clinically depressed patients. Many of them have isolated themselves for a long time. Building up their social exposure helps them regain the confidence they need to want to rejoin the world and be a positive part of it. As one of the very first programs in the country to base its treatment upon Social Integration, our mental health facilities offer help through individualized therapy and group residential programs with a focus towards achieving more independent living. Our licensed mental health professionals observe situations relevant to our residents such as recreational, social and life skills activities then intervene as appropriate. Our resort styled facilities are designed to be luxurious, artfully decorated and meet the highest safety standards.
Pasadena Villa’s Smoky Mountain Lodge is an adult intensive psychiatric residential treatment center for clients with serious mental illnesses. We also provide other individualized therapy programs, step-down residential programs, and less intensive mental health services, such as Community Residential Homes, Supportive Housing, Day Treatment Programs and Life Skills training. Pasadena Villa’s Outpatient Center in Raleigh, North Carolina offers partial hospitalization (PHP) and an intensive outpatient program (PHP). If you or someone you know may need mental health services, please complete our contact form or call us at 407-215-2519 for more information.
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