Informative Article: Different Types of Mental Health Treatment
Anna Vu
There are different types of mental health treatment for different mental illnesses. The type and severity of the mental illness, as well as which method best works, determine the type of mental health treatment received. Many mental disorders can be treated using more than one type of treatment, and are often treated with a combination of methods. Here are some common forms of mental health treatments that you may have heard of before.
Medication
Medication is a type of treatment that affects the chemicals in the brain by aiding in controlling emotions. It is important to note that medication does not cure, but instead aids in reducing symptoms of mental illnesses. As medication only reduces symptoms, it is effectively used in conjunction with other forms of treatment, most often psychotherapy. Examples include antidepressants, anti-anxiety, mood-stabilizers, and antipsychotic medication.
Antidepressants are used to treat the symptoms associated with depression, such as feelings of intense sadness, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. They do this by interacting with the brain chemicals that deal with emotion, such as serotonin and dopamine. Anti-anxiety medication treats the symptoms of anxiety disorders and is effective short-term. An example of this is Xanax.
Mood-stabilizers help symptoms that deal with the extremity of emotions, such as very low “lows” and high “highs” associated with bipolar disorder. They are often used when antidepressants are not effective enough. There are many serious side effects when taking this type of medication as mood stabilizers contain lithium, a substance that can affect the kidneys and thyroids. When taking mood stabilizers, there are mandatory blood tests to prevent any side effects.
Antipsychotics are a type of medication that helps out with symptoms of psychosis, a condition involving hallucinations, hearing voices, and intruding thoughts. An example of such a disorder is schizophrenia, which is caused by an overload of dopamine. Antipsychotics can help treat this ailment by reducing the amount of dopamine produced in the brain. They provide clarity, concentration, and better sleeping patterns.
It is important to remember to consult a medical professional to decide which medication is best for you. It is also recommended that you do your own research about the medication’s side effects and any lifestyle changes that you would have to implement when using the medication. A doctor will consider your family’s genetics and personal health history when determining which medication will best treat your mental illness. Some medication does not take effect immediately, so it may take some time before you feel any relief from this type of treatment. You may also have to try multiple types of medication before you find one that works for you.
Therapy
A brief overview of the basics of therapy can be seen in our “Fundamentals of Therapy” post on Project Lotus’s Instagram page.
There are many different types of therapy. The most common one, and the one that we most think about when the word therapy comes to mind, is psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy. Psychotherapy is when a person talks with a mental health professional, usually a therapist, about their behaviors, actions, and thoughts to better understand and improve their mental health. Other types of therapy are dialectical behavior therapy, exposure therapy, and therapy pets.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is most often used for individuals with borderline personality disorder, but it can be utilized for treating other mental illnesses as well. DBT is similar to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with the main difference being that DBT deals with validating negative thoughts rather than trying to restructure and struggle with them. Once realizing and accepting their feelings, individuals can work with their therapist to help improve their negative thoughts and develop better coping methods and skills to deal with their issues. Studies have shown that this type of therapy helps treat mental illnesses in the long-term.
Exposure therapy is also a type of CBT that is most often for individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and phobias. This type of therapy deals with exposing the individual to their triggers for them to learn how to cope with them through techniques. Exposure therapy allows for the individual to face their triggers in a safe and controlled environment so that patients can deal with these fears in future confrontations. There are two general types of exposure therapy, one of them in which the individual is “flooded” with their triggers all at once and the other is when the individual is introduced to gradually increasing amounts of their triggers to “desensitize” them.
Therapy pets are animals that are used to provide comfort to individuals with feelings of sadness, anxiety, and tiredness. They are present in hospitals, nursing homes, and other mental health care centers. The most common therapy pets are dogs, but other animals such as cats and rabbits can be therapy pets as long as they are trainable and provide comfort to others.
Hospitalization
Hospitalization occurs when an individual has a mental health crisis or a severe mental health illness that needs specific, hospital-based treatment. During hospitalization, a patient’s mental health is closely monitored, diagnosed, and treated appropriately depending on the level of care necessary. Similar to hospitalization, there are crisis services available for individuals who have mental health emergencies. These include residential services, crisis stabilization units, and emergency rooms.
There are many types of residential services that focus on different aspects of mental health recovery after a crisis, such as counseling, planning for treatments, psychiatric assessments, and daily living skills training. Residential services are often used as a replacement for hospitalization or additional treatment after hospitalization. Family-based crisis home support involves a patient receiving treatment planning from a medical professional and living with a “family” consisting of a group of trained individuals that support the patient. There are also crisis respite centers and apartments, where a patient is monitored and supported 24/7 by crisis professionals until the patient can receive other types of support or treatment. In-home support works the same way, except the monitoring is done in the patient’s home. This is usually done when the patient’s home is a safe and comfortable environment for their mental health.
Crisis Stabilization Units (CSU) is a type of treatment that is designed for patients who don’t have access to or have their mental health treated safely in residential services. CSUs have a less restrictive environment than hospitals and focus on supporting the patient so that they can finish their treatment quickly.
Emergency rooms are always available for any kind of health problem, but they can be used as an option for mental health crises when they pose an immediate concern. Emergency rooms may be needed as a form of treatment in instances where an individual is threatening others, abusing drugs or alcohol, having delusions, and/or attempting suicide. If you or someone else is experiencing a mental health crisis, call 911 or any other emergency number/hotline and say that there is a “mental health emergency” so that the appropriate responders arrive and know what to expect.
Mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness is an effective and simple way of treating your mental health and can be done on a day-to-day basis. Examples of activities that include mindfulness are breathing exercises, yoga, and meditation. These exercises help you focus on your thoughts and feelings so that you develop healthy coping methods. A type of therapy that incorporates this type of treatment is mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT).
There are many apps and YouTube videos that you can use and view to practice meditation and yoga apps. I recommend the Headspace app for beginners, as it does a great job of introducing and guiding you through the foundations of meditation. Another app that has a simple meditation interface is Oak. As for yoga, I personally do not have any apps to recommend due to my knowledge and yoga routine coming from a family member. However, there are many apps that you can test and peruse through, as well as countless videos that will guide you through yoga. In addition to virtual resources, you can also take meditation and yoga classes if they are available in your area.
Outside Help
Mental health can also be treated with outside help through simple interactions such as consoling your friends or attending a support group. Reaching out and communicating with friends and trusted individuals about your mental health can be helpful on a personal level. There are many available support groups online and in local communities where you can share mental health experiences with others. Getting involved with a support group and building a support system is also beneficial because you get to find others who know what you’re dealing with, and it could feel less lonely. Support groups are like any other treatment, in which you may have to try out many support groups before you find the right one for you. Some support groups are also centered on specific topics, such as depression, family, and grief, so it is very easy to find one that is individualized to your specific experience and situation.
Self-Help
Self-help is a method of treating mental health that is often overlooked. If you are not in a position or not able to receive any of the other mental help treatments due to your circumstances, self-help is an efficient way of impacting your mental health for the better. Everyone should practice self-help for their mental health in conjunction with other treatments if needed. An individual can perform self-help by learning about mental health, connecting with friends and family members, and keeping a journal to express feelings and identify any symptoms/triggers.
On a personal note, journaling has been a huge and constant component in my journey with my own mental health. It allowed me to express and vent out my feelings when I didn’t have a good support system or couldn’t seek out any other treatment to help out with my mental health at the time. Looking back on my journal, I can identify common situations that negatively impacted my mental health; over the years that I have implemented journaling into my life, I have gained more control and awareness of my relationship with my mental health. Journaling is a healthy coping method that I implore everyone to utilize on their own, whether it be to establish clarity or reflect on your day to day life.
Another self-help treatment is to maintain your physical well-being. Physical and mental health both impact each other, so having good physical health may also improve your mental health. Simple ways to improve your physical health is to take care of the basic necessities of water, food, and sleep, as well as exercising and developing healthy habits. Furthermore, there are complementary health approaches that deal with your physical health, such as vitamins and medical foods. However, consult with your doctor if you’re considering taking vitamins along with your medication because there may be side effects with taking both.
Asian Mental Health Treatments
In the United States, Western mental health treatments are more well known than ones based in Asia. However, it’s important to know and understand Asian mental health treatments and how they compare and contrast to Western mental health treatments so that you could decide which is best for you. As with all of these treatments, they should be discussed with your doctor.
Acupuncture was derived from ancient China and is now used as a form of traditional Chinese medicine in which thin, metal needles are inserted into the skin at certain points of the body. Chinese practitioners believe that your overall health is controlled by more than 2,000 acupuncture points on the body. These points create a pathway of energy flow, known as “Qi”, and when specific points are stimulated, it increases the Qi and betters your overall health. Scientifically, these acupuncture points affect the central nervous system, which causes chemicals to be released that essentially relaxes and improves the health of the body. The acupuncture points can be stimulated by different methods as well, such as with heat, pressure, friction (cupping therapy), and electromagnetic energy. If you decide that acupuncture is a mental health treatment that you want to receive, make sure to get a licensed acupuncture practitioner.
Herbal remedies, also known as traditional medicines, are made from plants. They are often used in conjunction with other treatments, however, they can have negative impacts on certain medications if taken at the same time. Along with discussing using herbal remedies with your doctor, you can contact an herbalist for a prescription. Some examples of herbal remedies and what they can treat are St. John’s Wort (depression), Valerian (anxiety), Bach flower (trauma), and roseroot (depression).
Reiki is derived from Japan and is a form of spiritual and energy healing. It was invented by a man named Mikao Usui in 1922. “Rei” in Japanese means higher power and “Ki”, similar to the Chinese belief of “Qi”, means life energy. Together, the word Reiki means spiritual life energy. A Reiki practitioner places their hands on the body and says mantras, which help to unblock and make the spiritual life energy flow throughout the body. They don’t control the life energy pathway, but instead, help influence the removal of negative energy and improvement of positive energy in the body. This type of treatment has no side effects.
Shiatsu is a Japanese massage that applies pressure on certain points of the body. This method is similar to both acupuncture and Reiki, as the treatment deals with vital points on the body and centers on the belief of improving spiritual life energy. The difference from Reiki, however, is that the Shiatsu practitioner uses the points of their body (fingers, elbows, knees) instead of a flat hand when doing the massage. Just like acupuncture, the nervous system is activated through those certain points and the body feels relaxed.
Comparing and Contrasting Western and Asian Mental Health Treatments
Western mental health treatments target the correction of mental illness symptoms while Asian mental health treatments target self-improvement and development. Another difference is that Asian mental health treatments deal with a subjective point of view, in which each person deals with their own thoughts and development, while Western mental health treatments deal with an objective point of view, in which treatments revolve around scientific means.
Treatments such as mindfulness are very prevalent in Asian mental health treatments. It helps individuals to learn how to control their own thoughts, and learn how to cope with their thoughts. Another Asian concept that derives from South Asia is that the idea of impermanence in Buddhism helps individuals realize that everything in life fades away and that their pain can be overcome. In contrast, Western mental health treatments are composed mostly of therapy and medication, which help reduce symptoms of mental disorders.
Even though there are differences in treatment, a combination of both mental health practices can be helpful. For example, trauma can be treated by practicing muscle relaxation techniques to reduce the physical symptom of muscle tension (Western) and by centering and grounding the body through yoga (Asian). A mixed approach of mindfulness and meditation (Asian) and medication and DBT (Western), can also be beneficial for individuals with PTSD.