The Changing Face of Mental Health Rehab

Most people would associate rehab with drugs and alcohol abuse, but mental health rehab is an important resource for millions of people around the world.

Mental health hospitals have historically been associated with negative reports around poor patient welfare and archaic regimes and basic facilities. But as mental health issues have moved higher up the health agenda, the way mental health is treated has been transformed.

Today mental health rehab is a positive approach for people to address their problems using tools and treatments that suit them as individuals rather than a broad-spectrum approach – just like drug and alcohol rehab specialists work with their patients to find the right treatment plan for each individual.

What is mental health rehab?

Mental health rehab will help people to get back to dealing with and enjoying their daily lives. The mental health illness may have been caused by traumatic events, personal experiences, disease, injury, side effect from medical treatment or a series of negative experiences over a period of time.

There will be different types of mental health rehab – hospitals, residential retreats, counseling, group workshops and support groups. Different types of support will suit different people. There is a big focus on helping people to continue to live and work in their homes and communities and be as independent as possible while dealing with their mental health issues. 

What will happen in mental health rehab?

Mental illness is on such a broad spectrum that everyone will have different approaches to their treatment and rehabilitation. In medical circles, some conditions might be classed as more serious than others, but when you are going through mental illness you are living with it day in and day out and it can feel like the end of the world every day.

A mental hospital will look after those who can’t physically look after themselves on a day to day basis, or who are a threat to themselves or society might have to stay in these more secure facilities.

A rehab centre will be a more informal residential program to help people to focus on looking after themselves, learning how they can make changes to their lives, how they can change their thinking, arm them up with tools to deal with trigger situations, tweak with medications, learn how to deal with friends and family who might not understand what they are going through and look at holistic approaches that might help them in day to day life.

Then there will be outpatient treatment and therapy, with a tailor-made program for each individual involving counseling, support groups, workshops, medication and holistic therapies.

When is mental health rehab needed?

In more severe cases, the authorities will decide when mental health support is needed in a hospital environment. But for the majority of people who have mental health illness, if they have identified that they need help, then it is up to them, their doctors and/or their support network of friends and family to decide on the best approach.

How do I know if I need help?

If you are constantly really sad or frightened; if you feel out of control of your life; perhaps you might be angry, anxious or agitated and moody; or perhaps you feel an impending feeling of doom; some people feel a big sense of hopelessness; others feel a combination of the above and just let themselves go by not washing regularly or constantly wearing scruffy clothes or spending all day in their pajamas. These are all signs of mental health illness and signs that you might need to take some action to help yourself.

What are holistic therapies?

Holistic therapies will probably be part of a wider treatment program including drug therapy and counseling. Holistic approaches might include making dietary changes as certain foods and nutrients have found to help with mental health and feeling good and others can contribute to depression and sluggishness.

For example, diets high in green vegetables, pulses and whole foods rather than processed foods will help to nourish the body and release positive hormones that help us to feel better about ourselves. Whilst soda and high carb processed foods might give us a temporary good feeling, they create toxins and chemicals that contribute to ill health and low mood.

Meditation is a great way for people to take more control of their lives. If they are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, sad, anxious, or agitated, then mediation is a way to escape and calm down. It improves focus and concentration. It helps to lower stress and anxiety and improve self-esteem and confidence.

Massage can help to relieve the muscle pain that is created through stress and anxiety. Yoga is fantastic for focus and concentration, and it has been found to relieve stress and anxiety and reduce muscle tension.

How do I even start to look after my mental health?

There are lots of things you can start to do for yourself and build into your daily life. Firstly, start talking about what’s going on in your head. There is a famous saying that a problem shared is a problem halved, and talking things through is a huge help for people who are feeling down, depressed, sad and overwhelmed or out of control.

Regular exercise is really beneficial for helping you sleep, think more clearly and staying physically healthy. When you exercise you release happy hormones that will make you feel better about yourself.

Drink alcohol sensibly as it might make you feel better in the moment, but the after affects will make you feel worse and exacerbate the negative feelings you have about yourself. Don’t cut yourself off from friends and family. Keep in touch, because even a short chat on the phone can help to keep you in a positive frame of mind. If you are feeling down – go out and do something you enjoy and that you are good at. That will help to turn the feelings from negative to positive. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you don’t want to speak to friends and family, then speak to a doctor or look up some local support services.