In today’s advanced world, there is no doubt there are still many myths and misconceptions that are associated to the notion of seeking treatment in a psychiatric hospital. For those who have never seen anyone seeking mental health treatments or is unaware of the idea of being in a psychiatric ward, it is obvious for these thoughts to create visions of barren and frigid rooms, or the opposite, scenes from movies and TV shows. But the opposite is true.
In reality, mental health wards are divisions in large hospitals or specially existent psychiatric hospitals. Their purpose is to prepare a favorable atmosphere for the mental illness patient to heal and recover. In this blog, let us take a look at how these types of wards are helpful for people who are suffering from any form of mental illness, the forms of treatments offered by them, and why such establishments are vital to ending stigma surrounding mental health.
How Mental Health Treatment Facilities can Help?
Mental health hospitals or psychiatric hospitals are medical facilities that are capable of handling the mental health problems in people of different ages, caste, creed, etc. that may be severe at times. Such facilities aim to provide a secure environment to the patient who can also receive intensive care services addressing his or her unique requirements. In such cases, he/she finds assistance which may be required to treat him/her at the psychiatric hospitals. The case can be anything – major depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder.
When one is searching online using keywords such as ‘hospitals with psych wards near me’ or ‘psychiatric hospital near me,’ he/she can view a huge list of hospitals ranging from the general hospitals with psychiatric wards to exclusive psychiatric hospitals. What’s important to remember is that the main purpose of such centres is to treat the disorder. This would help offer the patient some simple means to cope with the signs of mental illness and, if necessary, restore the ability to live in the society.
How it Feels Like to Live in a Mental Health Ward?
The life of a patient living in a mental health ward is very different from a person living in a society. To be precise, it is much more scheduled and organized when living in a mental health ward, which makes it easier to follow the healing plan.
Often, psychiatric wards are portrayed as very noisy and haphazard place in most movies and TV series. But, in reality, these are very peaceful, positive and treatment-fostering healing units. The treatment programs used in these centers can be described as daily schedule comprising of one-on-one therapy session, group therapy, some other type of therapy, leisure and recreation, and then some amount of free time.
- Therapy and Counseling: Therapy is one of the primary pillars of treatment in a psychiatric hospital. Patients dealing with any form of mental illness can undergo treatment and care through a number of distinct types of treatment, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), etc. These therapies are carried out by qualified professionals and aim at ensuring that the patients gain an insight of the illness they are suffering from, learn how to deal with their problems as well as set realistic goals that can be achieved in their treatment.
- Medication Management: To most of the patients, the use of medication is fundamental to their mental health issues. Other approaches are used by numerous psychiatric hospitals, where the staff of qualified psychiatrists is able to diagnose the further mental health consequences and prescribe the necessary medications. These medications are very closely supervised to ensure that patients have correct dosage and that they do not develop side effects of the medicine.
- Group Therapy and Support: Group therapy is one of the regular activities practiced in psychiatric hospital to help patients deal with the symptoms of their mental illness. These group sessions give a chance to the patients to discuss what they are going through or how they are feeling with other patients going through a similar situation. Group therapy helps a lot in making them feel together and that there are other people dealing with similar situation.
- Recreational Activities and Holistic Therapies: Most psychiatric hospitals care about multidimensional nature of mental disorders. Other treatments which may be employed in these centers include group therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, horse riding therapy, equine therapy, creative art and music therapy, and mindfulness and relaxation therapy. Such activities are useful to help the patient to calm down, free his/her creativity, as well as to gain confidence in an encouraging setting.
- Physical Health and Well-being: Physical health can be dependent on mental health. In fact, practically all aspects of an individual’s life either directly or indirectly relate to mental health. Various primary care services such as essential exercises, nutritional advice and other health services may also be offered by most psychiatric hospitals to show that the body of the patient is also being taken care of. For example, regular exercises have a positive impact on one’s mood and may be used as one of approaches in treating the patients..
Breaking the Stigma Surrounding Psychiatric Hospitals
There is still some stigma that exists around the idea of the treatment of mental health conditions. Phrases such as ‘mental hospital near me’ or ‘mental hospitals near me’ trigger anxiety and prejudice among people. However, one needs to understand that these places are the hospitals for psychiatric issues and these are not the similar to the jail or somewhere that one has to be ashamed of.
To overcome these stigmas, one has to begin by determining the root cause of these perception of stigma. Initially, having a mental disorder was considered a sign of weakness if not awkward and shameful. Today, the world understands that mental health disorders are diseases, the same as, for instance, diabetes or heart conditions. They need management and attention which is offered in these facilities.
Also, helping people know about how a psychiatric hospital functions can help a long way in reducing the rates of stigmatization. Some institutions especially those who provide healthcare services to the public provide tours or open days to enable the people to visit and get to know the type of services offered, the administrators and other staff as well as the actual setting. This transparency reduces the mystery aspect of the process and shows that psychiatric hospitals are equally concerned with patient’s wellbeing and the recovery process.
Finding the Right Psychiatric Hospital
If you or a closed one is in any such situation where he or she needs help from a psychiatric facility, it is crucial to choose the correct treatment center. Make sure to consider the following factors if you are searching for a “psychiatric hospital near me“:
- Accreditation and Licensing: It is recommended to be sure about the fact that the hospital has accreditation from a credible body such as the joint commission and is also licensed by the state. This makes certain that in the actual operation of the facility, appropriate and high level of care and safety of the patients will be maintained.
- Specialized Programs: They should have programs that can suit the condition of a patient, depending on the need of the person. For instance, some of the centres may have separate tracks for young people, the elderly or those with a dual diagnosis.
- Experienced Staff: The quality of the care offered to the psychiatric patients depends on the staff that is employed in the psychiatric hospital. Therefore, choose a center where everyone ranging from psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, specialized nurses and others are available when you need them or when it’s their time-slot.
- Environment and Amenities: The environment of the hospital should be considered carefully. Is it friendly and appropriate for the purpose of patients’ treatment? Does it have features that have a positive impact on health such as, area to play games, gardens or other programs that improve health of clients.
- Family Involvement: There are some psychiatric hospitals that give due respect to the family members of the patient and also let them form a part of the recovery cycle. It is recommended to check in advance if the hospital provides the family therapy sessions or maybe some method in which the families can be involved in the treatment of the patient.
The future of Mental Health Treatment
Owing to the progressive discovery of mental disorders, the functions of psychiatric hospitals are changing. Current approaches are more focused at care in the community. Early intervention and ambulatory care that would discourage people from being admitted to hospitals. But, the capability of psychiatric hospitals is still valuable for patients who need additional care.
The accessibility of mental treatment has greatly improved with new techniques like teletherapy, virtual reality therapy, and innovated way of doing psychopharmacology. Importantly, there is emerging awareness of issues like trauma sensitivity and cultural responsiveness, as well as the need to develop an individualized treatment plan, which has become more usual in many psychiatric hospitals.
Conclusion
Like any trip, the road to mental health can be a difficult one, but it is also important to remember that treatment is out there. Mental health institutions including psychiatric hospitals and mental health wards are the facilities and centers that offer a wide range of custodial, medical, and psychological care for the patients in need.
If you are looking for a reliable treatment facility near you, then Athena Behavioral Health is there. Call us at 9289086193 or drop us an email at customercare@athenabhs.com and one of our experts will get back to you shortly.
