What is the Best Treatment for Mental Illness?

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that nearly 7.5 per cent of Indians undergo some form of mental disorder or the other, and predicts that by year end approximately 20 per cent of India will suffer from mental illnesses, and require treatment for mental health problems following the pandemic situation. The survey also indicates that 56 million Indians undergo depression and no less than 38 million Indians undergo anxiety and other mental health conditions. It is also estimated by the WHO that India will suffer an economic loss of US$ 1.03 trillion between the years 2012-2030 due to the effects of mental health issues. At the same time, it also mentions that mental health facilities in India, including rehabilitation centre for mentally ill individuals, to treat mental health problems is not up to the mark and, compared to most countries, there is a shortage of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals against the number of people undergoing mental health disorders or showing signs of mental health conditions.

‍
Statistics apart, mental health or psychiatric issues are commonplace. But their impact can be devastating to an individual. Many times they are inherited. The most common mental conditions include anxiety, Schizophrenia, phobias, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), depression, panic attacks and Bipolar Disorder. Most mental disorder conditions interfere with our daily lives in the form of thoughts, behaviors and feelings. One may feel either sad or upset on learning that he/she has a mental health condition. But why worry when there definitely is hope? This puts forth the question: what is the best treatment for mental illness? There is a range of treatment available nowadays, including rehabilitation centre, which can be effective in providing specialized care. Therefore, never be afraid to ask about treatment for mental illness from a qualified mental health professional.

Online Assessment:

If you ask us what is the best treatment for mental illness. There is no one single answer. Take Online Assessment, for instance. What we essentially do here is perform an online assessment or screening to ascertain whether one is suffering from any symptoms of a mental health condition. It can be anything ranging from anxiety, depression, and fear and, as we mentioned earlier, it is possible to cure mental illness, depending upon the condition, after the diagnosis of mental illness. And recovery is feasible. Following assessment, we will provide you resources, information and tools online to help you understand your mental health condition, and get treatment started early.

Psychotherapy or counseling:

Treatment for mental illness can also be achieved through Psychotherapy or counseling, also known as talk therapy. It is one of the basic methods to cure mental illness that involves a mental health professional talking to the patient about his/her problems. Some typical talk therapy methods include dialectical behavior or cognitive behavioral therapy. Talk therapy is usually performed one-on-one. It can also be performed in a group setting with one’s family or close friends, which can also prove beneficial. Individuals who aren’t affected by mental health conditions would also find the treatment useful. This type of mental health therapy can prove beneficial even for those who are undergoing challenging life transitions or pain such as financial burden, divorce, grief, etc.

Prescription medicine:

Prescription medicines for mental disorders are another common treatment method. They certainly do not answer the question: what is the best treatment for mental illness, but involve making changes to brain chemicals triggering emotional and thought patterns. It should be noted that medicines don’t necessarily cure mental health conditions or psychiatric conditions, but rather one’s symptoms. They can go hand in hand with other treatments like counseling thereby improving their effectiveness. Though there are a range of prescription medicines available, each working differently, it is up to the doctor who has to make a recommendation without any medicinal side effects.

Support groups:

Support and self-groups, both online and offline, are gaining in popularity due to personalization and closed-knit networking through resources, hacks, tips, support and life-long friendship for discussing various mental health problems. They also help keep isolation at bay to some extent that often helps in dealing with mental health issues.

Other therapies:

There are several types of therapies that are used to treat mental health problems including physical activities like exercise, stretching or yoga. There are also creative therapies that help express our innate or latent talents such as music, art, dance, writing or movement to treat mental health issues.

Hospital or residential treatment:

There are times when your mental health condition can worsen to the extent that one needs to undergo treatment in a hospital or rehabilitation centre. Rehabilitation centres for mentally ill individuals provide specialized care and 24x7 monitoring, which is often needed in severe cases. Impatient treatment, also called residential mental health treatment, is carried out in a residential facility where self-control is no longer possible, or there is a greater danger of self-inflicted harm. Patients with chronic long-term symptoms, who haven’t shown progress after outpatient mental health services, may also benefit from residential care.

Points to consider

Gone are the days when mental health conditions were unfairly stigmatized. This has only prevented people from receiving the much needed support and help required. One possible fear is people will avoid them for their behavior which means they are also afraid of getting treatment. They may also not know what is the best treatment for mental illness, putting their condition in a worse state. A dominant thought is suicidal attempt because of the effects of stigmatization of mental illness that prevented the patient from seeking medical help. However, things are changing for the better as health care professionals, NGOs and educators are working to put an end to the stigma. What’s more encouraging is the fact that individuals are increasingly speaking up about mental health illness as they are motivated to get the right treatment. Look for many of the symptoms that your loved one may be showing of or going through as a result of his/her mental health condition. Ask the right questions to your doctor with the support of your spouse/partner or family. Don’t shy away from asking for help as there are a number of treatment options available (read the full blog to know more). Mental illness gets worse only when your feel ashamed or embarrassed of it. Being cognizant of your mental health condition, and understanding the technicalities behind it, can actually save your life, and help those who care for you. We at Naveen Hospital in Coimbatore provide the best mental illness treatment and our specialists are well experienced to make people overcome their mental problems.