Mental Health News and Research

What Causes Bipolar Disorder?

Dr. Andrea Wagner on November 12, 2024

Bipolar disorder is a mental health disorder affecting an estimated 3% of the U.S. population. While there are different types of bipolar disorder with different symptoms, bipolar disorder is primarily a lifelong or chronic disorder that can go in and out of remission for as long as you are alive. While many types of mental health disorder can go away with treatment to never return, bipolar disorder is normally chronic. This means that, for the most part, treating bipolar disorder is about managing symptoms and pushing the disorder into remission for as long as possible.

That can probably help you to understand that bipolar disorder is almost always something you’re born with. However, bipolar disorder can express itself in different ways and can be caused by different things. In this article, we’ll look at the different causes of bipolar disorder as well as triggers and what causes relapse or reoccurrence of bipolar episodes.

Causes of Biploar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is overwhelmingly caused by genetics. Some 73-91% of all instances of bipolar disorder occur when someone else in the family has bipolar disorder. In fact, bipolar disorder is about 0.71% hereditary. If a fraternal twin has bipolar disorder, there’s about a 5% chance that the other twin has it also and if those twins are identical that rises to about 41%. If you widen that spectrum to include all bipolar spectrum disorders including major depressive disorder, that rises to 67% for identical twins.

So, there’s a very strong genetic element in bipolar disorder. Here, risk factors include:

A family history of depression
A family history of bipolar disorder
A family history of mania

In some cases, you might not know about having a family history of bipolar disorder. For example, until recently, women with bipolar disorder may have been diagnosed with hysteria or borderline personality disorder. Men are much more likely to be diagnosed with a bipolar spectrum disorder, despite women experiencing bipolar disorders at similar rates to men and being almost twice as likely to experience bipolar disorder with major depression than men. Therefore, a family history of mental illnesses including borderline personality disorder, split personality disorder, narcissism, hysteria, and depression can all be indicative of a family history of bipolar disorder.

So, there’s a very strong genetic element in bipolar disorder. Here, risk factors include:

A family history of depression
A family history of bipolar disorder
A family history of mania

Are Genetics the Only Cause of Bipolar Disorder?

While genetics cause up to 91% of all instances of bipolar disorder, there are some other causes. However, it’s unclear if these are “causes” or “triggers” that caused a latent disorder to manifest.

In most cases, it’s likely that the genetic basis for bipolar disorder was there, but triggers brought it forward when it might not have appeared otherwise.

Trauma
Childhood abuse and trauma
Depression
Sleep deprivation (sleep deprivation can induce mania in most people with bipolar disorder)
Neurological injury such as stroke, brain injury, multiple sclerosis temporal lobe epilepsy, etc. However, this may be “Bipolar-like” rather than a bipolar disorder

In addition, for most people, the earlier the exposure to trauma, the more likely it is to contribute to bipolar disorder. For example, an estimated 30-50% of all persons with a bipolar disorder diagnosis report traumatic childhood experiences including trauma and abuse. In addition, children who experience physical or sexual violence are significantly more likely to engage in violence during bipolar mania episodes, with rate and severity of violent outbursts heavily linked to how young the child was at the time of abuse. This is so much the case that hospitals are increasingly using the Violence Tendency Scale to score these factors to predict violent behavior in children with diagnoses, before violent behavior manifests.

Therefore, environment can significantly shape bipolar disorder and its expressions, even if it doesn’t cause that behavior to begin with.

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What About Different Types of Bipolar Disorder?

The bipolar spectrum consists of three subtypes of bipolar disorder, as defined by the DSM-5.

These include:

Bipolar I – Bipolar I disorder is characterized by manic (extreme high energy periods with psychosis that cause social and occupational impairment) episodes, which much have occurred at least once for a diagnosis to happen. Depression is not necessary to receive this diagnosis but it may be present. Here, episodes last 3-12 weeks, with most patients experiencing a rollercoaster of mania and then depression with potentially some “normal” periods in between.
Bipolar II Disorder – Bipolar II disorder is characterized by hypomanic (high elevated mood without social and occupational impairment and without psychosis) episodes followed by periods of depression. This can look like someone having periods of high productivity followed by normal or low productivity – resulting in a lowered chance of diagnosis because depression alleviates itself often enough to seem like remission and hypomania makes people feel better. Therefore, many people who qualify for Bipolar II disorder may not have it.
Cyclothymia – Cyclothymia includes any series of hypomanic episodes and depression that don’t meet criteria for bipolar II. E.g., if episodes last a few days or weeks instead of longer, if depression isn’t strong enough to be major depression, etc.

So, you have three expressions of essentially the same disorder. Are they caused by different things? No. They’re all primarily genetically based. For example, Bipolar I is .73 heritable, Bipolar I and II is .77 heritable, and Bipolar I, II, and Cyclothymia are .71 heritable. This means that of the three, cyclothymia is the least likely to be heritable.

Eventually, all three disorders are related to the same genetic and heritability factors. In each case, triggers such as trauma, neuropathic damage, and stress or sleep deprivation can cause a latent disorder to appear. However, it’s unlikely that those factors can cause any form of bipolar disorder on their own.

A genetic basis for bipolar disorder also explains why it’s almost always chronic. Most people who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder will have periods of remission and relapse throughout their lives. That means most people with bipolar disorder will receive treatment and probably medication for the rest of their lives. However, with good management and potentially medication to reduce risks and to prevent mania with psychosis, some people can be respectively in remission for most of the rest of their lives.

Getting Help with Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder effects 3 out of every 100 adults in the United States, with about equal occurrence in men and women. If you have it, chances are, someone in your family has it too, even if you aren’t familiar with it. At the same time, you don’t need active expressions of bipolar disorder in the family to have it. For example, some people have the genes, but the disorder is never triggered, which means you may have heritable bipolar disorder but no recent episodes of it in your family.

Finally, bipolar disorder is a chronic disorder. Treating the trigger for bipolar disorder may be important for improving your mental health and your quality of life. However, you won’t be able to undo that, and you will have a bipolar disorder for the rest of your life. That means choosing treatment that focuses on long-term management, symptom management, and getting your life under control so you can live as normally as possible around your disorder are the important things.

If you or a loved one are struggling with bipolar disorder, there is help. Medication, behavioral therapy, and ongoing support will help you take control back and get your quality of life back.

10 Signs of Depression in Your Young Adult

Jason Klimkowski on November 4, 2024

Depression is a normal fact of life for many of us. In fact, today, an estimated 21.5 million people experienced a major depressive episode or depression in the last year. For most of us, the age of mental health disorder onset is between 12 and 18, with 4.5 million youth aged 12-17 also experiencing depressive episodes in the same year. But, depression is highest for young adults, aged 18-25, with 6 million individuals, or 17.5% of all people of that age category. This means that young adults are especially vulnerable to depression.

While this relates to a large number of factors including high workloads, uncertain futures, covid-19 disruption, economic uncertainty, genetics, and social pressure – our youngest adults are also our most vulnerable. If you suspect that a young adult in your life is struggling, it’s important to pay attention, to make spaces to talk, and to look into getting help together.

The following 10 signs of depression in young adults will get you started.

Persistent Sadness or Low Mood

Prolonged sadness, low mood, or apathy are a core symptom of depression and are present in almost all people with depression. This might result in a young adult experiencing prolonged low mood or being bummed out for long periods of time.

What it looks like: Feeling down or persistent low mood can be difficult to spot from the outside so often, you’ll have to talk to your loved one. They also might not have words to say, “My mood is low” or “I’m just bummed out all the time” or “I feel depressed” and might instead say things like “I just feel off” “I’m having a bad month” or “I just don’t have any energy”. Especially for men, talking about mental health tends to be translated into physical symptoms, which can make it harder to figure out what’s going on.

Loss of Interest in Activities

Anhedonia, or loss of interest in things you previously enjoyed, is one of the most common symptoms of depression. Often, this means that you’re struggling with your brain regulating the uptake of serotonin and dopamine, meaning you simply don’t experience things like you used to. For example, instead of feeling excitement and interest in doing something you just feel nothing and after doing something, you also feel nothing because you’re not getting the reward of feeling good about interactions.

What it looks like: Young adults experiencing anhedonia might withdraw and stop doing things. They might drop out of sports or chess clubs, they might spend less time with family, they might do less with partners. Instead, they’ll likely dump time into high-reward/low-energy activities like phone games, alcohol or drugs, or binging food/sugary drinks.

Sleep Disturbances

People struggling with depression are very likely to have problems with sleeping, which can mean sleeping too much or not enough. In young adults, this most frequently results in sleeping too much paired with difficulty falling asleep. Often that results from sleeping too late, being tired all day, and then staying up too late in an attempt to regain control over the day – resulting in a negative reinforcing pattern of poor sleep. In addition, poor sleep worsens depression by disrupting rhythms and disrupting the brain’s ability to heal.

What it looks like: Young adults with depression are very likely to sleep in and have trouble waking up, which can result in missed classes, being late for work, and all-day fatigue. At the same time, they are unlikely to go to bed on time and are instead more likely to take frequent naps or to fall asleep in vehicles. Still, they will be tired even if they go to bed on time and get the right amount of sleep.

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Changes in Appetite or Weight

Significant changes in appetite or weight are always a sign that something is wrong. If someone is losing or gaining a lot of weight without changing diet, it can be a symptom of both physical and mental health problems so it’s important to go to a doctor. Changes in appetite can also be a red flag, as young adults with depression may avoid food and lose too much weight because they aren’t experiencing enough reward from it or may turn to high sugar and fat foods to binge on in an attempt to feel good.

What it looks like: If a young adult is suddenly losing or gaining weight, it’s a cause for concern. Weight loss is more concerning than weight gain, because it can stress the organs and cause more problems. However, disinterest or over interest in food are both a sign that something is wrong, and you should talk to a doctor about it.

Fatigue or Lack of Energy

Chronic fatigue, even after sleeping enough, is a very normal symptom of depression. Young adults with a healthy sleeping schedule may still feel chronically fatigued and may sleep for seemingly absurd amounts of time. This is linked to the way depression disturbs the body’s inflammatory responses, meaning your young adult is experiencing the same fatigue as if they had a cold or hay fever – but all the time.

What it Looks Like: Your young adult may be lethargic, may take naps frequently, and may drop responsibilities. They might not do things like taking out the trash or helping around the house. They might start missing work or class because they’re sleeping too late. Tasks like picking up medication, doing assignments for college, or doing chores around the house might seem monumental because they are tired all the time and so simply might not happen.

Difficulty Concentrating

People struggling with depression can experience life as if they are walking around in a fog. Concentration and focus-oriented tasks can become extremely difficult. This makes sense because depression actually impairs cognitive functioning and can slow down processing and can result in actual impairments to the brain.

What it looks like: Your young adult may show symptoms of depression by having no attention span. They might not pay attention when you’re talking, they might lose focus in the middle of a conversation, they might leave tasks half-finished. Alternatively, they might struggle with making choices, experience executive dysfunction, and may lack the attention to complete longer tasks well.

Feelings of Worthlessness or Guilt

Feelings of worthlessness and guilt are hallmarks of depression. This is often a self-reinforcing cycle of feeling excessive guilt and low self-esteem coupled with fatigue and executive dysfunction. These in turn, exacerbate each other, which can be difficult to treat or to manage.

What it looks like: Young adults are not known for self-esteem, but excessive self-blame, low self-esteem, and guilt are signs that something is wrong. If your young adult jumps to “I always fail”, “People are better off without me”, “this is terrible because of me”, it’s a sign that they are struggling with self-esteem.

Irritability or Anger

Irritability and anger are extremely common symptoms of depression. Here, depression is heavily linked to both episodic and chronic irritability, where a young adult may experience spikes of being irritable or cranky or might be irritable as a common standard. This happens because of a symptom known as severe mood dysregulation, in which the person with depression loses control of and insight into their moods.

What it looks like: Your young adult might snap or be irritable at slight provocations, like being interrupted from texting to be asked if they want dinner. They might have mood swings and unpredictable outbursts or moods. They might behave as though they are cranky or annoyed as a standard.

Physical Aches and Pains

Depression heavily interacts with the immune system, which means that depression can result in physical pain including headaches, stomach issues, and general malaise. Your young adult may experience life as though they have a cold or flu all the time.

What it looks like: Your young adult may frequently have stomach pain and diarrhea. They might also complain of aches and pains. And, they are very likely to have a headache as a normal thing. Here, they might say nothing, but you’ll see increases in acetaminophen or other painkiller use, changes in how they eat, and will hear more frequent complaints.

Thoughts of Death or Suicide

Suicidal ideation is one of the most serious symptoms of depression, but it affects 12.2% of young adults. Untreated depression is also one of the most common causes of suicidal ideation, meaning that suicidal ideation is a very common symptom of depression.

What it looks like: Most people don’t talk about thinking about suicide or death. However, they might let things slip by accident, they might google ways to kill themselves, they might text with friends about it. If you see things like this, it’s important to talk about it, even if it seems like it might be a bad joke.

Young adults struggle with depression more than any other generation. If someone in your life is struggling, it’s important to make space to talk, to offer help, and to work towards going to a doctor, looking for treatment, and finding professional help. Depression impacts 17.5% of all young adults but mental health treatment and therapy will help and can improve quality of life and your future – even when depression is chronic.

What is Insight-Oriented Therapy and What Happens?

Jason Klimkowski on October 7, 2024

Insight-oriented therapy includes a branch of therapies very often recommended to individuals with disorders such as eating disorders, substance use disorders, personality disorders, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders. Insight-oriented therapy or IOT is sometimes known as psychodynamic therapy or insight therapy and focuses on helping the patient get to know themselves and their responses better. Here, therapy relies on intensive talks between the therapist and that patient to help the patient uncover and understand their behavior, reactions, and emotions – so that they can be more self-aware, can recognize behaviors as they happen, and can make meaningful steps to changing behavior, improving emotional regulation, and resolving internal conflicts.

If you or a loved one has been recommended insight-oriented therapy as part of mental health treatment, it means your therapist thinks you might benefit from insight into yourself and your behavior. It’s also commonly used in cases where patient motivation for treatment is getting in the way of seeing results with other forms of therapy. Let’s take a look at what insight-oriented therapy is and how it works.

What are the Goals of Insight-Oriented Therapy?

Insight-oriented therapy is a talking therapy in which you first work to build trust and a bond with your therapist and then work on exploring yourself. This means that you spend sessions of 45-60 minutes 1-3 times per week for 3-24 months with your therapist. The length and duration of therapy depends on you, your goals, and the complexity of the situation, as most IOT is delivered on a personalized and needs basis. This means you’ll get a different program depending on your initial assessment during intake and your program will be updated as you progress (or don’t) along the way.

The primary goal of insight-oriented therapy is to understand how past experiences and patterns limit and cause problems today, so that you can take steps to change those patterns.

Exploring the Unconscious Mind – Much of IOT is based on psychotherapy and the idea that unresolved conflicts from early life shape your behavior, thoughts, and feelings. That means exploring the unconscious mind as part of therapy, which can help you to understand processes that influence your actions and reactions now. This is often used to understand transference – where you project feelings, responses, and beliefs from the past onto current people. E.g., some of us feel anxious and like our loved ones may abandon us because we were emotionally neglected as children, and moving on from that means dealing with that trauma.
Understanding Patterns – Another primary goal of IOT is to help you understand your own patterns and behaviors. That means what you do, how you do it, and how you respond to things. For example, defensive mechanisms, coping mechanisms, automatic habits, and behavior patterns that are automatic responses rather than thought out and chosen. For example, if you rely on patterns of denial to avoid painful emotions, if you act defensively when people ask you for change, etc., you may be able to work past that by simply understanding those patterns and the root cause and acknowledging that at the root.

Insight-oriented therapy is a long-term program intended to deliver treatment over a period of months or even years. That’s significantly different than many approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy, which may deliver the entire therapy in as little as 10-15 sessions. Therefore, your relationship with your therapist, your long-term adaptation, and growth over time all become important.

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What Happens in Insight-Oriented Therapy?

Insight-oriented therapy is a talking therapy where you sit down and talk to your therapist over a period of months or even years. It’s the classic picture of a patient leaning back on a couch with the therapist sitting on a chair listening.

Intake – You’ll have one or more sessions with your therapist that are entirely about sharing basic details, getting to know your therapist, and allowing the therapist to figure out a good approach to start your treatment. These sessions will mean sharing your life information, relationships, current concerns, current mental health symptoms, and establishing current goals.
Exploration of Childhood Experiences – Most IOT begins with multiple sessions designed to help patients explore and share their early childhood experiences. This means sharing family dynamics, sharing emotions, sharing things that happened and notable experiences, etc. This is in part to set an easy starting point to share with your therapist and to build trust, while giving the therapist insight into why you might act, behave, and think in the ways that you do.
Exploration of the Self – Insight-Oriented therapy will then switch to sessions designed for self-reflection, exploring current behaviors, and building insight into what’s underneath current behaviors. That means reflecting on current emotional state, thoughts, and behaviors. Here, you’ll likely be asked to connect thoughts and emotions or reactions to influences from the past. This stage can be tricky, as it’s easy to make “false” breakthroughs, without truly understanding the root of a problem. Still, your therapist will work with you to help you understand what’s underneath coping mechanisms, defensive behaviors, avoidance behaviors, etc. This includes sessions and time spent on self-reflection, on interpreting dreams, fantasies, and imagery, and on building insight into the self.
Catharsis – Insight-oriented therapy has a significant focus on exploring and releasing previously repressed emotions – leaving room for emotional distress and experiencing feelings. However, this stage is normally very late in the therapy and requires significant trust and relationship with the therapist.

Depending on your progress, these sessions can take you years to work through. In addition, they won’t always be delivered in order. You might spend a few sessions focusing on childhood experiences then explore how those affect your life now – and then go back to exploring more of your childhood. Your therapist will determine how your treatment program is paced based on your needs and your responses in session.

Who Can Benefit from Insight-Oriented Therapy?

Insight-oriented therapy is one of the oldest therapies delivered to patients. It’s intended to deliver self-awareness and an understanding of the “gears” that make you tick. That means taking time to look at what’s going on underneath your problems, so you can work on resolving the root causes of issues.

That’s ideal for individuals struggling with mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, personality disorders, mood disorders, trauma, and interpersonal problems. However, it’s not intended to be a crisis intervention. It’s intended to be a long-term look into solutions that help you improve your life, your emotional understanding of yourself, your relationships, and your relationship with yourself.

It’s also ideal for individuals who show resistance to traditional behavioral therapy techniques, where you might need a deeper exploration and understanding of what’s going on to make progress with changing behavior.

Insight-Oriented Therapy is not a quick fix. It’s not ideal if you need emergency treatment right away. Instead, it provides long-term structural support and safety, where you get to explore yourself, your emotions, and how you work and then learn to apply those insights to your behavior while continuing to get therapy. That can make it extremely helpful for individuals with chronic and long-term mental health disorders where longer-term support and room to work through problems has the most benefit.

Take the first step toward recovery today! Reach out to a qualified therapist to discover how Insight-Oriented Therapy can guide you on your journey to healing and self-discovery. Your path to a healthier, more fulfilling life starts now!

PTSD Science: How Trauma Changes Your Brain

Jason Klimkowski on August 30, 2024

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is widely known as a “veterans” disease, and many of us see it as something that primarily affects people in the military. Yet, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs shares that 6 out of every 10 men and 5 out of every 10 women will experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime – and every traumatic event leads to a risk of developing PTSD.

PTSD is a risk for everyone, and that means anyone, no matter what their lifestyle, is at risk of developing complications to trauma including PTSD after a traumatic event. Trauma changes the brain in many ways and PTSD continues to do so, long after the original traumatic event is over. Understanding those changes can give you insight into what PTSD is, how it affects people over the long-term, and why treatment is so important for anyone struggling with trauma after the fact.

What is PTSD?

Post-traumatic-stress disorder is a diagnosis in which trauma continues to affect the brain and the body after the trauma. In most cases, that means the side-effects of trauma have not gone away within about 2 months of a traumatic event. Not everyone exposed to trauma will develop PTSD. Instead, personal resilience, coping strategies, genetics, environment, support, and the intensity and duration of the trauma will all impact the risk of PTSD.

PTSD itself is characterized by failure to recover from a traumatic event. That often means remaining in a psychological and biological state of heightened awareness and stress response. And, that means that treatment often requires identifying pre-exposure risk factors that led to failure to recover. That’s often significantly more important to recovery than the specific reactions of the brain in PTSD.

Heightened Fear Response and the Amygdala

One of the key symptoms of PTSD is a heightened fear response. Here, you may experience situations intensely, may be on constant alert, may respond with fear or anger out of proportion to events happening, and typically experience heightened anxiety. That can translate into outbursts, feelings of anxiety and worry, fear of situations or places, avoidance, and extreme emotions.

Much of it tracks to changes in the amygdala, the almond-shaped structure in the brain widely known as being responsible for the emotional processing of fear and anger. Individuals with PTSD show hyperactivity in the amygdala, leading to that heightened fear response, hypervigilance, and emotional outburst.

Memory, Processing, and the Hippocampus

Many people describe PTSD as though they are living in a fog, as though they have a wall between them and everything going on, and as though events that happened in the past are as real or more real than things happening now. Memories of traumatic events can be as visible and as real as events happening in the present. As a result, people with PTSD can struggle to differentiate past and current memories, struggle to see safe areas as safe, and may feel that they are still experiencing a traumatic event, even years after the fact.

That’s related to shrinkage and changes in connectivity and neurotransmitters in the hippocampus. This area of the brain is responsible for memory and contextual processing. As shrinkage gets worse, so do flashbacks and memory processing symptoms of PTSD.

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Emotional Regulation and the Prefrontal Cortex

PTSD often results in reduced connectivity, reduced neurotransmitter activity, and decreased electrical impulses in the brain. One of the areas of the brain most affected by this is the prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain is impactful in emotional regulation, impulse control, and decision-making. Reducing connectivity and activity in this part of the brain also means that individuals have more difficulty with emotional regulation and impulse control. For example, persons with PTSD are more likely to jump from one emotion to the next, to quickly go to emotional extremes, and to have difficulty regulating stress, anxiety, and fear. They may not have the ability to calm themselves down once stressed.

It also ties into how people with PTSD see threats. If something is a bit scary or threatening, they may not be able to regulate themselves to respond in measure to the amount of threat. Finally, reduced emotional regulation and impulse control means that impulsive behaviors like outbursts, spending money to quickly feel better, taking risks, and otherwise sensation seeking for temporary reward and feeling better all become more likely – because the person is less able to control impulses and think those decisions through.

Stress Response and the HPA Axis

The HPA Axis is only partially in the brain. However, it’s part of the body’s response to stress and to PTSD. This system regulates the stress and adrenaline responses including cortisol and adrenaline. IT’s the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system. During PTSD, this system is often dysregulated, meaning that it over-produces stress hormones, leading to a constant state of stress and anxiety.

That can translate to elevated heart rate, being on edge, inability to sleep, hypervigilance and awareness, and irritability. That all makes sense because the body is producing hormones that should only occur when something is wrong.

Neurotransmitter Imbalances

PTSD often results in an imbalance of neurotransmitters throughout the brain. These include serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine which allow the brain to send signals, to process signals, and to create reward for activities. For example, serotonin is largely known as being responsible for people feeling good after activities or when in love, dopamine is largely known for its role in providing motivation and feeling good around motivation. Reducing levels of these transmitters in the brain can have significant and meaningful impacts on the individual and their ability to recover. For example, over time, it leads to symptoms of anxiety, depression, and increased hypervigilance.

Getting Help

How do you get help for something that affects the way your brain functions? Does behavioral therapy help? The good news is that yes it does. The bad news is that it can take a long time for your brain to return to normal even with treatment. In most cases, treatment for PTSD involves a short-term course of medication to reduce the symptoms and flashbacks – so that you can benefit from treatment. From there, you’ll receive behavioral therapy like DBT, CBT, and counseling. Over time, these will allow you to reframe experiences, expose yourself to trauma, to reframe reactions, and to get emotional regulation under control. And, over time, your brain and body will heal and will return to normal.

PTSD significantly impacts the brain including the function and the structure of areas of the brain. Everyone with PTSD will see changes in neurotransmitter processing, connectivity, and activity across the brain. Those changes can mean that it’s difficult to tell what’s real and what’s not. But, with treatment, you can mitigate those symptoms and give the brain space to begin to heal.

If you or a loved one is still experiencing symptoms of trauma more than a few months after a traumatic event it’s important to reach out and get help. That means talking to your doctor and looking for a specialist that can build a custom treatment plan, identify the pre-risk factors of PTSD, and then work on helping you through the changes you need to make to recover. Full recovery will always take time, but it starts with taking steps to heal.

Emerging Technologies in Mental Health Treatment

Jason Klimkowski on August 15, 2024

Technology has driven mental health treatment since the early days of treatment – with some early devices like EEG readings still in use in some treatments. Today, technology drives our culture and how society functions, with internet, video calling, and artificial intelligence all driving change. That also impacts mental healthcare and treatment, including how treatment is delivered, types of treatment, diagnosis, and much more.

Many of those interventions make treatment more accessible, more affordable, and more accurate. They also range from mobile apps to predictive analytics, with many steps in between. In this article, we’ll review some of the emerging technologies in mental health treatment and how they impact treatment.

Teletherapy and Telepsychiatry

Telehealth or virtual health typically means delivering mental healthcare via a phone or video call. That can also mean chat with mental healthcare sessions via video calls, phone, and even on messenger apps. This delivery method makes healthcare more accessible, reduces concerns surrounding mobility and affordability, and means that even very busy people with responsibilities can access mental healthcare. Telehealth has increased in prominence, especially following the Covid19 pandemic, when video calls and platforms enabled many people to continue receiving treatment. Today, it’s considered a good second-line treatment or follow-up to in-person treatment and may be used as primary care for individuals with lighter needs.

This can include software-based interventions for behavioral treatment. Here, telehealth is delivered as part of an app that delivers diverse treatment including behavioral health programs.

Mobile Health (mHealth) Apps

Mental health apps are increasingly popular because they allow cost-effective and accessible care to a large number of people. Here, people use apps for self-care, routine tracking, behavioral therapy, mood tracking, stress management, anger management, and more. Apps have pros in that they are accessible and offer a low level of care and support to a large number of people. They can also monitor symptoms and progression and, with a mental health expert on call for monitoring patients, can help keep patients on track. However, they don’t offer a high level of care and without monitoring and follow-up, are easy to drop.

These digital therapeutics are also increasingly FDA approved, with some digital or software interventions being approved as primary treatment. Here, you typically receive a behavioral health program with homework which you follow through the app – with monitoring by a therapist and potentially sessions with the therapist as well.

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Machine Learning

Machine learning, commonly referred to as artificial intelligence, is more and more often integrated into mental healthcare. Here, algorithms are used as chatbots, with the option to provide 24/7 support at a low level and to escalate cases to people as needed. AI also provides predictive analytics, which enable monitoring patients after graduating from programs, monitoring app usage, and implementing early intervention programs. For example, Facebook has an algorithm that detects users who are potentially at risk of suicide and flags them for contact and engagement. These kinds of AI are increasingly trained in workplaces, hospitals, and aftercare scenarios, where they allow medical professionals to better process data and respond to it, because data is analyzed, and risks are flagged for manual review.

Machine learning can also be used to deliver targeted and personalized treatment plans because AI can more easily compare individual symptoms and test results to previous patients to look at what performed well. That can help to improve the efficacy of treatment – although many providers don’t yet have the data on record to provide this kind of care.

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)

Virtual reality and augmented reality are two technologies which are increasingly being used in therapy sessions. Here, users wear devices like Meta Quest to experience environments and visuals without having to be present in them. This is used to create controlled environments for exposure therapy so patients can confront fear and anxiety in a safe space. It’s also used for relaxation, mindfulness, guided therapy sessions, etc., which users can undergo from their own home.

Wearable Devices

Wearable devices like smartwatches, heart and sleep trackers, and activity trackers are increasingly popular in mental health. However, they are for the most part aligned with mental health apps and tracking. Here, biometric tracking and monitoring means that therapists don’t have to rely on patients inputting data. Instead, the tracker automatically inputs it for them – reducing chances of avoidance and faking data. Trackers can also share alerts about stress and anxiety levels, giving therapists better insight into their patient’s wellbeing.

That extends to neurofeedback and brain stimulation, where neurofeedback wearables are used in sessions to offer self-regulation of brain function. In neurofeedback sessions, individuals often see representations of brainwaves on screen and are able to learn how reaction, behavior, and thought patterns impact that. Other therapies like Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation or TMS use similar approaches but with magnetic pulses to actively impact brain function. The difference is that the latter two therapies are only delivered in clinics and biometric devices are typically worn 24/7.

Genetic Testing and Personalized Medicine

Modern medicine increasingly points out that everything from behavioral responses to addiction are partially determined by genetics. This means that genetic testing is increasingly viable as part of treatment, where it is used to inform treatment plans. That includes identifying and managing vulnerabilities, identifying potential reactions to specific interventions and medications, and creating more effective individual treatment strategies.

Genetic testing is not yet widespread but as our understanding of the impact of genetics on medication and behavioral responses grows, it will be more and more common in mental health treatment.

Genetic testing is currently being used to inform patients about what genetic mental health conditions may impact them – which allows them to invest in proactive treatment and mitigation measures. For example, patients with a family history of depression can implement lifestyle interventions proactively while people with a history of schizophrenia can ensure that they have check-ins and safety measures in case they experience episodes, so they get treatment and medication as soon as they start to show symptoms.

Backend Technologies

While most patients will never see it, technologies like blockchain and IOT are increasingly used in mental healthcare. For example, blockchain integrates to offer increased security and privacy for data records, enabling more secure sharing, and giving patients better control over their data. IOT means devices automatically share data, so, for example, trackers automatically upload data, saving you the hassle of doing it yourself. In each case, you get a smoother and more informed approach to mental healthcare, even if you rarely see the actual technology at work.

Conclusion

New technologies will continue to arise and change the mental healthcare market. Today, most changes involve digitization, in which the availability and delivery of healthcare is increasingly moved online. This enhances accessibility. Other innovations improve personalization and hopefully effectiveness, such as genetic analysis and using AI to diagnose and predict better potential treatments.

Eventually, technology will always revolutionize mental healthcare. Whether that’s by enabling online therapy sessions, ensuring you can access behavioral therapy programs with an app, or giving you tools to talk to a chatbot and ask for help 24/7 doesn’t matter. Hopefully, these innovations make it easier, more accessible, and more affordable to reach out for help and to get the care you need.

What Are the Rarest Personality Types?

Jason Klimkowski on June 22, 2024

For millions of people, feeling like you fit in can be difficult. In fact, most of us, at some point or another, feel like we don’t fit well with everyone around us. Sometimes, that tracks down to your personality type, which often links to your complex personality traits, mental health, upbringing, and socio-economic status which contribute to stress, education, and how well you’re able to handle things. Personality tests attempt to capture snapshots of this, and can give you a broad impression of what your personality is like. And, it’s true that some traits are rarer in certain combinations than others. Sometimes, you really do have a rare personality type, or really one that’s less common than others.

For example, if you look at the Myers Briggs Personality Test, one of the most commonly used personality tests in the world, the rarest personality still covers 1.5% of the population – or 119265000 people. That’s a big number! It also means if that’s your personality, you’d be one of three people with that personality type in a room with 300 people. Not so bad right?

So, rare personality types don’t mean you don’t fit in, they just mean you have a lower chance of meeting people who are exactly like you. And, that’s okay. Often, we get along best with people who complement us rather than exactly matching us.

So, What are Personality Types?

There are a lot of personality type systems that we use today. Myers-Briggs is the most common in business settings.

We’ll take a look at the big three here:

ABCD Type Model:

This model organizes people into four personality types:

Type A – Competitive, perfectionist, highly motivated and organized
Type B – Lacks ambition, relaxed, flexible in thinking
Type C – Conscientious but struggles with expressing emotions
Type D – Introspective and empathetic but isolating

You probably know this model from memes about Type A.

Myers-Briggs

Myers-Briggs uses 8 personality points to map people into 16 different personality types.

Introversion (I) opposed by Extraversion (E)
Sensing (S) opposed by Intuition (N)
Thinking (T) opposed by Feeling (F)
Judging (J) opposed by Perceiving (P)

The idea of this personality test (the 16 types or Myers-Briggs Personality Test / MBTI) is that everyone leans more to one or the other of the opposed personality traits. Everyone has all 8, but your decision-making and rationalization will tilt towards one or the other.

So personality types like ENFJ mean “Extraversion-leaning, Intuition-leaning, Feeling-leaning, and Judging-leaning. They don’t say anything about what other traits you have, just that on this measurement scale, you lean towards those methods.

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Five Factor/ Big Five:

The Big Five model uses five personality traits to rank individuals on how they show those traits.

1 Openness to experience
2 Conscientiousness
3 Extraversion
4 Agreeableness
5 Neuroticism

This means you’re scoring on individual traits and not as a “personality”.

Of course, there are many other personality tests. DISC models are also very common. However, this gives you a good baseline for understanding what the rest of this article is talking about.

What are the Rarest Personality Types?

Rare personality types depend on the test and who’s taking it. Personality develops from attachment, social learning, learned experience, experience, and private decision-making. Further, people can score very differently on personality tests based on factors like what time of day it is, their mood, and how often they take the test.

In addition, many personality tests don’t actually score how common the type is. E.g., ABCD Type and the Big Five / Oceans tests don’t score or attach any kind of rarity to personality expressions. Often that’s good, because they aren’t measuring your whole personality, just a series of traits that you may or may not show.

Myers-Briggs does, however, measure how commonly its 16 personality types are. For example:

INFJ – 1.5% of the population
ENTJ – 1.8% of the population
INTJ – 2.1% of the population
ENFJ – 2.5% of the population

That sounds like it’s not much. Still, it means over 100 million people in every category. It also just represents that intuition-leaning and judging-leaning combinations are rare in any combination of other traits. Further, if you look at the rest of the list:

ENTP – 3.2% of the population
INTP – 3.3% of the population
ESTP – 4.3% of the population
INFP – 4.4% of the population
ISTP – 5.4% of the population
ENFP – 8.1% of the population
ESFP – 8.5% of the population
ESTJ – 8.7% of the population
ISFP – 8.8% of the population
ISTJ – 11.6% of the population
ESFJ – 12.3% of the population
ISFJ – 13.8% of the population

The scale isn’t as dramatic as calling INFJ rare might sound. Instead, it means there are about 1 INJF personality types per 9 ISFJ personality types. That’s less common, but certainly not “rare” in the truest sense of the word.

So, What Does a rare Personality Type Mean for You?

In most cases, your personality type has little bearing on who you are as a person. Instead, it records your capabilities as measured by a test in that moment, with your mood, stress levels, and recent activity taken into account. These tests are useful for businesses because they tell businesses what you might be able to achieve in the near future and what you’re likely to be like in the near future. They can also be useful for mental health professionals to provide a baseline of your outlook, responsiveness, and mood right now. However, many personality tests will change every time you take them if you take them every day for a week. That means they aren’t reliable as a measure of who you are tomorrow or who you are next week.

What else? Personality tests don’t actually measure your personality. They measure how you’re feeling and how they answer the questions. They also don’t measure compatibility with others, ability or willingness to learn, or your ability to fit into a group. Instead, general interests, ability to be agreeable, ability to compromise, and ability to open up to others. Those factors, more than anything else, will determine how you’re able to connect to others.

In fact, modern science isn’t sure if it’s valid to measure personality types at all. With no clear boundaries and significant overlaps in personality types, it’s usually better to measure personality traits and then understand that, for most people, those traits go up and down based on mood, stress, and current situation. Personality is flexible, because life requires it.

Does that mean you can’t use your personality test to make judgements about yourself? Absolutely not. Your personality test is likely a reasonable snapshot of your behavior and your answers right now – providing you’re honest when you fill it in. You can also broaden the perspective of those tests by taking more assessments, looking at measures of personality traits rather than judgements of overall personality, and also figuring out how that changes or goes up and down based on things like mood. Eventually, it means you’ll have more insight into how your personality affects your life and what you are capable of – which will help you in other ways.

What is Neuroplasticity in Mental Health?

Jason Klimkowski on May 17, 2024

For many people, depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders are chronic, meaning that they are permanent or near permanent. For most of us, this means that mental health disorders will come and go throughout our lives, and episodes and peaks can be triggered by lapses in self-care, traumatic events, and stress. For others, mental health problems are a one-off problem that can be treated and overcome and essentially vanish much like a broken bone, leaving some scars, but otherwise gone forever.

At the same time, many people believe that once you’re an adult, your brain stops growing. In fact, many people believe that the brain only has a certain number of cells, that you can only learn things to a certain age (you can’t each an old dog new tricks), etc. None of that is true. Instead, the brain loses some plasticity or ability to change as you grow older but is capable of changing and adapting to every circumstance as you age. This means that chances are very high that your brain can heal from whatever mental health problems you have – although it is true that some issues will remain chronic.

What is Neuroplasticity?

Neuroplasticity represents the brain’s ability to change. This often means capacity for learning, for memory, for changing behavior, and for mental flexibility. Often, what looks like simple behavioral change on the outside is a complex process of the brain changing its physical shape to achieve new things. The human brain adapts to its environment, which is why taxi drivers who memorize city streets see actual changes in the brain, as do jugglers, and medical students. The brain adapts to its environment, especially to structural information, which forces the brain to reorganize and adapt to new input as well as to providing new output.

People who don’t frequently do new things or who routinely do exactly the same thing with no changes will have difficulty changing. This doesn’t mean their brain is no longer plastic, it means they need more time to adapt. At its basis, one of the things that makes the human brain so very “human” is its ability to adapt and to change and to retain that neuroplasticity over time. Factors like life experiences, stress, genes, behavior (including thought patterns) and environment will all limit or enable that change but that change is always available.

Does Mental Illness Change the Brain?

Mental illnesses, including behavioral disorders, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and most other mental health problems directly change the brain. Often, this is a two-part change of changes in hormones and neurotransmitters and changes in behavior building different habits or pathways in the brain.

This might look like:

Depression reduces the production of serotonin. Reduced serotonin means that the brain is less able to regulate mood and emotion. So, the brain feels more depressed, worsening the issue. Eventually, the brain might adapt to seek out serotonin-producing experiences (e.g., food, TV, drugs or alcohol, etc.).
Behavior builds new neural pathways that reinforce the habit. So, if you stop challenging yourself, stop taking care of yourself, and stop doing things that require those neural pathways, your brain will dismantle those neural pathways because they require energy. So the less you use behavior patterns for self-care and for maintaining health and mental health, the less you’ll have the ability to.
Mental health disorders often come with negative spiraling, negative thought patterns, and getting stuck in cycles of worry. Those are also often self-reinforcing, as the brain will adapt and you’ll build new neural pathways to make that behavior easier.

That all sounds counterproductive of your brain doesn’t it? The truth is, the brain adapts to the environment it’s given. That means that the more you indulge feeling bad and the more you give yourself leeway to not engage with behaviors that improve mental health, the harder it will be to pick that back up. At the same time, neuroplasticity works in reverse:

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Does Neuroplasticity Mean the Brain Can Heal Itself?

The common perception of the brain is that it doesn’t heal. At the same time, medical science has know that isn’t true for decades. When faced with physical trauma to the brain, patients show a remarkable ability to regenerate tissue and recover. People who have impairment to the hippocampus following significant substance abuse typically recover, so you can’t tell their brain from a healthy brain after about 3 years. Healing takes time, but it does happen.

It’s also important to note that not all mental health disorders require or will result in healing. In some cases, depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia are just how your brain works. You can take medication to supply some of what your brain isn’t, just like you’d wear glasses if your eyes weren’t meeting your needs for driving or reading, but you won’t expect your brain to heal, beyond recovering from any trauma that being untreated has resulted in.

Using Mental Health Treatment to Provide the Grounds for Change

The goal of psychotherapy such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is to help you create new patterns and new behaviors. This means addressing the existing behaviors and recognizing them, figuring out what’s behind them, and then trying to redirect them into new skills and patterns. Behavioral therapy often starts with stopping downward spirals, redirecting negative thoughts, and building basic skills to prevent negativity. At the same time, you’ll create the start of patterns o build positivity, to find positivity, and to build functional patterns. Just like with negative patterns, these patterns will also change your brain and you’ll have the neural pathways to support them – often in as little as 3-6 months after starting therapy.

The more you practice a skill, such as stopping a downward spiral, the easier it will get, as your brain adapts and builds neural pathways to enable it
The more you engage in activities that produce serotonin, the more your brain will make that easier, by building neural pathways to enable it. You can get stuck in a neural rut of thinking negative thoughts, but you can get out of it and create a neural rut about finding good in things.
Building new skills to foster neuroplasticity allows you to better adapt to change over time, so you pick up new things more quickly and adapt more quickly. That means the more you push forward, the easier adding on new things will get.

Neuroplasticity means your brain adapts to the environment it’s in, trying to maximize energy usage and output to what it’s doing and the environment it is in. This means you can always change your brain by changing your patterns, changing your behavior, and changing your environment. That change will often take time and recovering from trauma and physical damage can take years. But, you have the capacity to recover, to build new neural pathways, and to heal. That might not mean leaving your mental health disorder behind, but it will mean leaving the trauma caused by that mental health disorder behind and building healthy patterns that support quality of life and happiness around your mental health disorder.

Getting Help

If you or a loved one is struggling with mental health, it’s important to recognize that there is help. Reaching out to talk to your doctor, working your way towards behavioral therapy, and getting mental health interventions can set you on the path to permanent change and permanent improvement in your quality of life. Eventually, that will mean you have the patterns and the skills to better navigate mental health so you can be happier.

The Impact of Mental Health Care on Quality of Life

Andrea Wagner on August 13, 2023

In today’s fast-paced world, mental well-being is as crucial as physical health. Institutions like Redeemed Mental Health have recognized this need, offering specialized treatments for various conditions. This article delves into the profound impact of mental health care on an individual’s quality of life.

Understanding Mental Health Care

Mental health care isn’t just about treating disorders; it’s about holistic well-being. From managing stress and anxiety to addressing more severe conditions like depression and psychosis, proper care can significantly enhance one’s life quality.

The Role of Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP)

What is PHP? A PHP provides a structured treatment environment for those experiencing intense mental health symptoms. It acts as a middle ground between full-time hospitalization and outpatient care.
Benefits: PHPs offer a balanced approach, allowing patients to receive intensive care during the day while returning to the comfort of their homes at night. This structure ensures continuous support without completely removing one from their daily life.

Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOP) and the Power of Group Therapy

IOP Explained: IOPs are less intensive than PHPs but still provide rigorous care, with group therapy being a cornerstone.
Why Group Therapy? Sharing experiences, learning from others, and understanding that one isn’t alone in their struggles can be incredibly therapeutic. Group sessions foster community support, which can be a vital component in the healing process.

Individual Therapy: Tailored Strategies for Personal Challenges

While group sessions offer a sense of community, individual therapy at institutions like Redeemed Mental Health provides a space for personalized healing. With experts like Dr. Andrea Wagner, patients receive strategies tailored to their unique challenges, ensuring a comprehensive healing journey.

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The Direct Impact on Quality of Life

Improved Relationships: With better mental well-being, individuals often find their relationships – be it familial, romantic, or platonic – improving.
Enhanced Productivity: A sound mind can lead to increased focus, creativity, and overall work efficiency.
Physical Health Benefits: Mental and physical health are intertwined. Proper mental care can lead to better sleep, improved appetite, and even a stronger immune system.

Conclusion

Mental health care is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. As we continue to understand its profound impact on our lives, institutions like Redeemed Mental Health play a pivotal role in shaping a brighter, healthier future for all.

Seeking Comprehensive Mental Health Care in Newport Beach?

Don’t wait another day to prioritize your mental well-being. If you’re in the Newport Beach area, Redeemed Mental Health is your local sanctuary for specialized treatments tailored to your unique needs. From depression and anxiety to trauma therapy, our expert team, led by Dr. Andrea Wagner, is here to guide you on your healing journey. Conveniently located in the heart of Newport Beach, we’re just a call away. Reach out today and take the first step towards a brighter, healthier future right here in our community.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and an Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOP)?

A PHP, or Partial Hospitalization Program, is a structured treatment that serves as a middle ground between inpatient hospitalization and outpatient care. It provides intensive therapy during the day, allowing patients to return home in the evenings. On the other hand, an IOP, or Intensive Outpatient Treatment, is less intensive than a PHP but still offers rigorous care, primarily focusing on group therapy sessions. The main distinction lies in the intensity and structure of the programs, with PHP being more intensive than IOP.

How does individual therapy differ from group therapy sessions?

Individual therapy is a one-on-one session between the therapist and the patient, focusing on the patient’s unique challenges, needs, and goals. It offers a private space for in-depth exploration and personalized therapeutic strategies. Group therapy, on the other hand, involves multiple participants and is facilitated by a therapist. It provides a communal environment where individuals can share experiences, learn from others, and gain support from peers facing similar challenges. Both have their benefits, and the choice often depends on the individual’s comfort level and specific needs.

Why is mental health care crucial for overall quality of life?

Mental health care plays a pivotal role in overall well-being because our mental and emotional states influence every aspect of our lives. Proper mental health care can lead to improved relationships, enhanced work productivity, better physical health, and a more balanced, fulfilling life. Addressing and managing mental health challenges ensures that individuals can lead their lives to the fullest, experiencing joy, resilience, and a sense of purpose.

The Role of Mental Health Care in Rehabilitation Settings

Andrea Wagner on August 6, 2023

Welcome back to Redeemed Mental Health, your trusted source for expert mental health care. Today, we’re exploring the role of mental health care in rehabilitation settings. We’ll delve into the importance of mental health care in these settings, discuss the different types of care available, and highlight how our services align with these needs. Ready to learn more? Let’s get started!

The Importance of Mental Health Care in Rehabilitation Settings

Rehabilitation settings are designed to help individuals recover from various conditions and reintegrate into society. These settings can range from hospitals and clinics to residential treatment centers and community-based programs. But no matter the setting, one thing remains constant: the crucial role of mental health care.

Mental health care in rehabilitation settings is not just about treating mental health disorders. It’s about providing comprehensive care that addresses the whole person. It’s about understanding that mental health is just as important as physical health in the recovery process.

Mental health care can help individuals in rehabilitation settings in several ways. It can help them manage their symptoms, cope with stress, improve their relationships, and enhance their quality of life. It can provide them with the tools they need to navigate their recovery journey and reclaim their lives.

Types of Mental Health Care in Rehabilitation Settings

There are various types of mental health care available in rehabilitation settings, each serving a unique purpose and catering to different needs.

Individual Therapy

Individual therapy involves one-on-one sessions with a mental health professional. It’s a safe space where individuals can explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and learn how to manage their symptoms. It’s like having a personal guide on your recovery journey.

Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP)

Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP) provide intensive, structured care for individuals who need more support than outpatient care can provide, but who do not require 24-hour supervision. It’s like a bridge between inpatient and outpatient care.

Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOP)

Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOP) involves comprehensive treatment that is more intensive than traditional outpatient care but allows individuals to live at home and maintain certain daily activities. It’s like having a support system that fits into your life.

Our Services

At Redeemed Mental Health, we understand the importance of mental health care in rehabilitation settings. That’s why we offer a range of services designed to meet the unique needs of individuals on their recovery journey.

Individual Therapy

Our Individual Therapy sessions provide a safe, supportive environment where individuals can explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Our therapists use evidence-based techniques to help individuals manage their symptoms, cope with stress, and improve their overall well-being.

Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

Our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) provides intensive, structured care for individuals who need more support than traditional outpatient care can provide. Our PHP includes a combination of individual therapy, group therapy, and medication management, providing comprehensive care that addresses the whole person.

Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOP)

Our Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOP) offers comprehensive treatment that fits into your life. Our IOP includes a combination of individual therapy, group therapy, and family therapy, allowing us to provide holistic care that addresses all aspects of an individual’s life.

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Conclusion

Mental health care plays a crucial role in rehabilitation settings, helping individuals manage their mental health conditions and improve their overall well-being. At Redeemed Mental Health, we’re committed to providing expert mental health care that aligns with these needs. So why wait? Take the first step towards reclaiming your mental health today.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If you or a loved one are in a rehabilitation setting and are ready to seek help for mental health concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team of mental health professionals at Redeemed Mental Health is ready to help guide you on your journey towards wellness. Remember, asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, but a strength. So why wait? Take the first step towards reclaiming your mental health today. Contact us to schedule an appointment and let’s explore how our treatments can benefit you. Your journey to redemption starts here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the role of mental health care in rehabilitation settings?

Mental health care plays a crucial role in rehabilitation settings. It helps individuals manage their symptoms, cope with stress, improve their relationships, and enhance their quality of life. It provides them with the tools they need to navigate their recovery journey and reclaim their lives.

What types of mental health care are available in rehabilitation settings?

There are various types of mental health care available in rehabilitation settings, including Individual Therapy, Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP), and Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOP).

How do the services at Redeemed Mental Health align with the needs of individuals in rehabilitation settings?

At Redeemed Mental Health, we offer a range of services designed to meet the unique needs of individuals in rehabilitation settings. Our services include Individual Therapy, a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), and Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOP).

The Importance of Individual Therapy in Mental Health Treatment: A Comprehensive Guide

Andrea Wagner on July 21, 2023

Welcome back to Redeemed Mental Health, your trusted source for expert mental health care. Today, we’re exploring the importance of Individual Therapy in mental health treatment. Ready for another informative (and surprisingly fun) journey? Let’s dive in!

What is Individual Therapy?

Individual Therapy is a form of therapy that involves one-on-one sessions between a therapist and a client. Think of it as a private tutoring for your mental health – you get the undivided attention of a mental health professional.

The Importance of Individual Therapy in Mental Health Treatment

Personal Therapy plays a crucial role in mental health treatment by providing a safe space for individuals to explore their thoughts and feelings. It’s like having a private sanctuary where you can express yourself without judgment.

Benefits of Personal therapy

Personalized Care

Personal therapy offers personalized care that is tailored to the unique needs of each individual. It’s like having a custom-made suit – it fits you perfectly!

Safe Space

Individual counseling provides a safe space where individuals can express their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment. It’s like having a private diary that listens and talks back!

Skill Development

Individual therapeutic sessions helps individuals develop coping skills and strategies to manage their mental health symptoms. It’s like having a personal trainer for your mental health!

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How Private Therapy Sessions Works at Redeemed Mental Health

At Redeemed Mental Health, we believe in the power of private therapy sessions. Our approach is client-centered, meaning we tailor our therapy sessions to meet your unique needs and goals. It’s like having a custom-made therapy plan – it fits you perfectly!

During individual therapy sessions, you’ll have the opportunity to explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in a safe and supportive environment. Our therapists use evidence-based techniques to help you understand and manage your mental health symptoms. It’s like having a personal guide on your mental health journey!

Conclusion

So there you have it, a comprehensive guide to understanding the importance of personal therapy in mental health treatment. Remember, mental health is a journey, not a destination. And Individual Therapy might just be the vehicle you need to get you there. So buckle up, and enjoy the ride!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Individual Therapy and other forms of therapy?

Individual or personal therapy involves one-on-one sessions between a therapist and a client, allowing for personalized care. Other forms of therapy, like group therapy or family therapy, involve multiple participants. It’s like the difference between a private tutoring session and a classroom – both can be effective, but they offer different experiences.

What can I expect from Individual Therapy?

In Individual Therapy, you can expect to work closely with a therapist to explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. You’ll learn new skills and strategies to manage your mental health symptoms. It’s like going on a journey of self-discovery, with a therapist as your guide.

Who is a good candidate for Individual Therapy?

Individual Therapy can be beneficial for anyone struggling with mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and psychosis. However, the best way to determine if Individual Therapy is the right choice for you is to consult with a mental health professional. They’re like the guidance counselors of the mental health world – they can help you navigate your treatment options.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If you or a loved one are struggling with mental health issues and think personal therapy might be the right fit, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team of mental health professionals at Redeemed Mental Health is ready to help guide you on your journey towards wellness. Remember, asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, but a strength. So why wait? Take the first step towards reclaiming your mental health today. Contact us to schedule an appointment and let’s explore how our Personal Therapy can benefit you. Your journey to redemption starts here.