Poor mental health, whichever form it may take, is a widespread problem, with nearly a billion people thought to suffer globally. For those suffering from addiction at the same time, the problems are exacerbated even further.
The right modality of treatment can differ significantly depending on the specific condition and coexisting addictions, but there are several core tenets of proper care that remain the same no matter what a person is going through. In this article, you’ll learn about three of them.
Image Credit: Pexels
The Importance of Establishing a Strong Support Network
No matter what type of mental health problem or addiction a person is facing, they often feel very alone. One of the biggest challenges mental health providers face is getting people to speak up in the first place, with many bottling their feelings up sometimes for years on end.
This is why it’s important for a sufferer to have a strong support network comprised of friends, family, and healthcare practitioners. Oftentimes, the first step to getting help involves talking to a loved one, who may then accompany them to a doctor’s visit or to see a therapist and start the journey to treatment.
For people who feel they have no one to turn to in their time of need, there’s a propensity for their problems to get worse and spiral out of control (this is one of the key areas where poor mental health and substance abuse intersect, for example).
Maintaining a Healthy Daily Routine
When someone is suffering from poor mental health and/or addiction problems, it can become increasingly difficult to perform the simplest of daily tasks – but working up to engaging with those tasks bit by bit has the reverse effect.
Even just a small amount of exercise, or a little effort to eat a bit healthier, can have an impact. If the person is strong enough to slowly build back a sense of normality in their lives and start to prioritize self-care, they’ll often be in a much better position to tackle the bigger stuff that’s going on in their heads.
Taking the time to, for example, consistently go on a morning walk, represents more than just a will to engage in physical exercise – it represents a desire to change one’s life for the better, and these skills are key when dealing with larger problems.
Image Credit: Pexels
Finding the Right Modality of Treatment
Once someone has reached the point where they’re ready to engage with a proper treatment plan, there are many different options. Most people are referred to or pay privately to visit a drug treatment cebter as an outpatient – they’ll go once or twice a week to see a therapist or other healthcare professional to holistically treat the problem. This could involve psychotherapy, medication, group support, and more.
For others, in-patient facilities may be more appropriate (these are more common if poor mental health has resulted in substance abuse). These are usually reserved for the most severe cases, and in this situation, the person will stay over at the center for a period of weeks or months for more intensive care.
No matter which path is chosen, the priority is on providing an individually tailored plan rather than opting for a one-size-fits-all approach.
Wrapping up
If you’re going through poor mental health or addiction issues yourself or have a loved one who is, hopefully, you’re now a little clearer on some of the main elements that go into treatment. The points covered here are only a start, of course; there’s a lot more that goes into it, so take your time to research the ins and outs of the specific problem, and importantly, remember that there is always a way forward.
