5 Types of Treatments To Improve Your Mental Health

Millions of people across the world struggle with depression, some for their entire lives. If you’re reading this, you or a loved one may be one of them. The truth is, at some point nearly everyone experiences depression, so you aren’t alone. The fact that many people face this struggle does not, however, make depression any less difficult or impactful. Fortunately, while the struggle to improve mental health is a difficult one, it’s not impossible.

Perhaps the only upside to mental illness is that while some forms of depression are treatment-resistant , even these mental illnesses are treatable in some form. There are thousands of available treatments and nearly 80% of those who seek treatment experience improvement. Debatably the biggest obstacle to recovery is beginning the process of finding help. None of us like to admit that we can’t do it on our own. All of us want to feel independent and powerful.

The truth of the matter is that like Mr. Robot said, “True courage is about being honest with yourself, especially when it’s difficult.” When you are ready to take the step to reach out, there are many resources available to you. Here are just a few.

Therapy or Counseling

Talk therapy is a form of therapy available in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Talk therapy allows a given person to discuss the issues in their life with a qualified mental health therapist or counselor who can help them to sort through their emotions and find ways to cope and improve their mental state. Because of this, talk therapy for depression is often especially effective when the depression is situational, or from a traumatic event. However, talking through the variety of experiences a given person has in day to day life can help them to sort through their emotions, even when not visibly struggling with a specific situation.

Therapy can be done with a group or a partner, which for some people has shown to be an additional benefit. People experiencing mental illness consistently report the importance of a support network, so often, having the support not only for getting the treatment needed, but someone to go through treatment with them can have an incredible impact.

When considering talk therapy, it is important to keep in mind your compatibility  with your therapist or counselor. Some specialize in specific areas of expertise, and every therapist has a different approach, so make sure you find one that you feel comfortable with.

Medication

While medication is debatably the most well-known treatment option for mental illness, medication is usually prescribed for symptom relief. What this means is that, although it does help, in most cases it is not able to help long term as the underlying cause continues. Medication is generally prescribed when someone is having a hard time functioning in everyday life, and most often recommended in combination with talk therapy or another treatment for the underlying cause of the illness.

Many people report hopping from medication to medication to treat their underlying illness. There can be many causes for this, including chemical imbalance increases, lack of life changes, negative environment, and many others.

TMS

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is a noninvasive procedure that uses magnetic fields to stimulate the brain not only to improve symptoms but to treat the underlying cause of mental illness. It is recommended for improving on treatment-resistant depression. Currently, there are only two types of TMS machines approved by the FDA: the figure-eight coil, which is used by most manufacturers, and the H1 coil . According to studies , the figure-eight coil pinpoints a small spot and stimulates it, whereas the H1 coil targets a larger area and stimulates deeper, often resulting in more substantial results. TMS is used most effectively in combination with positive outlook practices such as goal setting, gratitude, and encouragement.

Herbal Treatments

Many people turn to herbal supplements to help fight their mental illness. While these seem to work for some, in most cases, their effectiveness has not been proven. If your depression stems from nutritional issues, vitamins or certain supplements may help, just remember that supplements can have side effects just like any other medication and sometimes even interfere with other medications, so consulting your doctor or therapist is highly recommended.

Alternative Treatments For Mental Illness

Many people utilize relaxation techniques such as yoga, muscle relaxation, meditation, and deep breathing to help relieve symptoms of depression. In addition to symptom relief, for some people relaxation techniques also reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and boost feelings of joy and overall well-being. Often people use these hand and hand with other treatments and report great results.

Another alternative treatment often used to treat depression is acupuncture. Acupuncture is defined as an integrative medicine involving pricking skin and tissues with needles at specific points on the body. It’s currently being investigated further, and some studies have shown very promising results. Acupuncture should only be tried with a qualified professional.

What treatments for your mental illness have you tried and how has it worked for you? Let us know in the comments below!