There are several types of depression rehabilitation programs and centers nowadays. Whether this is your first time to learn about them or you have been down this road previously, it’s always best to start with a good understanding of your options.
Inpatient
Hospital inpatient programs are intended to resolve acute psychiatric issues until the client is stabilized. It is basically a short-term treatment, which means the client can be discharged as soon as they are declared out of danger.
Short-Term In-Hospital vs. Long-Term In-Hospital
This option is best for those who go through depression without needing too much help to function normally. The term, “short-term residential” treatment, however, is quite comprehensive. It can refer to programs providing in-home, non-hospital care, but their structure and quality is often extreme: either they are underfunded and poorly staffed, or they are cutting-edge with overflowing resources. In any case, these programs are an ideal choice for those who would like to start their treatment from a point that is beyond the capacity of outpatient programs.
On the other hand, long-term in-home treatment provides all-encompassing care, including skill-building, for individuals going through depression with low function. Although the two previously mentioned types of depression treatment are often easy to find, long-term in-home treatment options for depression are more elusive. Even people who have been working in the mental health sector may have no knowledge of the existence of such programs. An unfortunate truth indeed, considering these programs usually offer so much hope when other treatment options have proven unsuccessful.
Long-term residential treatments for depression are often designed to run for a year to a year and a half. During this period, the client will take part in an in-depth psychological evaluation and a range of innovative therapies customized to their special needs and continually evolving as they make healing progress. With the length of care provided under these programs, clients are able to dig very deeply into the origins of their issues and slowly learn new coping abilities that pave the way for true and enduring improvements, especially for those who are simultaneously dealing with substance abuse disorder.
Milieu therapy may also be done with long-term in-home treatments in ways that are simply impossible with shorter-term treatments. This allows day-to-day experiences to be used as therapeutic opportunities. For many people, this program’s structure and pacing have led to unprecendented success after several attempts with other past treatments.
Among the reasons long-term in-house treatments are remarkably effective for long-standing unresolved depression is that major progress is made through mastery of day-to-day life skills. This makes it ideal for individuals suffering from low function. Instead of focusing exclusively on short and medium-term psychological needs, their treatment revolves around fostering independent life skills that they actually apply on a daily basis.
In such a supportive setting, the client can practice more autonomy and propel changes in their own lives. For those whose depression has greatly undermined their sense of self-determination and capabilities, this can be a total life changer.