When Someone Refuses Treatment

Psychologists are sometimes referred to as therapists. Different types of psychotherapy exist, and each has a different focus and purpose. Talk therapy can help your family member cope with his illness, understand himself better, learn healthy ways to manage stress, make sound life decisions, and adjust to major losses and life transitions. They can match him with a mental health clinician suited to his symptoms. The success of your family member’s treatment often depends on building a trusting relationship with a therapist or psychiatrist who is a good fit for him. The clinician should be someone your family member can speak with freely and get along with. How does your family member find a good psychiatrist or therapist for him personally? Once a referral is made, the best way is usually for him to get the names of several mental health providers and meet with each in person. Encourage him to ask questions of the clinicians he interviews. For example, does the clinician have time to meet with him on a regular basis? Many people with mood disorders want to know about the provider’s training, background, and specific area of interest in psychiatry. Does he or she have experience in treating depression or bipolar disorder? That’s okay and expected now. Not everyone will be a good match. Your family member may want to know if the provider has flexible office hours and can accommodate his work or school schedule.

Another Brick In The Wall

He may also be interested in the provider’s method of payment and whether his health insurance will cover it. To get the most from his treatment, it is usually recommended that your family member follow all treatment recommendations as prescribed, keep scheduled appointments, arrive to the session sober, be open and honest with the provider, pay attention to the conversation, and do any homework assignments. This is for his safety. Otherwise, expect that he will be an active participant working with his mental health provider in a collaborative process called shared decision making. This means that the provider explains several treatment options to him in a clear and understandable manner. Once that is done to your family member’s satisfaction and all of his questions have been answered, then together they decide on the best treatment approach. This process takes into account your family member’s preferences and values and respects him as a person. This simple document used by some in psychiatry is an agreement that the person who has depression or bipolar disorder creates with his therapist or psychiatrist. It identifies his treatment team, unique triggers and warning signs for worsening mood disorder, the steps to take that have been helpful, the things he will and will not do, and how others can help. It can be quite useful. Various types of therapy have proven effective for people who have depression. Sometimes medication alone is sufficient, sometimes talk therapy alone is sufficient, and sometimes a combination is needed.

Shut Out The Light

It can be difficult to predict how anyone will respond to which form of treatment. He may have to try several medications or types of treatment before finding the one that is most effective for his needs. The most effective therapy, in all but the earliest forms of depression, often involves working with both a psychiatrist for medication and a therapist for talk therapy. This method in psychotherapy is based on the connection between our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Occasionally, someone who has depression or bipolar disorder is too ill to manage at home or go to outpatient therapy appointments. He may also feel unsafe or suicidal. This situation can overwhelm you as a caretaker. Most people in your position cannot manage this alone. In this case, your family member needs treatment in the inpatient psychiatry unit of a hospital. Your best first response is to call or encourage him to call his psychiatrist or psychologist, who will arrange a hospital admission. Once in the hospital, he will be cared for by a treatment team that usually consists of an attending psychiatrist, nurse, and social worker. If he is in a teaching hospital of a university medical center, he will usually have a psychiatry resident and perhaps a medical student attending to him.

Got To Give It Up

He may also see a psychologist. The treatment team’s role is to see him each day, adjust his medications as required, and encourage him to attend group therapy sessions with other inpatients. Being in the hospital can frighten some people at first, but most leave the hospital feeling better. This treatment occurs in the hospital. Your family member or friend receives anesthesia medication to put him to sleep for a few minutes. A very brief, low electric current is sent through small sticky pads, called electrodes, which are placed on the scalp. They transmit the current to his brain. It may sound scary, but it does not hurt and he is unaware of the process. Some people may have a mild headache or slight confusion for a few hours afterward. Some people can lose their memory around the time of the treatment. A number of people’s depression symptoms improve after the first few treatments. This procedure uses a magnetic field to stimulate nerve cells in the brain. The coil directs magnetic pulses to a portion of the brain involved in mood regulation. Each treatment typically lasts for 40 minutes, 5 times a week for 4 to 6 weeks, then is tapered to twice a week for 3 weeks. The dose and position on the scalp are individualized for each person. There may be a mild headache and scalp tingling. Many who have used this treatment have found improvement in their depression symptoms. Various other treatments are currently being studied for their effectiveness. Often, those receiving treatment for depression find it helpful to speak with others experiencing the same symptoms. Support groups around the country exist just for this purpose. These organizations also have sections for friends and family members seeking support for themselves. Approximately 300,000 people have taken it so far and have given excellent feedback.