Who Should Consider Inpatient Treatment For Depression?

Millions of people in the United States alone will struggle with depression during any given year, some yet to receive help for their very real illness and others currently receiving treatment. "Depression" has become such a ubiquitous word, such a large part of our everyday vocabulary, that it's hard for people living without it to realize just how serious depression can be, and how hard it can be for people suffering from depression to find a treatment plan that truly works for them, one that lifts the dark cloud and improves their quality of life. Not only is managing depression harder than many people believe, there are also more options available than have crossed the minds of most.

Types Of Depression

Though everyone feels down now and again, clinical depression comes with distinct signs and symptoms, and falls under three main diagnoses — major depression, persistent depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder.

People suffering from major depression get hit hard, for at least two weeks, with such symptoms as feeling sad, hopeless, worthless, anxious, alone, irritated and restless. They will have lost interest in activities they previously enjoyed, find it hard to complete everyday activities, and become unable to concentrate or remember things. Insomnia, a loss of appetite, fatigue, digestive symptoms and headache can also be part of the clinical picture. People with major depression may struggle with suicidal feelings or attempt to commit suicide. Major depression isn't, as the name already suggests, the kind of "blues" all humans suffer from sometimes, when bad news comes our way. Major depression is, rather, a real risk to the patient's life, something nobody would want to live with. Episodes, though they may be recurrent, do come to an end, however.

Persistent depressive disorder, on the other hand, can feature all of the same symptoms as major depression, but lasts for much longer, for two years or longer without relief. Even though the symptoms of persistent depressive disorder do tend to be milder than those of major depression, PDD can rob sufferers of their quality of life over a long period of time.

Bipolar disorder, perhaps now the most famous of the three main types of depression, is characterized by alternating episodes of depression and highs people without it do not normally attain. Both manic and depressive states can lead people with bipolar to need high-quality mental health care, however, the depressive phase will lead to symptoms very similar as those of major depression.

How Is Depression Treated?

Antidepressant medications have become such an essential part of the modern approach to managing depression that it is frequently the first time of treatment, then followed by talk therapy and lifestyle changes that may help patients improve their mood.

READ Job Loss May Cause Long Lasting Depression

The vast majority of depressed people — over 90 percent, actually — will receive outpatient-only treatment. Although that sounds like a lot, this leaves a rather significant 10 percent of depressed people who need inpatient care, as well as an unknown number of people who aren't able to get what they need from outpatient treatment.

Those who pose a proven risk to themselves or others may be committed to a mental health facility against their wishes, after a doctor, a relative, a friend or a law enforcement agency sets the wheels in motion. However, not all of those who find themselves in inpatient treatment for depression are there involuntarily.

Inpatient Treatment For Depression: Who's A Candidate?

Due to the still-existing stigma relating to mental illness in general and inpatient treatment for mental illness in particular, pursuing this kind of treatment can be difficult even for people who may fully recognize that they could benefit from it. In addition, not knowing what to expect from inpatient treatment, the prospect can be rather frightening as well — checking into a mental health facility may feel more like entering prison than anything else.

You may strongly benefit from voluntary inpatient treatment for depression under any of these circumstances, however:

• You are going to try a new medication for your depression, for which you would benefit from round-the-clock monitoring.
• You are actively suicidal or simply unable to go on functioning.
• You are hoping to try out treatments that are offered only in the context of inpatient care, such as electroconvulsive therapy or intensive talk therapy programs.

Depending on the reason for inpatient treatment, your stay may be as short as three days, or you may opt to remain in inpatient care for several months. Inpatient care for depression offers those who need it the ability to escape from daily life for a while. Above all, it can offer the right person the chance to make getting better than sole focus, their full-time job, for a while. It offers them the chance to receive intensive one-on-one and group treatment for depression, attempt new medications in the safest possible environment, and to remove the challenges of daily triggers from their treatment plan. 

What Do I Need To Know Before Seeking Inpatient Care For Depression?

Depending on your jurisdiction, there are many questions to ask before you consider checking into an inpatient treatment program for depression. Some of those may include:

• Which facilities offer inpatient treatment for depression? What programs do they offer?
• What rights do those who voluntarily seek inpatient treatment for depression have once they enter such a facility? Will they be able to check themselves out at any time? (Often, that is not the case.) How often can loved-ones visit? What is the general atmosphere of the facility? How are days organized within the facility? What is the percentage of voluntary patients, as opposed to those who were committed against their will?
• Which programs might be covered by your insurance policy, or if paying privately, what will the total cost of the program be?
• Will you be able to receive sick leave from work, if working?

READ Treat Depression Naturally: Natural and Herbal Remedies for Depression

A good inpatient treatment program is one in which you are respected and can work towards healing. Through inpatient care, you may learn essential coping techniques you can apply a lifetime, deal with underlying difficulties you have been struggling with, and benefit from treatments that would not otherwise be available. Though entering inpatient care is a radical step, it is the right one for some people, and one that should not be discarded before exploring it.