Is mental illness or disorders treatable?
Yes, mental illness or disorders can be treated. This means that many people who have a mental illness, and are treated, recover well or even completely. However, because there are many different factors contributing to the development of each illness, it can sometimes be difficult to predict how, when, or to what degree someone is going to get better.
What does being diagnosed mean?
When you or someone you know starts to feel mentally unwell, the first step in obtaining treatment is to see a behavioral health professional for diagnosis. After a thorough assessment, a diagnosis is made based on a particular pattern of symptoms. A decision can then be made about the best treatment for these symptoms and their underlying causes. Destiny takes into consideration many factors when choosing the best treatments for a person. These factors include family and support input, past treatment failures/successes, past medical and behavioral treatments, and current level of functioning.
What does treatment really mean?
Treatment means all the different ways in which someone with a mental illness can get help to minimize the effects of the illness and promote recovery. It can involve psychological therapy, medication, and various supports in the community, as well as people with the mental illness helping themselves.
How can people help themselves?
There are lots of things that people with a mental illness can do for themselves, to help recover a balanced life. Healthy eating, getting plenty of sleep, and regular physical activity are all important to good mental health. Learning skills which help deal with stress, feeling down, relationships or the symptoms of the illness, are also ways in which someone with a mental illness can look after themselves. When a person is not able to consistently do these things for themselves, professional treatment and intervention should be considered.
