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Treatment Options for Today’s Patients

Due to the wide variety of mental illnesses, many different health professionals may be involved in the treatment process, including:

• Psychologists
• Therapists
• Social workers
• Psychiatrists
• Primary care and other medical physicians
• Pharmacists
• Nurses

A personalized treatment may include one or more of the above professionals and one or more methods (e.g. psychotherapy combined with medication). Disorders that resist initial treatment may require further interventions.

Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, is used to treat and support a broad range of mental illnesses by helping a person build self-esteem; reduce anxiety, depression, and other symptoms; cope with their illness; and improve overall functioning and well-being.

Common types of psychotherapy include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): Helps you identify and change maladaptive behaviors
• Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT): Uses aspects of CBT along with other strategies, like mindfulness, to help you regulate emotions, as well as teaches new skills to change unhealthy and disruptive behaviors
• Supportive therapy: Helps you build self-esteem while reducing anxiety, strengthening coping mechanisms, and improving social functioning

Medications may be used to reduce symptoms and restore functioning. They are often used in conjunction with psychotherapy.

Four major types of psychotropic drugs include:

• Antidepressants such as SSRIs, SNRIs, and bupropion are used to treat symptoms of depression, anxiety, pain, and insomnia.
• Anxiolytics are anti-anxiety medications used in the acute (in-the-moment) treatment of anxiety-related symptoms ranging from panic attacks to feelings of agitation.
• Antipsychotics are used to treat symptoms of psychosis, including delusions and hallucinations. Additionally, they may be used to treat certain mood and other psychiatric disorders.
• Mood stabilizers such as lithium can be used to treat bipolar disorder and mood swings associated with other disorders. They can also help with certain depressive disorders.

Neurotherapeutic procedures like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation, and vagus nerve stimulation are used in cases of treatment-resistant and severe depression.

During ECT, electrodes are placed on the head to deliver a small amount of electrical stimulation to the brain to induce brief seizures while the patient is under anesthesia. For transcranial magnetic stimulation, magnets are used to stimulate areas of the brain associated with mood regulation.

Ketamine infusion or nasal spray therapy offers another option for people with treatment-resistant major depression. It may work rapidly and help reduce suicide ideation.

Lifestyle changes help promote overall well-being. You may benefit from:

• Exercising for at least 20 minutes a day
• Practicing mindfulness in meditation or yoga
• Avoiding smoking
• Avoiding substance use (including alcohol)
• Eating a well-rounded diet that limits fats and refined sugars
• Having a support system
• Maintaining a regular seven- to nine-hour sleep routine
• Practicing positive thinking

CarePath is a compassionate psychiatric outpatient clinic dedicated to guiding individuals towards lasting mental wellness. We provide personalized, evidence-based care for adults, adolescents and families facing challenges such as anxiety, depression, mood disorders, trauma, and more.