Addiction isn’t the only reason to seek treatment at a professional facility.

For people struggling with mental health issues, inpatient treatment centers often provide focused, dedicated care. Individuals who immerse themselves in such environments:

• Understand more about their conditions
• Receive concentrated therapeutic attention
• Learn better management techniques
• Establish habits of wellness for a healthier life

The ability to get away from daily stress, potential triggers, or even more troubling aspects of chaos or conflict establishes a necessary reset. You don’t have to continue doing things “the same old way” in order to be well.

It’s Not As Rare As You Think

Many celebrities who manage mental health issues such as bipolar II disorder, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and other mood or behavioral conditions are using their public platforms to generate awareness about these conditions. The consensus is to remove the stigma of mental health so people will get proper treatment.

As Zachary Levi said in Goal Cast, “If we have a cavity, we go to the dentist. If our body hurts, we go to the doctor.” He knew he had to care for his mental health in the same way. Levi is quite transparent about his three-week stay in an inpatient mental health facility for severe depression and suicidal thoughts. His conditions—compounded by the death of his mother, a divorce, and professional setbacks—were managed during inpatient care through directive therapy, meditation, yoga, art therapy, exercise, and enhanced nutrition.

Here are some other celebrities who are outspoken about how they used therapeutic intensives or inpatient care for:

• Anxiety, including Gina Rodriguez, Kristen Bell, and Ryan Reynolds
• Bipolar disorder, including Demi Lovato, Carrie Fisher, Mariah Carey, and Catherine Zeta-Jones
• Depression, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Audra McDonald, Wayne Brady, Taraji P. Henson, Jim Carrey, and Jon Hamm
• Eating disorders, including Kesha, Russell Brand, Sophie Turner, Dennis Quaid, and Brittany Snow
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder, including Jessica Alba, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Lena Dunham
• Postpartum depression, including Serena Williams, Hayden Panettiere, Alanis Morissette, and Chrissy Teigen
• PTSD and trauma, including Lady Gaga, Mick Jagger, and Whoopi Goldberg

While it’s easy to think celebrities have better access to mental health care than the rest of us, that’s not true. There are numerous resources for people in Arizona to seek professional help. If a more concentrated continuum of care is required, that’s when inpatient treatment might be the best solution.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline right away: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Free, confidential support is available 24/7.

What to Expect With Inpatient Care

The path to wellness starts with an assessment. Perhaps your primary care physician has already provided a foundational diagnosis and believes that treatment in a facility is the next step. Or maybe you’re wondering what your or a loved one’s various symptoms and behaviors mean.

A certified facility will have a comprehensive assessment program designed to help people move to the next level of care. Often, these individuals might have:

• Trouble progressing through a current therapeutic approach
• Co-occurring disorders
• Denial regarding behavioral addictions, substance abuse, and mental health issues
• Suicidal thoughts or attempts
• Aggression or violence toward others
• Difficulty caring for basic personal needs

A team of qualified personnel—such as psychologists, psychiatric nurses, and specialists in grief, trauma, behavioral addictions, and eating disorders—use their expertise to evaluate someone based on his or her specific needs. These assessments usually last a few days and are often conducted in the facility.

The assessment’s determination may reveal that inpatient treatment is necessary for:

• Obtaining a more accurate diagnosis through monitored interaction
• Adjusting or stabilizing medication
• Uncovering long-standing issues, traumas, and other contributors to mental health problems
• Accessing more comprehensive and diverse therapy methods
• Learning new coping mechanisms
• Providing assistance during more serious episodes
• Offering continuing care if you, a loved one, other professionals, or first responders feel it’s required

Residents of a treatment facility have a reliable structure, around-the-clock support, and an opportunity to focus only on healing. Professionals of these centers often clarify that inpatient care isn’t forever. It’s designed to understand the proper level of care for your illness and encourage independent condition management and living.

Mental Health America (MHA) recommends that if you or a loved one are able, consider outlining your wishes for treatment—primarily what you want and don’t want in services and care—prior to your stay in a psychiatric advance directive. This document enables your autonomy; allows for better communication with your treatment team, family members, and attending physician; and protects you from unwanted or ineffective actions or treatment, among other things.

MHA also advises that you designate someone you trust as your agent—be it a friend or family member—who will advocate on your behalf. Sometimes people have more than one. For example, one person might manage your health care decisions with you while another takes care of household matters while you’re away.

Upon discharge, facility professionals provide a continuum of care plan, including ongoing treatment services and follow-up resources to ensure the prospect of a healthy life.

Treating Mood and Anxiety Disorders at Cottonwood

Cottonwood Tucson offers behavioral health treatment for numerous mood disorders, the physical and emotional distress of trauma, and co-occurring disorders that often present along with substance abuse. We design each individual program to cater to a resident’s willingness to change with effective treatment options, needs, and abilities; as well as exposure to the education and programs he or she can use to thrive.