Has anyone been in residential treatment for a mental illness?

[lightningandsnow]

As in, not a psych ward, but a treatment program similar to those for addictions and eating disorders?

I've been looking at this program. It's about an hour and a half away from my home in Toronto. http://homewood.org/healthcentre/main.php?tID=1&lID=3

I'm kind of grappling with it. I think my insurance would cover most of it, but am I "crazy" enough to spend 6-8 weeks in treatment? I don't think my mom would take well to it - she's in a bit of denial.

I want to do everything I can to get better, though, so this is looking pretty hopeful. I don't know.

[Tobin S.]

1. I don't see how it could hurt.

I was considering doing something like that a while back when I was first diagnosed, but my insurance wouldn't cover it and the program was a month long at $300 a day- just a tad out of range on a trucker's salary.

Call them about it if you think it might benefit you. It sounds to me like you need some kind of extra care if you are considering something like this. But if it doesn't work out remember what I told you the other day: Stay in treatment. Got it?

[lightningandsnow]

2. I'll for sure stay in treatment, of whatever sort.

:hug:

[Hell Hath No Fury]

3. I have not but --

I think having the opportunity to do so would be amazing. Being able to begin treatment on your disease in a safe, comfortable environment that acts as an emotional safety net would surely support your healing process. When first treating my major depression, I would have given anything not to have had to deal with my job/family and other external stresses and, inself, focus on the healing.

I think it is worth checking out. :hi:

[Bertha Venation]

4. I haven't been in the kind of treatment you describe, but

I'll tell you this:

I was in a psych ward for two months, and it is absolutely the very best thing I've ever done or ever hope to do for myself.

Good luck with your decision.

[elocs]

5. My 18 year old goddaughter is in residential treatment for mental illness.

Last year she was diagnosed with schizophrenia after she had a psychotic breakdown just after Christmas '08. Last year she was hospitalized in the psych ward 13 times at 7 different hospitals. A year of her life was lost.

Now she is in a residential halfway house for girls with her problems. She has recognized and accepted that she has a mental illness and knows the importance of staying on her medications. She is trying to finish her high school education and they are supposed to help her on her path to living on her own. Her school district is paying for this and she can be in the program until she turns 22. Last year she was under her mother's insurance, but by June they cut her loose, telling her mother by registered letter that the mental health benefits for the year had been used up.

[lightningandsnow]

6. Aaaannnd....cue my mom bitching about how she'd rather I work full-time all summer.

And continue to see different doctors and get only a minimal response from treatment.

She still *may* allow it, but I'll have to convince her. Sigh.

[wickerwoman]

7. You might be able to negotiate with the program

if you don't live that far away.

My cousin is a counselor for a residential treatment program like the one you described. Most people come from out of state and live there but they do allow locals to just attend the sessions for a discount.

I think the recession hit a lot of these programs too, and they might be flexible and let you pick and choose which kinds of therapy you want to go through. My cousin's program has stuff like meditation, spa treatments, nutritional counseling, etc. which you might be able to do without.

[old mark]

8. It says a lot of good things about you that you are considering

such a program. I am sure you would benefit from it.
Contact them and try to work something out.


mark