If you suffer from a mental illness, the kind of treatment you get can make or break you. Here are some recommendations from top mental health experts in San Juan Capistrano.
Mental healthcare is just as important as regular healthcare—thanks to growing awareness surrounding the issue, you’re probably finding more treatment options popping up. But if you struggle with depression, anxiety, trauma, or mood disorders, what kind of therapy should you be looking for? Licensed mental health professionals like the ones at Mission Connection Healthcare say that while it’s essential to find something that works for you, it’s also equally important for your treatment center of choice to tailor its services to your unique needs.
Nearly 60 million adults in the U.S. struggled with a mental illness in 2024, and among them, 13 million individuals had serious thoughts of suicide, according to statistics from Mental Health America. Unfortunately, 2022 broke records for the highest number of suicide deaths, and although that number has come down within the past two years, the problem continues to linger.
But every problem has a solution. While depression remains the leading cause of disability worldwide, timely interventions can prevent it and other mental illnesses from becoming pervasive in an individual’s daily life. As such, experts recommend that adults with mental, behavioral, and mood disorders seek professional help for their conditions.
But what does that professional help actually look like? If you live in California, you’ll find treatment centers that offer intensive outpatient programs (IOP) and partial hospitalization programs (PHP) to those struggling with mental disorders. The difference between the two lies in their intensity, but both will provide you with structured care and evidence-based therapies.
Regardless of the type of program you enroll in, you can expect to receive conventional treatments, such as various modes of psychotherapy, that are provided on an individual and group basis. However, a good mental health center will also offer more specialized care for underlying trauma, treatment-resistant depression, and other complex conditions; these include trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and dialectical behavior therapy.
Additionally, places like Mission Connection have recognized that mental health is associated with overall wellness. If you want long-lasting results, look for a treatment center that integrates holistic, non-clinical practices, such as yoga and guided meditation, into its programs to improve mindfulness and stress management skills. These places will typically strive to inform you of other physical wellness strategies and healthy coping mechanisms that can help you develop emotional resilience outside of treatment.
If you’re interested in getting professional care, most treatment centers will conduct a complimentary initial evaluation of your mental health. After the assessment, you’ll be enrolled in and matched with a team of licensed mental health professionals that will develop a treatment plan that aligns with your needs.
And if you think you’ll need more help even after completing your program, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Mission Connection and other treatment centers will refer you to support groups and other community resources that can help you maintain your mental health beyond treatment.
There’s more to mental illness than meets the eye, so when in doubt, experts like Mission Connection are here to answer any other questions you may have about your treatment options.
