According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), about one in 12 adults have had a major depressive episode in the past year. Of those, only about 65 percent got treatment for their depression.
Among people with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), rates of depression can be as high as 60 percent. For that population, effective BPD treatment should also include treatment for depression.
Depression treatment can involve a variety of therapies and treatments, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and antidepressant medication. For many people, including those with both Borderline Personality Disorder and depression, a residential treatment program may be the best option for a full recovery from both psychiatric disorders.
Depression Symptoms
The nature of depression often makes it difficult to heal on your own. To be diagnosed with depression, you have to exhibit a combination of the following symptoms:
- Depressed mood
- Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Increase or decrease in sleep and appetite
- Inability to concentrate
- Low self-image
When dealing with these depression symptoms, it can be hard for you to go about life’s day-to-day routine, making such activities as showering, paying bills, returning phone calls, or showing up to work on time a chore. In an residential treatment program, you will not have to worry about things that distract you from the healing process and you can concentrate on the most important aspect of your recovery — you.
What Makes a Good Residential Treatment Center for Depression?
Because everyone experiences the symptoms of depression differently, not every type of depression treatment will work for you. A good residential treatment center for depression will assess your depression symptoms, as well as any Borderline Personality Disorder symptoms, to determine what level of care and what type of treatment will help you make a complete recovery.
Residential treatment centers for depression shouldn’t just focus on your depression symptoms. They should offer a variety of therapies and groups to address the underlying causes of your depression and BPD. Examples of what should be offered at a good residential treatment center include the following:
- Staff trained in treating psychiatric disorders, such as depression and BPD
- Evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Regular individual and group therapy
- Experiential therapies, such as art therapy and yoga
- Antidepressants and other medications, as needed
How to Find a Residential Treatment Center for Depression
If you are already in touch with your primary care doctor or counselor about your depression, he or she may be able to make depression treatment recommendations that fit your needs. Make sure that you stay in touch with your primary doctor throughout your course of treatment, especially if you are taking medications to treat depression.
If you find yourself stuck on selecting a residential treatment center for depression, you can use SAMHSA’s Mental Health Services Locator at http://store.samhsa.gov/mhlocator.
Take time to do your research when choosing an appropriate residential treatment center to make sure you pick the one that’s right for you when it comes to treating your depression and Borderline Personality Disorder.