906-341-3200 The Importance of Seeking Behavioral Health Treatment: Understanding the Different Options Available
April 25, 2023
There are many factors that determine and impact your health and overall well-being. A common misconception is that healthcare only involves physical care and treatment of the body. However, a holistic, whole-person approach to healthcare includes paying attention to your behavioral and mental health.
The way you think, feel, act, and the factors that influence them matter. It affects your health and well-being, and impacts your quality of life. Here’s where behavioral health comes in—the various approaches and therapies that target it and improve your mental and overall health.
So, are you taking steps towards improving your behavioral health? In this article, we’ll talk about the subtle difference between behavioral and mental health, some common behavioral health conditions, and the various behavioral health services and therapies offered in Manistique.
What is behavioral health? Behavioral health vs. Mental health
Behavioral health is a healthcare practice that targets specific actions that you take in response to various scenarios. It targets a spectrum of severity and complexity known as acuity of conditions such as stress, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and more.
Behavioral health promotes mental health. Essentially, behavioral health needs to be addressed in order to improve mental health and well-being. This includes treating mental and substance abuse disorders, providing support to individuals experiencing these conditions, and promoting well-being through various modes of behavioral therapy. Through behavioral therapy, mental health disorders can be treated and self-destructive or unhealthy behaviors can be unlearned.
On the other hand, mental health is more concerned with understanding and dealing with thoughts and feelings or a person’s psychological state of mind. Mental health treatment is a subset of behavioral health.
Benefits of Behavioral Therapy
Did you know that approximately 47.6 million Americans ages 18 and older deal with behavioral disorders?
But despite about 1 in 5 adults living with major depressive episodes, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder, substance abuse, eating disorders, and other conditions, the stigma surrounding them still persists, causing many people to be reluctant to seek behavioral therapy. Depression, for instance, is the leading cause of disability worldwide, making behavioral health services paramount.
If you or a loved one are experiencing behavioral health issues, a good first step in seeking help is understanding the benefits of behavioral therapy and health services. The following benefits may encourage you to seek the appropriate treatment and support:
- Coping mechanisms: Behavioral therapy helps strengthen your ability to solve problems and teaches you practical coping mechanisms for managing stress and emotions in your everyday life.
- Support system: Behavioral health offers you a support system. Counseling offers support when you’re dealing with difficult emotions and situations. Your therapist can help you work through these thoughts and issues and develop a plan of actions addressing your needs.
- Reduced symptoms and improved health: Behavioral therapy has also been shown to improve mental health over time. Many people who have previously dealt with mental health concerns through counseling have reported improved symptoms and a better outlook overall, even after years of undergoing long-term therapy.
- New insights: Behavioral therapy can also provide you with new insights and a new way of viewing incidents that cause you stress or thought patterns that may lead to harm. This helps you develop more positive behaviors and a realistic outlook on life.
Types of Behavioral Health Services
Each behavioral condition is unique and requires different forms of treatment and support. Following an intake and assessment interview, a behavioral health professional will recommend the appropriate behavioral therapy or service that meets your specific needs.
Behavioral health services include:
Psychiatric Medical Treatment
A Psychiatrist or Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with specialized education and training in psychiatry and mental health will examine your behavioral and overall health, and diagnose psychological disorders.
Psychiatric medical treatment may involve prescribing medication that targets chemicals in the brain that are responsible for emotional and thought patterns. However, please note that medication is often prescribed in combination with other forms of behavioral therapy, such as counseling.
Behavioral Health treatment
A therapist, such as a licensed masters social worker or licensed professional counselor, can assess, diagnose, and treat areas of concern or factors that influence your mental and physical state. Behavioral health services are provided through individual, couples/ family, and group therapy sessions. Behavioral health therapy sessions address issues experienced by an individual, couple, and within a family. Therapies utilized include cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, motivational interviewing, and many more depending upon your needs.
- Marriage
Also often called couples counseling, this type of behavioral therapy is focused on supporting spouses and partners in navigating relationship issues and improving interpersonal dynamics. A licensed therapist works with couples in examining their close relationships and the impact of which on their overall health, as well as dealing with problems such as emotional abuse and chronic stress in a safe environment.
- Family
This type of trauma-informed behavioral therapy involves working with entire families to explore and improve family dynamics and relationships. Family therapy sessions provide a safe, confidential, and supportive environment for discussing parenting issues, as well as common stressors such as chronic stress, trauma, and emotional abuse. Through this type of behavioral therapy, family members are invited to share their concerns, in order for them to be addressed.
- Substance abuse
If you are struggling with addiction, behavioral therapy can be crucial to recovery and maintaining sobriety. Behavioral health helps address harmful patterns of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that lead to addiction, identifying coping mechanisms, and development of a relapse prevention program..
Learn About Behavioral Therapy and Health Services at Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital
At Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital, we believe in a whole-person approach to healthcare. This includes providing behavioral health services to individuals in distress and in need of emotional and mental support in Manistique.
Our behavioral therapy services are provided by licensed therapists located in Manistique. Our goal is to address behaviors that may cause harm and mitigate these risks by providing counseling, coping mechanisms, and renewed insight into stress factors and trauma. We are committed to delivering these behavioral health services in a safe, confidential, and welcoming environment for you and your loved ones.
If you or a loved one have questions or are in need of behavioral health support, call (906) 341-3286 to talk with one of our staff.
