Does intensive outpatient treatment work for depression?

Byraunak shukla

A plethora of people across the globe suffer from depression, and the number is genuinely increasing because of the fast-paced lifestyle. If one deals with depression surrounding their sobriety, they know how bad days can turn into devastating days. Furthermore, the next progression of depression treatment that can follow inpatient care or PHP is undoubtedly the Intensive outpatient program. It is mainly the essential transition between the more intensive care levels and regular outpatient treatment. The treatment primarily aims to help patients return to their total functional capacity while offering substantial clinical support and structure to prevent a partial depressive relapse.

How do IOP treatments work for depression?

An ailment that poses a plethora of challenges due to many emotional triggers that exist in everyday life is depression. Several people tend to have anxious moments or times when they are depressed, and it is pretty normal to feel these emotions when they are in stressful situations. Ideally, anxiety or depression goes away once conditions improve and life becomes less hectic again, but stress or depression can drag on and on for several people. It can also worsen at times and might interfere with their work, school, or relationships. Therefore, people need to seek treatment at Best Addiction Rehab Indiana when it reaches this point. Above all, a combination of psychotherapy and medication is the best bet for one who suffers from depression or other mood disorders that need treatment. If you are suffering from depression, you might see your therapist once or twice a week for 30-60 minute sessions, and the therapy might go on for three to four months, but it all depends on your severity. Ideally, intensive outpatient therapy is a new therapy that claims to help patients get better quickly.

What is intensive outpatient therapy?

A focused therapy that is likely given over longer treatment sessions is known as Intensive outpatient therapy. For instance, intensive treatment is likely to be concentrated regularly in three-hour sessions given five days a week or over a two to four-week time span. Additionally, the intensive treatment uses methods including  CBT, mindfulness, and exposure-response and prevention (ERP), and it is similar to a traditional psychotherapy session. The main aim here is to teach strategies to mitigate one’s symptoms and provide support but to do it within a deadline that allows patients to live at home and continue family or personal routine activities. The program at Sunrise Recovery Care mainly includes:

  • Learning coping strategies and skills
  • Building successful problem-solving abilities
  • Follow up sessions to keep up with these new skills
  • Learning coping strategies and skills
  • Building successful problem-solving abilities
  • Follow up sessions to support these new skills

Objectives of intensive outpatient therapy:

There are various types of intensive outpatient programs, and different forms are likely to help people with other conditions. For example, there are several intensive outpatient programs for people dealing with depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Intensive outpatient therapy is made to help one develop a successful foundation for mental health skills, mainly for young adults. The goals of each IOP tend to vary depending upon the issue the program is designed to treat; for example, if you struggle with impulse control and self-harm, then you can go for intensive outpatient programs that treat substance abuse. However, some common goals under the program include:

  • Learning coping strategies and skills
  • Building successful problem-solving skills
  • Follow up sessions to keep up with these new skills
  • Improving problem-solving skills.

The IOP at Best Addiction Rehab Indiana is different from inpatient programs because the therapy allows you to receive treatment even you are still living at home and engaging in your personal lives. Hence you can attend an IOP without disrupting your work, routine, or relationships.

What’s included in intensive outpatient therapy?

One might be wondering what is included in intensive outpatient therapy over inpatient alternatives. One of the unique things about IOP is that it allows you to be present in the world while getting treatment. The best part about the exterior exposure is that you can ask real-world questions and transition into the hardships instead of having a shield over them.

What you’ll learn during the Depression IOP:

Suppose one is planning to join depression IOP at Sunrise Recovery Care. In that case, they can expect to learn more about depression, how they can manage symptoms and using the tools given to them during therapy sessions. Some of the things one can expect are:

  • how and when to seek help in few years down the line
  • Evaluating how to problem-solve in routine life
  • Practicing what you’ve learned in group settings
  • All-inclusive, individual planning for treatment
  • Identifying unhealthy behaviors and thought patterns
  •  coping methods and abilities to keep unhealthy behaviors and thought patterns away.

Practical methods one can learn during depression IOP are:

  • Intensive individual therapy
  • Group therapy
  • Family therapy
  • Meditation
  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy
  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
  • Solution Focused therapy

Furthermore, IOP is likely to be a part-time, 3 to 5 day a week program featuring a solid therapeutic structure and is specially designed and offered for at least eight weeks. Therefore, IOP could undoubtedly benefit you if you didn’t find it practical to see a therapist over several months. Above all, the therapy is mainly helpful for people who have severe depression and cannot thrive in the real world.