Residential treatment for depression?

[stories]

I was wondering if anyone had any experiences with this.

I know I could take it step by step and see a counselor/therapist and take some medication, but the last two counselors I had, I had bad experiences with. I am kind of against medication too as I'd like to find a different way to handle and manage my depression.

Unfortunately it is getting worse. I went to the doctor's last week to get a blood test to see if anything was wrong (i.e. my anemia being back), but nothing was. The doctor told my dad that how I was acting was not normal. My dad got fed up with me the day before I pretty much threatened to just drop me off at the hospital. He called my depression selfish and upset me so much. I think he just didn't know what to do anymore.

But I started looking into treatment centers and it seems like an environment I'd be okay in. Right now, I am living with my best friend and her mom. I just graduated college in the beginning of May. I had no job as of yet. I have barely started looking. I barely do anything anymore. Since I have gotten here my sleep schedule has gone completely backwards for the most part. I barely am up during the day, as I am sleeping. I just stay up all night because I can't sleep. I don't find worth in anything anymore. It is all just so pointless. I don't get it sometimes. Even standing seems pointless. Walking upstairs to go to the bathroom, changing, general hygiene, etc has lost me some. I hate going out because it is easier to lie in bed and sleep. Also I really dislike interacting with people. I just don't feel anything. It is anhedonia/lethargy like I have never felt before.

I am not diagnosed with depression but have had it for six years. I don't know if residential is what I need, but it seems like a controlled environment, which would be nice. Nothing is under my control here, not even the food in the house. I can pick some or what I want to eat but there are still two others here who make choices as well. Also with my 'supposed' eating disorder, I've fallen back into bad habits and have been going a little scale crazy, checking it way too many times.

I don't really know what to do. Any advice? I am going to sleep now. I stayed up all night again. It's after 9am and I am supposed to be awake to actually leave the house with my best friend in an hour. So I need some sleep, if I even can. Thanks.

[Fallenflower]

I'm kinda in the same boat as you. If it weren't for my mom's constant attention and encouragement I don't think I'd do anything. I've been up all night and it's nearly six AM, I sleep during the day just to avoid people and I don't feel up to doing anything. I've never been to a residential treatment center but I've heard they can be really helpful.
If you want, you can give me the city you live in and I can help you research and find a place that would suit your needs. I, myself, have been looking for similar treatment centers around where I live that I could go into if things got really rough.

Much love,
Flower

[Fallenflower]

I'm kinda in the same boat as you. If it weren't for my mom's constant attention and encouragement I don't think I'd do anything. I've been up all night and it's nearly six AM, I sleep during the day just to avoid people and I don't feel up to doing anything. I've never been to a residential treatment center but I've heard they can be really helpful.
If you want, you can give me the city you live in and I can help you research and find a place that would suit your needs. I, myself, have been looking for similar treatment centers around where I live that I could go into if things got really rough. Feel free to PM me any time.

Much love,
Flower

[silverfighter]

It is hard to find as an adult, but there are places like Skyland Trail in Georgia and the like.

I have not been in residential for depression, but I have referred adults in the past who really benefitted.

mel

[Eli]

It could be very different but I was IP for depression for a couple of weeks and it was absolutely useless. The only good thing was that it linked me in with treatments available once I got out. It felt like they just wanted to give me medication and other short term solutions. Most of the time they just left me alone. Like I said though, an actual residential treatment centre could be different.

[Girlinterruptedallthetime]

It is very hard to get into treatment IP/residential for just depression. I mean unless you have your own insurance and they cover just depression treatment. Normally to get into IP/residential you have to be a harm to yourself or others. You have to be a great risk of hurting yourself or someone else. Also in those places they make you go to groups and work with people. They also put you on meds. I spent ages 15-18 in hospitals and treatment centers and I never met anyone who didn't get put on meds so if your not willing to do that it could be really hard to find a place.

Also if your not diagnosed with depression it would be even harder to get into a place without a therapist backing up the idea of you seeking more help. I strongly suggest that you find a therapist where you are living now and get a diagnoses of depression or whatever you have and work with the person for a little bit and if things still aren't getting better then bring up the treatment because you will need a doctor/therapist/ or even an ER to back up that you really need more help.

I wish you the best!!!

[wanttobehealthy]

It is very hard to get into treatment IP/residential for just depression. I mean unless you have your own insurance and they cover just depression treatment. Normally to get into IP/residential you have to be a harm to yourself or others. You have to be a great risk of hurting yourself or someone else. Also in those places they make you go to groups and work with people. They also put you on meds. I spent ages 15-18 in hospitals and treatment centers and I never met anyone who didn't get put on meds so if your not willing to do that it could be really hard to find a place.

Yep, this is good advice..actually all of GirlInterruptedallthetime's advice is bang on.

I haven't been in residential for depression myself however I had a friend who made a suicide attempt so then she was admitted into a psychiatric ward for a month. She was on medication and I thought afterwards that she seemed improved however alas her behaviour was still erratic so I'm not sure it did her any good at all. From what she told me, she did a lot of occupational therapy like jewellery making for the duration of her stay, there seemed to be very little in the way of actual learning therapy ie. learning coping skills, unless there was and she just didn't disclose it to me? I don't know. I was severely depressed myself and I did consider residential but I thought of my friend and it totally put me off..personally I think you would be much better co-operating with a therapist and GP, take your anti-depressants and opt for a less drastic option, maybe go to a support group for depression on top of that at least once a week, take up a hobby or volunteer work, get back to the job hunt. I don't mean to sound unsympathetic, I know how awful depression is myself but I just don't think you're going to learn any actual coping skills to deal with your depression in residential treatment.

[stories]

Thanks all. I still have no idea what I am going to do yet. The most I have is the counselors from the university I went to. The psychologists can diagnosis depression but never did for me for some reason. I took a screening test, after asking for it, but nothing happened. I wasn't getting any better.

Fallenflower, I have looked at some places. I am in St. Paul, Minnesota currently. I'd probably want to get out of state and go somewhere I don't know anybody (so Oregon, Florida, and northern California is out).

I am not particularly fond of medication but if required I'd take it. If I had to I would. I, of course, would try to find ones which do not make me gain weight. I am kind of at a back-and-forth with my eating disorder right now. I am in a relapse stage of sorts. I wouldn't know what to call it.

I know a lot of places say you must be at harm to yourself and others. I am not at harm to others and am not about to off myself. But if I don't do anything at all, ever, my health is definitely going to deteriorate on its own. And isn't that harmful to myself? It's not quite intentional but it is happening. I know some of this awful sleep schedule might be getting me sick. I'd drink orange juice as a precaution (as it good to have that vitamin c), but I have been scared of drinking juice for so long by body can't even handle it now and my stomach doesn't tolerate it. It sucks.

I'd see a therapist here first but I just feel like it wouldn't do much. I don't think I'd get much out of it. And if I barely get up to go anywhere, I don't know if I'd ever have the energy to even get up to go to an appointment.

I still have see what I'll do. For now, I am just where I am not doing anything, because I really can't. Thanks for the responses though.

Also, mel, the three places I looked into that seemed the most promising on my search for residential centers were Linder Ceter of Hope - Sibcy House (Cincinnati, Ohio), Sierra Tucson (Tucson, Arizona), and Bridges to Recovery (southern California).

Their criteria has harm to oneself or others on their but it is not required. It is one of the 'at least one of' lists...

[just_want_to_be_beautiful]

i know how you feel, i felt this same way last year right before seeking help.....minus the part about my parents not understanding and having to live with a friend, because i hid it so well....i'd say why but that might give someone ideas and i don't want to do that. i'm really sorry, i hope you're ok!

not sure how it works where you are, but i just went to my main doctor when i got help and said i felt depressed and she got me seen by a psychiatric doctor at the nearest mental health hospital that same day to be assessed..might take longer for some people though. then i went and got assessed, i felt i needed in-patient, but the doctor who assessed me thought i'd be fine in out-patient. i felt a little let down because i felt in-patient was what i needed and my family only found out that day i got help i was depressed so it felt awkward being around them, and felt i still had a lot to cover up from them. was also confusing because she didn't diagnose me as having clinical depression so it made me feel like "well then what the hell is this" like i was attention seeking because i knew what i felt. once i started in the out-patient though, it was actually fine, i had the nicest doctor who was there for about a month before she changed jobs... and then group therapies were really helpful too because you get to talk to people who know what you're going through.

but anyway, first step is making an appt with your doctor and then your doctor can refer you to where you need to go. hope you're ok, i know and remember how it feels, i was in this position last year....and i know it feels really scary. but you'll be ok.hope you're ok, don't hesitate to PM me if you want to talk more

[stories]

Thanks, just_want_to_be_beautiful. I do not have a general doctor here. The last real doctor I had was my pediatrician before I left for college. The one I saw recently was my dad's. The only reason I don't live with him (only parent, my mom passed away in March) is because I didn't want to live back in Hawaii nor with family after graduating. I really wanted to get away and my best friend wanted me to stay. I haven't seen her for a long while and decided to come. So I am here. The only people I know here are her and her mom really. I don't quite know where to start, as I don't have a primary GP/doctor here. Thanks though.