If you believe that someone you care about is at risk for suicide, you may feel worried, helpless, or unsure how to help (Understanding and Helping the Suicidal Person). If that person is you, chances are that you might not even feel like you do care about yourself, or that anyone cares about you. But, the truth of the matter is that even if it doesn't feel like it, someone does care very much. Suicidal thoughts have an uncanny ability to shut out any positive thought processes and make the suicidal person believe, falsely, that his or her life does not matter.

I know that, to some individuals, it may be hard to believe that anyone who has had thoughts about ending his or her own life may not meet the requirements needed to be admitted into an inpatient mental health program. However, there is a distinct difference between suicidal thoughts and being actively suicidal (Going From Suicidal Thoughts To A Suicide Attempt). Individuals who are actively suicidal have actually taken steps to end their own lives and may have plans laid out. On the other hand, those with suicidal ideation tend to just have fleeting thoughts about taking their own lives, but no real plan.

When you are struggling with a mental health disorder or substance abuse problem deciding to seek inpatient treatment can be one of the best, but also scariest decisions of your life. This decision can be even more difficult if you have no idea what to expect when you arrive at a mental health or addiction treatment center.

Not only is it difficult to make the decision to enter a mental health or addiction treatment program, but the financial aspects of seeking care can cause some roadblocks for a large number of individuals. Even for those who have mental health insurance coverage, it can be a daunting task to determine how you are going to pay for a mental health treatment program.

You have depression and you’re drinking or drugging to try and get rid of those feelings of sadness, hopelessness, numbness and isolation. Maybe you even have physical symptoms of depression that the alcohol or drugs seem to be relieving. In the end, however, you realize the drinking and drugs are making things worse. While depression is a treatable mental health condition, many men and women are either getting improper depression treatment or no depression treatment at all.

When it comes to depression treatment, is outpatient treatment or an inpatient depression treatment program best for you? That depends. Once a person has been diagnosed with depression, his or her doctor should discuss the best options for care based upon type and severity of depression symptoms. Whatever care is prescribed, however, it’s vital for people to understand that there are no quick fixes for depression. It takes time to find the level of care that works best for each person. In fact, it’s not unusual to try a number of different levels of care in order to treat depression effectively.

Just as no two people are exactly the same, depression treatment is not a one-size-fits-all approach. What works to treat one person’s depression may not work to treat another’s, which is why anyone struggling with depression should learn as much as possible about depression, treatment options, and care at home for depression. This will allow each person who has depression to be their own best advocate when it comes to managing the disorder. The best treatments for depression include medication management, therapy, and lifestyle changes.

If not properly treated, chronic depression can cause a significant number of problems in all areas of your life. Depression can last for weeks, months, or in some cases even years. This leaves an individual in a state on constant sadness, fatigue, and just overall run down. In addition to the underlying symptoms, depression can increase the risk for a number of other problems to develop. Before you know it, not only are you trying to cope with the sadness but you are facing financial problems, social problems, and physical problems as well.