Psychiatric Care Explained
Psychiatric care, as one of various medical specialties, devotes itself to the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. A mental disorder, also called a mental illness, is a medical condition which can be treatable in some cases, depending on the nature of the mental disorder. In other cases, these disorders are not fully curable, but can still be maintained by the carrier without any drastic effects that have a directly negative influence on their lives. With professional help, these people can enjoy life and have a firm grip on their disorder to prevent it from damaging any aspect of their lives.
What is a mental illness?
More than 200 forms of mental illnesses have been identified already, with the possibility of more to still be discovered. Mental illness includes disorders related to thought, cognition, behaviour, moods, and perceptions pertaining to emotions and thinking patterns. The most common mental disorders include depression, eating disorders, dementia, and anxiety disorders. Certain forms of addiction can also be classified under mental disorders but would require a different approach in terms of treatment.
Mental illness can be born from physical, emotional, or psychological trauma, or a similar scenario, and has a drastic and immediate effect on the person’s life. It can also be the result of severe stress due to daily living factors such as work overloads, or illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. Genetic factors and biochemical imbalances should not be ruled out either. Common mental illness symptoms include violent or dramatic sudden mood swings, continuous feelings of anger, confused thinking, delusions, and hallucinations. Other uncommon signs include heavy depression, a loss of interest in daily routines, and in some cases, suicidal notions.
Can a mental illness be cured?
Depending on the nature of the illness, certain mental disorders can be treated and cured with the relevant professional psychiatric care. Although there are certain disorders that can only be managed instead of fully cured, professional care is still recommended to give the person a full understanding of what they are dealing with. A person suffering from an incurable mental disorder would always benefit from psychiatric care, as it serves a maintenance role for the patient to keep a steady grip on their disorder, giving them the opportunity to live their lives to the fullest.
Beethoven Recovery Centre Psychiatric Care Hospital
There are only a few professional psychiatric care hospitals in Gauteng, and most of them are in the metropolitan areas of Johannesburg and Pretoria. Beethoven Recovery Centre is located close to Pretoria, and is easily accessible for anyone living in Gauteng. We treat our patients with integrity and dignity, leaving them feeling part of a caring family that strives to provide the necessary environment to promote healing. Our first step, after admission, is to focus on the specific illness of the patient and tailor a unique treatment plan to let them feel comfortable and taken care of. The treatment will then fall to our professional staff that will not only inform the patient about their disorder, but also give them the necessary tools to deal with it accordingly. Our team consists of psychiatrists, psychologists, general practitioners, registered nurses, a physiotherapist, and an occupational therapist. These professionals will always give their best to ensure that the patient gets treated as per their needs, giving the patient the support of getting to grips with their disorder and having the tools to deal with it accordingly.
The programme at Beethoven Recovery Centre
The treatment plan of our psychiatric care unit works according to the bio-psycho-social-educational approach, where our professionals focus on the total being of every patient, with special emphasis on their disorder. The aim of this holistic-spiritual approach is to assess the patient’s life, and to come up with solutions to assist and guide the patient to a life free of the binding natures of mental illness.
In our well-designed therapeutic programme, all the standard tests and assessments are done on our patients, including a psychological assessment, a psychiatric evaluation, a medical examination, and a psychological consultation. Once the procedures are done, our team creates a personalised and unique treatment plan for the patient. The plan includes various kinds of therapy sessions, consisting of group therapy, art therapy, and music therapy. The aim of our programme is to equip our patients to find a way back to a healthy lifestyle, as opposed to a downward spiral that keeps spinning out of control.
For more information on our psychiatric care unit and programme, feel free to peruse our website, or contact us directly with any enquiries. Let Beethoven Recovery Centre give you the means to find a way to a healthy state of mind.