What Can I Expect From Mental Health Treatment?

What Can I Expect From Mental Health Treatment?

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Living and thriving with a mental health disorder, or psychiatric disorder, is possible. However, when you first start exhibiting symptoms and behavioral changes from a developing psychiatric disorder, it can be hard to imagine living with one. For stability, understanding your disorder, and how to live with it, mental health treatment is out there.

What Is Mental Health Treatment?

At Alter Behavioral Health, psychiatric disorders are defined as “a [type] of disorder that primarily affects one’s thoughts, behaviors, and emotions.” Being burdened with thoughts and emotions can cause your behavior to feel out of control. When you get to that point, it that can signify the need for an intervention.

Mental health treatment is like an intervention or an interruption of thoughts or behavior. In a treatment program, you will attend group and individual therapy. These groups range in topics and depend on the group’s needs but tend to focus on skill building. With the help of peers and therapists, you work through problems as they immediately come. You also work through past experiences and hear peers talk about their own experiences.

By hearing group members share, you can come to understand that there are others out there who are also working through similar experiences or thoughts as you. You may not feel so alone or like something is wrong with you. Learning new social skills and putting coping skills into practice is another benefit. Peers can help inspire you but also provide strength and encouragement. Treatment can be important to help you learn certain skills and truths about life.

What to Expect When You Attend Mental Health Treatment

In a mental health treatment program, you will learn about your disorder and how to cope with it. Whatever your disorder may be, you can also find positivity and strength in it. Through different therapies, you also learn to regulate and cope with the emotions that come along. Treatment can be a hard process but one that is ultimately rewarding.

Learn With the Help of Therapy

A person with a psychiatric disorder will experience distorted thoughts and false belief patterns about themselves and life. Due to this, therapy is the main way that professionals have found to help psychiatric disorders. Combined with appropriate medications, therapy can help a person have a successful life. The two main therapy modalities used are:

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): This type of therapy focuses on the relationship between thoughts, cognition, behavior, and emotions. With the help of CBT, a person learns strategies and skills to regulate, process, and feel emotions and thoughts, which influences appropriate behavior.
  • Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): Self-driven DBT focuses on emotional regulation, mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance. DBT tries to build on existing skills and knowledge to successfully navigate feelings, other people, and stress.

There are other therapies, such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) or acceptance therapy. However, you and a therapist will decide what will work for you and your psychiatric needs.

Mental Health Treatment Programs at Alter Behavioral Health

It can be hard to confide in others about your mental health. Alter Behavioral Health puts every effort into responding to your individual needs. This includes your therapeutic needs, financial, medical, or legal needs. Starting with a thorough assessment, Alter Behavioral Health offers treatment for different time restraints, different disorders, or co-occurring disorders.

Residential Treatment Programs

Some people need more intense, prolonged, or integrative mental health treatment. Residential treatment can be the start of your treatment journey. Located in Irvine, the home you stay in is curated and decorated with safety and peace kept in mind. Rather than having to worry about establishing a place to live that supports your well-being, you can live and focus on healing.

Residential treatment is designed to support you throughout your day as you live in the treatment facility. There, you participate in group therapy, individual therapy, and psychoeducational groups to fill your day. A person does not have to stress, as there are breaks and time in between to take in the beautiful scenery, rest, or work on treatment goals independently.

Outpatient Programs

Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) or partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) are the two outpatient programs available. Outpatient is an in-between step between residential and weekly therapy sessions. In outpatient, a person is able to live at home, do what they need to do, and still attend mental health treatment. Depending on work, school, family, or other needs, outpatient treatment is between six to 30 hours a week of therapeutic treatment. Whereas you follow a schedule and time constraints in residential, you are in charge of your timeline in outpatient.

Crisis Stabilization

Some people can struggle with severe, immediate, intensified emotions, experiences, or concerns. This can cause a mental crisis, where a person cannot function as they normally would. If this is the case, crisis stabilization is available for immediate, short-term stabilization. This helps a person get into the right head-space for further treatment. It can also be a way to help a person function in their lives again.

Leaving home to participate in a therapy program can be scary. Having to sit with strangers and talk about personal feelings and life experiences sounds intimidating. Have you been struggling with these feelings? Alter Behavioral Health prioritizes your healing and treatment, so you get to engage in treatment at your pace. With different therapies, whatever your disorder or disorders, you will find a treatment program that tackles your concern thoughts, behaviors, or concerns. Seeking treatment does not need to only be scary but can become empowering. You deserve to be successful in life and proud of yourself. Contact us today at (866) 691-4386 to learn how to improve your outlook on life.  

I'm in Mental Crisis: How Can I Get Help?

I’m in Mental Crisis: How Can I Get Help?

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Prolonged stress or exposure to trauma can cause a mental crisis. Being in a mental crisis can make everyday activities, such as brushing your teeth or talking to people, that much harder. It can make emotions feel more intense and overwhelming. Whatever your reaction to a mental crisis, it may require help and stabilization. Alter Behavioral Health has a specific facility for you to receive crisis stabilization help.

Crisis Help

If you are in immediate danger of harming yourself or others, you can find immediate crisis help. Sometimes you may not know to plan for a mental crisis, or you may not know what you would do to get help during one. Having preemptive plans, like creating a list of potential people or organizations to call if you are in a crisis, can help you in the minute. This can be a stop gate before you seek further treatment that can help you learn to manage your mental health or mental health disorder.  

How to Find Help for a Mental Crisis

During a mental crisis, finding help can be one of the hardest things to do. Your brain may not be functioning normally, so you cannot think or process as you generally do. When you are in a  more stable mindset, it can be helpful to write a list of things you need from a mental health program. If you cannot make that list, you can ask yourself the following questions:

  • Do they offer crisis stabilization services? 
  • Are there services for after stabilization? 
  • Does the program offer holistic healing? 
  • Do they offer psychiatric support? 

If the program you are looking into does not offer services to help your immediate needs, as well as help you heal from what drove your mental crisis, then they may not be the right place for you. It is important to get help with your immediate crisis, but it is also crucial to get help with what led to the situation. Further therapy support is needed to work through those thoughts, emotions, and memories.

Immediate Treatment for a Mental Crisis

One place to start your mental health care search is Alter Behavioral Health’s crisis stabilization unit in San Diego, California. As an alternative to inpatient hospitalization, they offer a variety of services to help you with your immediate crisis. Their most important goal is to get you stable for immediate help. The strategy for stabilization at Alter Behavioral Health is as follows: 

  1. Define the problem: With the treatment team, work together to identify the problems at the core of the crisis
  2. Ensure safety: Determine what is needed to reach and maintain safety in the program and beyond
  3. Provide support: The core of treatment is providing you with support
  4. Examine alternatives: Brainstorm ways changes can be made in your life
  5. Make a plan: Work to identify what needs to happen to prevent another crisis
  6. Obtain commitment: Make sure you are committed to your plans and treatment and that they work for you

However, Alter Behavioral Health also offers other services, such as an intensive outpatient program (IOP) or residential treatment, for further help working on your mental health. The program team can even help you identify if that is a good next step for you.

Why Does Mental Health Matter?

Mental health affects your thinking, mood, and behavior. Your mental health includes your emotional, psychological, and social well-being. When any of those are affected by stress or trauma, you may not be able to handle or cope with the situations or feelings.

In addition to stress, mental health also helps you relate to others and make healthy choices. At any stage of life, if you are hurt, overly stressed, or experience trauma, you may experience mental health problems or a crisis. However, you should not be discouraged. Understanding what a mental crisis looks like and what can cause it can help you learn when to ask for help, as there is always help available for you.

Mental Crisis: How You Are Affected

The prefrontal cortex is in the front of your brain. This area is where planning and decision-making occur. When a person is in their adolescence up to their early 20s, that area of the brain is still developing. This can make a younger person respond to stress or trauma differently than an adult would. Exposure to stress, especially prolonged exposure, can have long-lasting effects on a person. This can lead to the development of a mental health disorder, such as anxiety or depression.

A mental crisis causes stress. Extreme stress in the body can cause a person to react in a way they may not normally. It can cause a person uncontrollable emotions, an inability to react or plan, or cases of extreme apathy. Without the proper tools to cope, someone who has a mental health disorder and experiences any level of stress can experience a mental breakdown. 

When to Ask for Help

If you are struggling to settle or be okay with your thoughts, memories, and emotions, it can be a sign that there may be something deeper going on. When you grow up with trauma or even experience trauma in adulthood, it can have lingering effects. Sometimes, you need to acknowledge and talk through the problems.

A mental crisis or even an ongoing mental health disorder can cause changes to mood, behavior, and your physical body. You may experience body pains, rapid mood changes, acting out when you are overwhelmed, chronic headaches, and the list can go on. Knowing when to ask for help is up to the individual, but if you are experiencing differences in mood and behavior and you cannot manage them, it may be a good time to ask for help. 

Do you need immediate help with your mental health? At Alter Behavioral Health, our goal is to get people into the treatment they need immediately. Waiting to treat a developing disorder can increase or worsen the symptoms. By calling us at (866) 691-4386, you can talk with our kind and supportive staff about treatment options. Starting with an assessment, you will be placed in the program that is right for you and your needs. Whether you need residential care, outpatient treatment, or crisis stabilization, we have the program for you. Call us today to start treatment. You have the power to change your circumstances; we would be happy to help and support you on your journey. 

Identifying Autism Spectrum Disorder and What to Do Next

Identifying Autism Spectrum Disorder and What to Do Next

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Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, as its commonly known, is a developmental disorder that first appears in early childhood. Roughly one in 36 children are diagnosed with some form of ASD, making the condition very common.

The reason ASD is referred to as a spectrum has to do with the wide range of presentations of autism. There is tremendous variety in the severity that the conditions manifest. Some individuals may grow to need minimal support, while others may need high levels of support through adolescence and adulthood. Regardless of the severity of the diagnosis, there is hope for a long and enjoyable life, given that proper care is taken.

Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder

Due to the varied nature of this disorder, it often goes undetected in early childhood. Because this disorder is so broad, it is easy to assume that minor developmental issues are attributed to temperament and personality when the individual actually falls on the spectrum of autism.

ASD is s developmental disorder that is most easily observed in social communication and interaction skills. This genetic disorder is hereditary, although environmental factors greatly affect how the disorder progresses. It is important to note that ASD is found across all racial and ethnic groups, although there is evidence that it occurs more commonly in boys than girls.

Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Individuals diagnosed who fall on the spectrum of autism usually have difficulty or greater challenges with social interactions. Some have a hard time understanding or being aware of social norms like personal space, voice volume, implicit and explicit language, and reading nonverbal cues. Here is a list of characteristics infants with ASD usually display:

  • Difficulty with keeping eye contact
  • At nine months, does not respond to their name
  • Difficulty displaying emotions like happy or sad
  • Has difficulty with interactive games
  • Does not routinely use gestures
  • Doesn’t demonstrate attachment and interest in objectives early in development
  • Has difficulty comprehending pain or discomfort demonstrated by other children
  • May have difficulty connecting with other children
  • Cant engage in make-believe games
  • Does not dance or sing

As children with ASD grow, many will be able to function adequately enough to engage in common social settings. However, some individuals will continue to have difficulties. The spectrum of ASD ranges greatly, and some individuals will have trouble in one area where others do not. Some individuals may also have significant difficulties where other people with ASD do not. As adults, ASD manifests in several ways:

  • Comprehension of social rules
  • Talking over others
  • Maintaining eye contact
  • Trouble respecting personal space with others, getting too close to them
  • Becoming angry when their personal space is violated or they are touched
  • Is preoccupied with details, patterns, sounds, and smells
  • Developing strong interests in certain topics
  • Being very process driven

After reading this list of characteristics, it is easier to see why it may be difficult to assess if someone has autism or not. Individuals who may not be on the spectrum but have not been properly socialized may share many of the same characteristics.

Many individuals that deal with ASD also have other underlying issues. These co-occurring disorders include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and depression. Underlying conditions can often make life far more difficult for the individual and make treatment plans more difficult as well.

Diagnosis and Treatment

There are numerous methods for treating ASD, all of which begin with a proper and accurate diagnosis. Considering the genetic nature of this disorder, symptoms manifest early in childhood development. Within the first year of life, children will begin to demonstrate signs of ASD. Primary caregivers of children with autism need to be vigilant and wary of what to look for. The list of symptoms provided above is a good starting point for developing an understanding of the condition.

Alter Behavioral Health is equipped to walk with families seeking treatment plans for ASD. For adults who are looking for help managing their autism diagnosis, Alter Behavioral Health is ready to help devise a plan for making life manageable. While there is no medication currently that will help with ASD, there are underlying conditions that can be treated with medication that often make coping with everyday tasks much more achievable. Scheduling a consultation with a trained mental health care professional will help establish a baseline for a treatment plan. Treatment plans and further care include the following:

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • Training in developing coping strategies
  • Social connection and engagement
  • Work programs
  • Care for anxiety and substance abuse

These are just some of the ways that Alter Behavioral Health is partnering with individuals living with ASD. If treated properly, ASD is not always a debilitating disorder. Many individuals live very happy and full lives by applying coping strategies and their unique skill base to their lives.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a genetic disorder that begins to show symptoms in early childhood. This disorder often is best observed in social and interpersonal interactions. Individuals with this disorder may have a hard time relating to their peers and engaging in “normal” social behaviors. Individuals with autism often develop issues with anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Whether it’s cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), developing coping techniques, or treating underlying conditions through medication, Alter Behavioral Health is prepared to offer the care needed to find a stable and enjoyable pace of life. For more information on services and treatment, call us today at (866) 691-4386. We are ready to help you live the life you want.

What Is the Difference Between Healthy and Unhealthy Coping Skills in Mental Health Treatment?

What Is the Difference Between Healthy and Unhealthy Coping Skills in Mental Health Treatment?

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When you are learning to live with a mental health disorder, coping skills can help you manage your emotions and feel relief from stress. However, no one really teaches you coping skills. People typically learn them by adult example during childhood.

Without those examples, a person may use unhealthy coping skills to manage difficult situations. They may not even know they are using unhealthy coping skills. However, through therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) offered at Alter Behavioral Health’s inpatient and outpatient programs, a person can learn the difference between healthy and unhealthy coping skills.

What Is Mental Health?

Society has come to give room for mental health; however, what does the term really mean? Mental health can be defined as “emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act.”

If you are struggling with your mental health, you may experience warning signs such as:

  • Eating or sleeping too much or too little
  • Having low or no energy
  • Experiencing unexplained aches and pains
  • Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual
  • Yelling or fighting with family and friends
  • Having persistent thoughts and memories you can’t get out of your head

Why Is It Important to Develop Coping Skills?

Sometimes when you have an endless list of tasks to accomplish, work to go to, and family to take care of, it can feel like the only option is to push through. Get things done; then, you can rest. However, by doing that, you ignore your feelings and ignore your mental health.

Ignoring your mental health only increases the feelings of stress. Symptoms of mental health problems, such as those listed above, may worsen. Coping skills allow you to manage overwhelming feelings in the moment. They allow you to manage your feelings, thoughts, and actions by yourself with mental and physical exercises. By doing so, you are able to live your life and find enjoyment rather than constant stress.

How Does a Person Learn Coping Skills?

Learning to manage your emotions and thoughts takes practice and work. Here is an example: a child steals a toy from another child. The child who has the toy stolen from them gets upset and begins crying. An adult steps in to console the crying child and provide options to fix the problem, such as providing comfort, talking to the child that stole, or finding a new toy.

In this example, a child learns that there are options to manage their emotions in challenging situations. Children need to see many interactions like this example. By having an adult help provide alternative options and ways to comfort themselves, they can learn ways to cope.

However, when someone experiences adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which are lasting traumatic events and situations, they may not have gotten the attention and help to learn coping skills.

Unhealthy Coping Skills

Living through ACEs, a person learns to survive and cope in different ways. ACEs are a wide variety of negative experiences, but examples include:

  • Experiencing violence, abuse, or neglect
  • Substance use in the home or community
  • Growing up in a home with low education

A child in an unstable household learns to survive in whatever ways are available to them. Those survival methods can work at the moment but, in the long run, be unhealthy.

One of the risk factors for developing substance use disorder (SUD) is ACEs. A person may turn to substances to cope with their memories or feelings. Mostly unknown to them, it is unhealthy since early and prolonged use of substances can develop into SUD.

Another example of unhealthy coping is when someone engages in random sex. There is no shame in a person having a healthy sex life, but when a person does so in unsafe ways, like having unprotected sex to escape their feelings, it can become dangerous. They can get hurt or contract a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Learning to cope with difficult situations is a strength, especially in a child. However, when a person continues to use unhealthy coping skills, especially if the coping skill is substance use, it can be hard to unlearn that.

Healthy Coping Skills

Every person has their own way of coping with stressful or painful situations and emotions. Coping has to be learned and practiced. You can be practicing coping skills and not even realize it. Coping with stress in a healthy way can be done by:

  • Take breaks from the news or social media
  • Taking deep breathes
  • Connecting with culture, community organizations, or church
  • Talking with a trusted friend

Coping skills can be almost anything as long as it comforts, soothes, and makes you feel safe.

Learning How to Cope Through Treatment

When you begin treatment at Alter Behavioral Health, you will participate in individual and group therapy. Your therapist and group facilitator will use aspects of different therapy modalities, such as CBT. Alter Behavioral Health also offers support services. These can help provide healing, education, or support in other aspects of life, not just the immediate symptoms of addiction. The support services include:

  • Psycho-education groups
  • Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
  • Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
  • Medication management
  • Treatment and discharge planning
  • Family and community services

With the support of these other services, you will immediately start learning new coping skills and life skills. Within groups, you hear how other people cope in situations to help inform you of options. Your therapist helps you work through problems and past situations to understand how you could have reacted, which helps inform your future actions. Just by being in and participating in therapy, you start to learn coping skills you may not have had before.

Has it seemed like the ways you deal with your life are not working anymore? Repressed and unprocessed emotions and memories can unconsciously affect you in your day-to-day life. Through Alter Behavioral Health’s treatment programs, you can discover how to feel your emotions appropriately and process them without engaging in unhealthy coping skills. We believe every person can heal with the right support; we aim to be that support for you. With three specialized facilities located in California, you can find the right treatment program to meet your individual healing needs. Contact us today at (866) 691-4386 to learn more about our locations and programs. Making the call is the first step in your healing journey.

Finding the Right Diagnosis: Anxiety and Comorbid Conditions

Finding the Right Diagnosis: Anxiety and Comorbid Conditions

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Finding the right diagnosis is potentially the most crucial step in receiving appropriate and effective care. Many people will seek help for an ongoing condition only to discover that there is another or multiple other conditions simultaneously at play. Comorbidity refers to the presence of multiple conditions in effect simultaneously or presenting themselves in an alternating fashion. Anxiety disorders can play a lead role and be an underlying condition in mental health diagnosis. A holistic evaluation of all the potential comorbid conditions is always beneficial in creating a treatment plan.

Diagnosing Anxiety

It is important to recognize that anxiety is a part of everyday life and also serves a vital purpose. Most people routinely experience anxiety, worry, and fear in their daily lives. When our bodies perceive an impending threat, it enters into a state of heightened awareness and readiness fueled by the release of adrenaline. This adrenaline release gives the body energy to move to safety or fight when threatened. It is an essential survival function. Discussion around disorders arises when there is no apparent threat, and yet the body remains in a state of readiness. 

Individuals with anxiety disorders often find that ordinary activities are enough to trigger intense feelings of fear, terror, worry, and anxiety. As these intense feelings persist, they begin to cause disruption and interference in the daily lives of the individual. Reports indicate that nearly 30% of Americans struggle with some type of anxiety disorder, making it the most common mental health disorder. The major anxiety disorders identified by the American Psychiatric Association are as follows:

  • Specific phobia
  • Social anxiety disorder
  • Panic disorder
  • Agoraphobia
  • Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
  • Separation anxiety disorder

Of these disorders, phobias and social anxiety disorders are the most prevalent. All of these disorders center around a strong physical reaction to a perceived threat. If anxiety disorders are left unchecked, they can easily become debilitating and lead to other health complications. Because of their broad and often pervasive nature, anxiety disorders create an environment for the comorbid condition to surface. Before the topic of comorbid conditions can be discussed, it is essential to know what causes anxiety disorders initially. 

The Origins of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders have many different potential points of origin. Though there is much uncertainty around the causes of anxiety disorders, the popular opinion amongst researchers is that they arise in response to early traumatic experiences. Experiences with sexual, emotional, or physical abuse have been closely linked to later developmental issues and mental health conditions such as anxiety. 

Researchers also suggest that prolonged exposure to intolerable conditions contributes to the formation of anxiety disorders. This may look like prolonged or consistent periods of neglect, starvation, malnutrition, and unsanitary living conditions. Anxiety disorders are especially prevalent in adults who witnessed traumatic events as children.

It is important to recognize that trauma is very subjective and varies case by case. What some may call an objectively traumatic experience may leave some individuals seemingly unaffected while others may develop debilitating conditions like anxiety. 

Anxiety issues can also spawn from underlying health issues. Many individuals who struggle with chronic illness and chronic pain also report heightened anxiety that interferes with their daily life. Some of these issues include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tumors, heart disease, diabetes, and chronic pain from autoimmune diseases.  

Finding the Right Diagnosis: Comorbid Conditions

Comorbidity, or having multiple conditions occurring simultaneously, is very common in individuals who struggle with anxiety disorders. Often people will try to find ways to alleviate their anxious feelings through self-medication or alternative means. 

One of the most common conditions that accompany anxiety disorders is substance use disorder (SUD). This disorder commonly develops as individuals try to self-medicate their anxiety disorder through narcotics and other harmful substances. The goal isn’t initially to develop an addiction but rather to find a way to cope with the anxiety and get back to a normal pace of life. Unfortunately, the dependency rate for many of the substances that are commonly used is very high.

Another common co-occurring disorder that accompanies anxiety disorders is depression. Depression and anxiety are commonly linked together as co-occurring disorders as they both have origins in early development. Research indicates that it is typically anxiety disorders usually manifest first in early adolescence, followed by depressive disorders in adolescence and early adulthood. 

Depression is very debilitating and can often have long-term effects. The following are some of the symptoms of depressive disorders:

  • Loss of motivation
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Dramatic weight gain or weight loss
  • Lethargy and low energy
  • Despair
  • Low sex drive
  • Withdrawal and isolation

Many individuals experience these symptoms for brief periods in their lives, which does immediately indicate a major depressive disorder. Depression is often confused with sadness. While some of the symptoms may be similar, depression occurs over a prolonged period, or episodes may happen consecutively. 

Getting the Right Diagnosis for Anxiety and Comorbid Conditions

Diagnosis is a crucial and often difficult part of evaluating a treatment plan. Assessing the disorder tricky because anxiety is commonly underlying another more prominent condition. For example, individuals who are addicted to substances may seek help for sobriety because that condition is prominent and utilizes a lot of energy. Meanwhile, their anxiety disorder is left unchecked. 

One of the most prominent forms of treatment for those who struggle with anxiety is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is a form of talk therapy that is conducted in a secure and confidential relationship between a client and a professional counselor. This form of therapy is especially effective for treating anxiety disorders because it is largely dedicated to processing and grieving traumatic experiences and developing coping strategies. Also, professional counselors can accurately assess if medications will be a useful tool in the therapeutic process. 

Anxiety disorders are serious conditions and should be handled with care. They can also be accompanied by a wide range of comorbid disorders that make diagnosis and treatment especially difficult. Many individuals try to self-medicate their anxiety disorders through the use of substances. This often makes matters even worse as the root of the anxiety is left unaddressed. At Alter Behavioral Health, we have developed special programs designed to treat anxiety disorders and all comorbid conditions. Individuals seeking help will be greeted by a highly qualified and skilled staff that is dedicated to providing the help and guidance needed to tackle these tough issues. For more information about our treatment plans and program, call (866) 691-4386.

Someone I Love Is Experiencing Dissociation: How Can I Help?

Someone I Love Is Experiencing Dissociation: How Can I Help?

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Watching a loved one go through a mental health crisis or learn to manage a new diagnosis can be challenging. You want to help but may not know how. Unfortunately, someone struggling with a mental illness, such as dissociation disorder, must be willing and open to help. If not, the assistance will not fix anything. However, if your loved one has asked for help or is open to it, there are ways you can encourage and help them while they learn to manage their dissociation.

What Is Dissociation?

Your mind and body may do things without your conscious realization to protect you. This usually happens in moments of severe trauma. Dissociation is one of those steps your brain takes. When someone is dissociating, they disconnect from their thoughts, feeling, memories, or sense of identity.

The Range of Dissociation Disorders

While a person can dissociate to protect themselves, some people with severe trauma may develop one of three dissociative disorders. It is essential to be educated on what your loved one is experiencing if you want to provide help. 

Dissociative Amnesia

With dissociative amnesia, a person realizes they are experiencing a lapse in memory. However, the event was so traumatic or stressful that the person dissociates. This can cause memory loss for days, weeks, and sometimes years. Dissociative amnesia can cause patchy memories, trouble remembering entire life events, and specific memory loss, like a person or year.

Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder

When someone has this type of dissociative disorder, they report feeling detached from their own life. People may feel like they do not know or recognize themselves. This can cause further issues engaging in their lives. Someone with depersonalization-derealization disorder may struggle with concentrating and memory retention.

Dissociative Identity Disorder

Previously known as multiple personality disorder, dissociative identity disorder (DID) is where someone develops one or more identities or personalities. However, dissociative identity is more accurate to what occurs for a person with DID.

A person with multiple identities may switch between them involuntarily. They can have different characters, ways of acting, or body movement. DID is the body’s way of coping with extreme trauma. When a person switches from one identity to another, it protects the first identity from having to experience or remember the event. 

Tips for Helping a Loved One With Dissociation

If someone is experiencing dissociation, that can be a sign of a deeper issue. Dissociation symptoms, in some cases, mimic depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or DID. Encouraging your loved one to seek treatment may be the best option. However, there are small things you can do to help.

Grounding Techniques

An aspect of dissociation is a disconnection from reality. It can therefore be helpful for the person to practice grounding techniques or coping skills. The purpose of grounding techniques is to help a person connect back to the physical world. This can help them reconnect their mind to the present. 

Examples of grounding techniques include the following: 

  • Sitting outside with the person, legs in the grass or on concrete, putting pressure on or massaging their hands
  • Having the person sit on a chair, feet flat on the ground, hands flat on thighs, and put mild pressure onto their shoulders
  • Mental games or puzzles, such as counting, reciting something, describing objects, or describing objects around the person 

Decrease Stressors

Increases in stress can cause a person to dissociate. Help your loved one to lessen the frequency of dissociation by finding ways to decrease stressors. You can do small things or help them with the thing that causes extreme anxiety, such as grocery shopping. Also, allowing them room to make mistakes or not be present is important in alleviating stress. 

Let Them Complete Tasks by Themselves

Since an aspect of dissociative disorders is a lack of identity or connection to themselves, you can help a loved one by encouraging them to do things for themselves. This can help them be more in the present. These do not have to be difficult tasks, but smaller ones, like caring for their living area. 

Treatment Programs That Help With Dissociation

Encouraging a loved one to seek treatment may include helping them research treatment options. There are many programs and facilities out there, and it can be hard to know which one to choose. Alter Behavioral Health is an excellent place to start. Depending on your loved ones’ needs or disorders, there are two avenues they can take.

Inpatient

While in inpatient programs, a person will work on building trust between them and their therapist and treatment team. With trust, they can work together to identify sources of trauma and stabilize emotions. Having healthy, consistent meals, rest, physical care, and overall wellness allow a person to focus on healing while still getting all their needs met. 

The Irvine residential program provides consistent monitoring. This is another benefit, as someone who struggles with dissociation or a dissociative disorder may also engage in self-harm. Alter Behavioral Health helps a person plan and stick to a plan of safety.

Outpatient

Some trauma can stick with you for life. Ongoing care, with psychotherapy and medication management, can be found in the outpatient program at Alter Behavioral Health, located in Laguna Beach. 

Outpatient treatment is designed to support a person with their symptoms while living their lives. To combat regression, retraumatization, or stressors inducing disorder symptoms, continued outpatient treatment can be extremely beneficial. Facilities offer different options for outpatient treatment, usually combining a couple of hours of group therapy and individual therapy sessions. This support lasts for as long as the person needs to heal. 

Are you struggling with knowing where to start with mental health treatment? Does it feel like all of the facilities promise the same outcomes? With Alter Behavioral Health, there are no false promises but achievable outcomes. Through highly structured clinical programs, evidence-based interventions, and a focus on maintaining and improving functioning abilities, you receive the help you specifically need. At Alter Behavioral Health, our compassionate team is waiting for you and your loved ones to lean on. No one should have to manage a mental health disorder alone. Our team is here for you. Contact us today at (866) 691-4386 to start the conversation. Let our team welcome you and help you start working towards your goals.

How Can Alter Behavioral Health Help Me Replace Negative Behavioral Patterns With Healthy Ones?

How Can Alter Behavioral Health Help Me Replace Negative Behavioral Patterns With Healthy Ones?

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People’s emotions and behavior are connected. Negative thoughts and emotions can lead to inappropriate coping methods, such as using substances or having unsafe sex. However, with the proper skills and tools, you can manage your emotions and control your behavior.

Why Treat Negative Patterns of Behavior?

Stigmas, or negative attitudes and beliefs, against people with mental health disorders continue to exist in society, even though more and more people are open and honest about their mental health. When people hold prejudice against a whole group of people, it can impede people from seeking help when they have more serious mental concerns.

Negative behavior can be normal like a child throwing a tantrum because they do not know how to communicate. However, some negative behaviors can be learned to help a person survive. For example, if a child does not get their needs met at home, like food, they may turn to stealing or bullying to get what they need. Their behavior can continue into adulthood, even if they learn right from wrong. This is because the negative behavior helped and protected them in the past. As a result, they will continue to engage in this behavior.

Treating negative patterns of behavior, especially early on, can help break cycles of trauma, mental illness, poverty, and other negative life outcomes.

Therapies to Combat Negative Symptoms of Mental Illness

With three locations in California, Alter Behavioral Health provides compassionate, judgment-free care to help you understand and manage your mental health. This is done primarily through cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).

Exploring CBT

During negative experiences of traumas, especially in childhood, a person can learn unhealthy behaviors and ways of surviving. For example, if a child grows up in a home where their parents neglect them, they may attempt to do anything to make their parents happy and pay attention to them. This can cause that child to grow up insecure in relationships or a people-pleaser with an underlying disorder.

With disorders like anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), CBT is used to identify patterns of thinking and false beliefs. When you can identify and see what you are doing to harm yourself, it is easier to change that behavior or stop it.

What Else Does Alter Behavioral Health Offer to Help with Negative Patterns?

From birth until approximately 17 years of age, traumatic experiences are called adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). During these experiences, a person may not receive the proper teachings that help them become an independent adult. Since ACEs affect a person’s psychological, physical, and spiritual well-being, Alter Behavioral Health offers five other support services besides CBT or other therapies.

#1. Holistic Approach

The first service you will receive at Alter Behavior Health is a holistic approach to your healing and treatment. Your symptoms of anxiety, depression, or whatever is ailing you do not define you. There is more to you than your negative thinking or behavior.

Holistic treatment, or whole-person wellness, focuses on the whole person’s wellness and health, not just the symptoms of your disorder. That way, you get to heal all aspects of yourself that were harmed.

#2. Individual and Group Support

With Alter Behavioral Health, you receive a minimum of two individual therapy sessions a week for the duration of your treatment. This is combined with various group therapies to support you while you heal. While some parts of your healing are private and just for you to share with your therapist as you are ready, other parts of treatment require others’ help.

When you have only ever known dysfunction in your family, social life, school, work, or other parts of your life, you would not have learned appropriate behavior or interactions. Through group therapy and psychoeducational groups, you learn how to communicate with others and be in a community with them. Within that, you learn appropriate group functions, such as family dynamics or navigating a program with someone you do not like.

#3. Medication Management

When you have a mental health disorder, the chemicals in your brain may be processed or produced at different rates than others. This can cause intense emotions, impaired comprehension, and more. Sometimes medications can help balance out those chemicals, helping your body produce them or providing hormones.

Medications can be beneficial in the early stages of healing, or in general, depending on your disorder. When you go through Alter Behavioral Health’s programs, you receive education on your existing medications, adjustments to medications or dosage, and help to keep to your medication schedule. Having assistance with your medication provides stress relief and allows you to focus on other aspects of healing.

#4. Family and Community Services

Regardless, while you are there with others in treatment, it can sometimes feel isolating. From your first week at Alter Behavioral Health, you receive support and encouragement to reach out to your family. During treatment, you will work on reconnecting with your social circle. If your previous social circle was unhealthy, you can receive support through therapy on how to establish a new social network.

During treatment, you are healing from psychological, physical, social, and emotional trauma. That is very sensitive work. You should not be on that journey alone, which is why establishing social connections is essential in treatment.

#5. Treatment and Discharge Planning

You know yourself best, meaning you should be part of your treatment planning. At Alter Behavioral Health, you can meet with your medical doctor weekly to discuss your progress and specific needs.

While in treatment, you receive near-constant support. Returning to your life without that support can feel scary, unknown, and alien. This is why another support service is helping you plan for discharge, prepare you to return home, and establish post-discharge plans.

Do you find yourself doing things months ago you would not have? Are you struggling with your thoughts and actions? This could be a sign that something internal needs attention. Due to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), you can learn unhealthy ways of coping, which is a survival technique. At Alter Behavioral Health, without judgment and with compassion, we can help you identify unhealthy behavior and thought patterns. From this, our clinical team can help you understand how to manage your emotions with the skills to back them up. With our evidence-based therapies, you can work with your medical doctor to design a treatment plan. Contact us today at (866) 691-4386.

How Can CBT Help Me Prioritize My Mental Health?

How Can CBT Help Me Prioritize My Mental Health?

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Before COVID, it was not uncommon for a person to be told they could only take a certain number of sick days. It was a bit taboo to use those days for mental health care. Since the pandemic has exposed everyone to new viruses and stressors, it has also revealed the need to care for your mental health. Through different psychotherapies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), a person can learn to manage their emotions and prioritize their mental health.

How Can CBT Help?

To help alleviate thoughts and pressure from stress, CBT aims to help you:

  • Become aware of automatic, inaccurate, and harmful ways of thinking
  • Come to understand how your thoughts affect your emotions 
  • Understand that your emotions affect your behavior
  • Learn to question inaccurate thoughts
  • Change self-defeating patterns

Treating Mental Health Disorders With CBT

Mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression have inaccurate thinking patterns that increase the symptoms of the disorder. By engaging in CBT, a person can learn to identify and manage their thoughts.  

Other mental health disorders can benefit from CBT, such as: 

  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Schizophrenia
  • Borderline personality disorder
  • Dissociative identity disorder

Evidence has shown CBT to be effective in treating disorders that disrupt thoughts and emotions, making it a widely used therapy model. Some therapies come from the CBT model, like exposure therapy or motivational interviewing (MI). Combined together or used with other forms of therapy, a person can find help for their unique needs.

How to Know if CBT Treatment Is Right for You?

In a quality treatment program, such as Alter Behavioral Health, “Accurate diagnosis is where treatment starts.” Many people struggle with an anxiety disorder, but anxiety can also be a symptom of different disorders. PTSD can present as depression. Dissociative disorders can look like anxiety disorders. Sadly, due to human error and not using the latest discoveries in mental health science, some treatment facilities or therapists may misdiagnose you. 

Starting with an accurate diagnosis, at Alter Behavioral Health, we offer you weekly meetings with your medical doctor and treatment team meetings to go over progress and needs. This is where it will be figured out if CBT is the right treatment modality for you. With the help of professionals, CBT is effective in helping to relieve anxiety.

Prioritizing Your Mental Health With Lessons Learned Through CBT

CBT teaches a person that their feelings, emotions, and behavior are all connected. Negative or inaccurate thinking like “I’m not worthy” is just that: false and negative. To help you remember that, here are five lessons you can take away from CBT.

#1. Focus On Yourself

Living your own life and finding enjoyment in it is enough work. Other people’s business, happiness, and mental health are on them to manage and take care of. You cannot always give your full energy and attention to other people. Sometimes all your energy has to be reserved for you. Especially while you are in treatment, you have to focus on yourself. Worrying about others’ thoughts, emotions, and behavior may only harm your healing.

#2. Block or Challenge Negative Thoughts

Thoughts cannot be allowed to run rampant. Negative thinking can be learned from many different areas of life, such as from abuse or bullying. Those negative thoughts are other people’s inaccurate thoughts pushed on you. By continuing to think those thoughts, you are giving those people in your past power.

Through CBT, you learn to block, challenge, or replace negative thoughts with positive or realistic thoughts. Reality-checking is a way to question yourself and ground your thoughts in what is happening. When you can see it, it is hard to argue with reality.

#3. Keep Your Body Healthy

When you go through a treatment program, you take part in more than therapy. There will also be skill-building courses or social-educational groups. One of the more important lessons may be that your brain and body are connected more than people realize.

If you are not properly fed, all of your brain’s and body’s energy goes into keeping you going. When you push your limits, your brain cannot think, focus, or make healthy decisions. All your brain power will go to keeping you alive. This is why taking care of your body’s health is just as important when prioritizing your mental health.

#4. Incorporate Healthy Life Changes

Starting with your nutrition and body health is a good place to start. However, for CBT to be effective in relieving your anxiety, you may also have to make some lifestyle changes. 

Due to psychological issues developed from trauma, people sometimes maladapt to their circumstances. Examples of this include inappropriate ways of coping, like abusing substances or sacrificing health care money to go out with friends. Learning healthier lifestyle changes, like budgeting, meal planning, and caring for your home, can help improve your overall well-being.

#5. Engage in Ongoing Therapy

When you have a mental health disorder, you have to learn to live with it. If you do not, it can control your life. Another takeaway from CBT is that sometimes you need ongoing therapy. Learning this and accepting it is important if this is the case for you.

There is no shame in continuing therapy or treatment. Many people do it, which is why there are specific programs to support you after you finish treatment. Alter Behavioral Health offers the platform Mindfuli as an accessible way to continue getting mental health care and support and a place where you can be heard.

There is so much going on in the world and a lot going on in people’s individual lives. School, work, family, romantic partners, and thinking about the future all can become intolerable when you are not giving your mental health care and attention. Prioritizing your mental health can be a challenge, but with Alter Behavioral Health healing any mental health disorder becomes approachable. With compassionate staff who use evidence-based therapies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), Alter Behavioral Health offers some of the topmost care in Orange County. Contact us today at (866) 691-4386 to start the conversation. Your healing can start sooner than you think.

How Can I Effectively Manage Bipolar Disorder In the Workplace?

How Can I Effectively Manage Bipolar Disorder In the Workplace?

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When a person has bipolar disorder, they will find that it weaves itself into all aspects of their life. This holds true for both home and work. When bipolar begins affecting someone’s job, it can start to feel overwhelming in an entirely new way. However, there are a variety of ways to deal with it and make it far less problematic.

What Is Bipolar Disorder?

When a person is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, it can mean a variety of things. The issue that comes with diagnosing is that bipolar disorder exists on a scale. That being said, it is primarily a chemical imbalance in the brain. Some people may feel overwhelmed, while others may have low-level symptoms.

These symptoms can include:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Extreme mood swings
  • Irrational thoughts
  • Insomnia
  • Manic episodes

Some people may experience these symptoms for short periods with very little warning. Others may find they have consistent issues that feel completely unmanageable. In the most extreme cases, people will find that their inability to sleep will keep them awake for days, leading to irrational behavior and possible hospitalization.

How Can Bipolar Disorder Affect Work?

For people with bipolar disorder, work can become a minefield. Regardless of an individual’s profession, the ups and downs of bipolar disorder can create an erratic environment. 

The other problem is that work, unlike a person’s personal life, is often far less about the individual and more about the community around them. When a person has a manic or depressive episode, it may feel as though it becomes everyone else’s problem.

Another issue is the stigma surrounding mental health. People may believe they are being judged for their disorders and the behaviors that arise from them. Also, in most professions, it is illegal for employers to ask about your medical/mental health history. This may lead to questions about performance issues that cannot be answered or that individuals do not feel comfortable sharing.

What Treatments Exist to Help Create Coping Techniques for Bipolar Disorder?

Thankfully, there are a number of treatments available to those who require assistance coping with their bipolar disorder.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

One of the most common forms of talk therapy is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Clients will work with a mental health professional in a structured environment, attending a certain number of sessions. CBT helps people become aware of inaccurate or negative thinking so they can view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them more effectively.

Medication-Assisted Treatment

Often coupled with talk therapy, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is the use of medications in treatment. It is used in combination with therapeutic techniques to help provide an overall approach to the treatment of various disorders. Medications relieve the issues that accompany chemical imbalances in the mind. When provided at the proper dose, medications used in MAT have no adverse effects on a person’s mental capability.

Family Psychoeducation

A technique that helps people with bipolar disorder is family psychoeducation (FPE). This approach is designed to help families and individuals with mental health disorders better understand their conditions while working together to assist with real-world problems.

The process involves families coming together to create a social support group for their loved ones. Together, they will learn to problem-solve specific situations and learn how to develop better coping skills. When this happens successfully, individuals will realize they are surrounded by a supportive community that has taken the time to educate themselves. This can make it easier to have conversations regarding a person’s bipolar disorder.

How to Implement Bipolar Disorder Techniques at Work

The best part about starting the healing process and learning more about a disorder is that individuals can immediately begin to implement new techniques.

Self-Confidence

One of the first things that will change is the way a person looks at themself. There will be an immediate boost to confidence as they realize the people around them are more concerned with their output and ability to do their job. It can be refreshing to realize that coworkers are not sitting in judgment and that they value the way a person handles themselves in the workplace.

Interpersonal Skills

A particular set of techniques a person will learn through therapy programs are interpersonal skills. These are especially important when in a work environment and there is a bipolar episode. It is important to remember that the way a person is able to understand the people around them, the better they can be at handling themselves. 

There may be people who are taken into confidence as part of the social safety network. These are coworkers that can be counted among those a person trusts to pull aside and have a quick talk about how they are feeling. This may be enough to get a person through the episode.

Putting Self First

Although work is important, people will be shown how to put themselves first. When this happens, the idea of taking a quick walk or using a lunch break to self-reflect does not seem strange or out of place. The idea of putting work first will often get in the way. However, when individuals take care of themselves, work will feel that much easier.

There Is Hope

Every person has difficulties with work. The only difference is that those with bipolar disorder often feel that their difficulties spring from within and are erratic. With the right kinds of therapy and implementation, work will become just another day. Handling it will begin to feel like nothing more than having some additional self-reflection.

Living with bipolar disorder can be difficult. However, it can feel even more insidious when it begins to become an issue at work. Even for those who have their disorder under control, the idea of its effects seeping into one’s work life can be frightening. There are even people that fear losing their jobs should they have a bipolar episode. Alter Behavioral Health can offer outpatient programs to help people control their bipolar disorder and learn coping mechanisms. Regardless of where they are in their mental health journey, they will find that this additional advice and direction can create a sense of well-being. For more information, call Alter Behavioral Health at (866) 691-4386.

What Is Stress Response Syndrome?

What Is Stress Response Syndrome?

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For many people, stress is a daily issue. However, there are times in our lives when something causes us so much stress that our response may feel overwhelming. That is when people may develop stress response syndrome.

How Does Stress Affect the Mind and Body?

Stress has a much higher impact on the mind and body than people think. It may be one of the most insidious ways the body counteracts its own best intentions. When we are upset, our bodies attempt to protect us by releasing certain chemicals into the brain. These sometimes overload our systems, causing imbalances that cause negative reactions.

We are also programmed with a fight-or-flight response. When stressed, our bodies flood with even more chemicals that make our muscles tense, our jaws clench, and our heart rate increase. It may even produce issues in the gastrointestinal system.

Should these issues not be dealt with, we will be left tired, haggard, and emotional with no real place to put it all. When this happens too often, it can have a profound effect on our daily lives and mental health.

Disorders Caused by Stress Response Syndrome

Consistent stress can develop into complex disorders for people with excessive stress response syndrome. These can include:

  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Mood disorders
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Insomnia

These are only a handful of the mental health issues that can arise from stress response syndrome.

For these reasons, it is important to seek treatment as early as possible. The good news is that these are all treatable disorders. For many people, seeking professional treatment for something like stress may feel excessive. However, the toll it takes on the mind and body necessitates immediate treatment to prevent the worsening of issues or even added problems down the line.

Forms of Treatment

There are a variety of treatments for stress response syndrome and the disorders that arise from it. Alter Behavioral Health is at the forefront of this care and is eager to share our knowledge and facility with those seeking assistance.

Interpersonal therapy

One of the most well-known versions of treatment is interpersonal therapy. In this scenario, clients focus on their current relationships and how recent life changes may be affecting their behaviors. These sessions will often lead to breakthroughs regarding one’s stress responses and how their current life issues are affecting and being affected by stress and stressful situations.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

A form of talk therapy that is often used to assist with mental health is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). This is a technique related to interpersonal therapy. However, the difference is to concentrate on changing one’s thought process and behavior. A medical professional will address the root of the problem but will primarily concentrate on changing one’s mindset. The thought is that when a person concentrates on looking forward, they will require less focus on their past.

Medication-Assisted Treatment

For people with overarching issues that cannot be immediately or completely assisted with therapy, there may also be assistance in medication-assisted treatment (MAT). It is important to remember that MAT does not exist alone. It is most often utilized as a secondary “booster” with consistent therapeutic care.

Some individuals prefer to remain unmedicated. However, medical professionals will advise them about how medication can help them, even on a temporary basis.

Why Stress Response Syndrome Isn’t Forever

The main thing for people to remember is that when people struggle with stress response syndrome and related disorders, it does not mean they will feel this way for the rest of their lives. With the proper medication and mental health therapy, these disorders are manageable.

For many people, spending time in a recovery center such as Alter Behavioral Health can be a very helpful experience. The concept of being able to be in a completely safe space surrounded by caring staff and a calming environment can aid a person’s recovery. When they are allowed to focus on themselves and not worry about the outside world for a period of time it can accelerate the healing process. People living with stress response syndrome and related disorders are not only welcome but encouraged to find a program that fits them, their needs, and their lifestyle.

It should also be known that not every condition requires inpatient assistance. For some people, regular visits through outpatient programs can be exactly what they need. Much of the care required can be done through regular visits to medical professionals.

Regardless of how care is implemented, regular sessions are encouraged so that the person can create an ongoing, healthy state of mind. Once their new baseline is established, they will find care to be an integral part of their lives. When proper mental health becomes routine, it will become even more effective.

At Alter Behavioral Health, our first priority is the welfare of our clients. Regardless of their condition, our exceptional and knowledgeable staff will ensure that each individual receives the care they need. Whether staying with us or utilizing our outpatient program, each individual will learn that their condition is treatable. We understand the difficulty in accepting care and will do everything we can to assuage any fears. Each client is different, and therefore, their care is highly individualized. They will be matched with a medical professional who will create a plan of care unique to them. For more information about our program and how we can help you, call Alter Behavioral Health today at (866) 691-4386.