[kfalt]

Hey so my therapist recommended a residential treatment center for me to go to this summer. I was very surprised because I don't consider myself to be very severely mentally ill. I have OCD but it's much better now because of Prozac; I consider it to be mild but she says that’s not true. Most of my OCD involves praying frequently and occasionally pulling up socks and stuff like that. I also pick at my head which I don’t think is a big deal since I am not creating scabs or anything like that. What is more severe is my social anxiety. I don’t have any friends and barely talk to people outside my family. I’m always uncomfortable around people and worried I’m going to say the wrong thing but I also find I just don’t really like other people. I think I might have some mild depression as well—I’m not really into the idea of existence (on a philosophical level) and lack a lot of motivation. I spoke to the guidance counselor at my school today and she said that instead of residential, I could just switch therapists or leave school and do a 2-week day hospital program at Johns Hopkins or at Sheppard Pratt. What do people think about day hospitals/partial hospitalization? Am I really severe enough?

[Teddy Bear]

Ask your therapist why they think you're a good candidate for this type of treatment.

[hvert]

From an outside perspective, your symptoms sound like they significantly affect your quality of life. I think we get used to being the way we are. We live with it every day and it just seems normal.

I don't know anything about treatment options, though. Teddy Bear has a good point that the therapist should explain why the residential option is better than some other option. Has this therapist been working for you?

[Rose76]

You sound similar to me in some ways. I spent a couple months in a partial hospitalization program. It was well worth doing. I found that I had a lot in common with my peers in the program, which I wasn't expecting to be true. I would encourage you to give it a shot. Like you, I didn't consider myself severely mentally ill. Neither were a lot of others who attended the program I went to.

A few years ago I tried psycho-social rehab. That truly was for individuals who seemed pretty severely afflicted, so I dropped out the second or third day. It struck me as "daycare" for the mentally ill - like for adults who couldn't really be left home alone when their families weren't home to watch them. Many were pretty low functioning.

I think your social anxiety and lack of connection to people beyond your family could improve by something that gets you out around others in a structured setting.

Great points above...

Pose this question to your mental healthcare provider. Ask them too what the goal is in doing so. Ask them if they feel this is achievable.

I too am leaning towards following through with this recommendation. If your mental health is sufficiently poor enough that it impacts your daily life then yes, it is bad enough to warrant treatment.

I spent a summer hospitalised several years ago. I am not saying it was pleasant but it was not that bad.

[seesaw]

I have done a 30 day residential treatment and 4 weeks of partial hospitalization. I found them both to be helpful in different ways. If you feel like PHP would work better for you, then try it. Residential treatment centers are open year round, the one I went to was in Florida and was pretty nice.

[Teflon]

Go with your gut instinct. Personally I would get a better therapist

[*Laurie*]

I think the program would be helpful and probably even enjoyable. And, if you don't like how it's going, quit.