When outpatient care isn’t enough
This is usually the level of care that families will start off with. Seeing an individual therapist one a week, every two weeks, or once a month is normal. You may throw in there joining some sort of specific group therapy (example: DBT group for young adults) in addition to seeing the individual therapist to add-to. And for those with serious family conflicts, family therapy can sometimes be a bonus. Before you know it though, a lot of your free time is spent with outpatient services and yet nothing feels like it’s moving forward.
Whether it’s the parent, the young adult, or the Therapist directly that says “this isn’t working” it is something that may happen. And when it does, you have to know where to go next. Typically, moving away from your current living environment is what will really start to make a difference. We are now transitioning to a “residential” level of care.
When outpatient care isn’t working, it feels equivalent to trying to make a 5-point turn only to reverse and drive forward in to the same exact position without turning the wheel. You might as well bang your head against a wall. It’s not working. You need more, and that’s totally okay.
What is important to note is that when you transition to a higher level of care and it does help, then after a specific length of time in residential, you can step back down to outpatient. At that point you will have learned new skills, done a lot of therapeutic work, and you’ll have the self-awareness to identify when you are stuck in that car pulling forward, and reversing right back into the same position. You will not only have the awareness that it’s happening, but you’ll also have the ability to pull yourself out of it.
When you realize that outpatient care isn’t doing it for you or for your loved one, seek guidance. Just Googling treatment will get you in a heap of trouble! Have a professional to guide you so you know what you’re doing. That way you get the right care the first time, and then you can ultimately transition back successfully to that outpatient level of care.
For questions or comments contact Joanna.
