6 Reasons Why Residential Treatment for Anxiety Is Helpful During Times of Crisis

When going through a crisis situation, it’s normal for anxiety to rise. But when you get to the point that you simply aren’t coping, when you can’t function normally or care for yourself, it may be time to seek professional help. While there are many options, getting care through residential treatment programs is especially beneficial in times like these. They provide safety, focused care, time and space to practice better coping, and the ability to get support from a variety of mental health experts.

While a crisis situation triggers some degree of anxiety in most people, some will cope and recover more easily than others. How do you know if your anxiety is normal or if it has crossed the line into a mental health issue that requires residential treatment for anxiety disorders? Here are some signs:

• You constantly feel restless, tense, stressed, and worried.
• You can’t get away from a sense of impending doom or panic.
• Sleeping has become difficult.
• Concentrating on tasks or making decisions is impossible.
• You have physical symptoms, like gastrointestinal problems, an increased heart rate, sweating, trembling, and fatigue.
• You often feel frozen, as if you can’t do anything.
• You are unable to manage normal responsibilities or find pleasure in activities or the company of your loved ones.

If you’re wondering whether or not you need professional support for anxiety during this difficult time, the answer is probably yes. There are some very good reasons to choose a residential program to get through it.

1. Feel Safe, Immediately.

A major part of anxiety during a crisis is fear. Things are changing, you have little to no control over the situation, and you don’t know what will happen next—if things will get better or worse. These sensations can get overwhelming and lead to a great deal of stress and anxiety, and even a breakdown.

An outpatient therapist can certainly help you, but what a residential program can provide is an instant sense of security. A safe environment, monitored 24 hours a day by mental health professionals, ensures that you feel protected. And this will allow you to fully engage in treatment and learn how to cope with anxiety and stress. It also provides a structured environment with routines in place, which is useful in managing anxiety.

2. Receive the Benefits of an Entire Team of Mental Health Experts.

Only residential centers can offer you a team of supportive mental health professionals. In a treatment program, you will get to work with a therapist one-on-one. Additionally, you’ll benefit from working with experts in holistic health, alternative therapies, and other types of treatment a single therapist cannot offer. With a larger team of professionals, there will be those who can help with any co-occurring issues that arise in your evaluation, like past trauma, eating disorders, or substance use disorders.

Residential treatment facilities provide a range of services from a team of experts, but not in a random way. When you enter treatment, you will undergo a thorough evaluation to get diagnoses and to inform your treatment plan. Expect to contribute to the planning of a program that is tailored to your exact needs so you get a better treatment experience and outcome. You will not be forced into a one-size-fits-all plan in a good residential center.

3. Get Guidance on All Aspects of Wellness.

Being able to manage anxiety well depends on more than just therapy, coping strategies, and exploring triggers for negative emotions. The best way to heal from this and become more resilient in the face of great stress is to work on overall wellness. When you shore up all areas of your health, you become better equipped to cope with external, stressful situations and crises.

This means taking care of your mental, physical, spiritual, and social health. In a treatment center, you’ll have staff on hand to make sure you eat well, medical care to manage your physical health needs, and staff who can guide you through mindfulness practices, meditation, yoga, exercise, and other beneficial activities.

4. Support and Be Supported by Your Peers in Residential Care.

Social support is essential for better mental health. This holds true for everyone in all stages of life and all situations. Your social network can help you in times of great stress and crisis. And it extends to being in treatment. Your treatment will be more effective when you have the support you need, beyond that of your professional caregivers.

In a residential treatment program, you get the benefit of a built-in peer support system. The other residents are going through their own unique experiences, but you all have things in common and are all working toward recovery. Only in residential care will you get to form these supportive relationships with your peers that contribute to your own recovery. Your loved ones may support and care about you, but unlike your treatment peers, they don’t understand what you are experiencing. Their support is important but limited in that way.

5. Avoid the Risks of Substance Abuse.

A dual diagnosis of anxiety disorder and substance use disorder is common. Whether you are in recovery from addiction or have never had an issue with drinking or drugs, it may be tempting to turn to substances for relief when anxiety peaks during a crisis.

If you have struggled with drinking or drugs in the past, anxiety can be a very serious trigger for a relapse. Studies show that even people who have gone through treatment for addiction are more likely to relapse if they also have anxiety. What a residential center can provide is a safe place where relapse isn’t possible. Even if you have never had a substance use disorder, staying in treatment can prevent a problem from starting.

6. Residential Treatment Now Will Make You More Resilient in the Future.

Your current crisis that triggered anxiety will pass. The situation will resolve eventually, and life will return to some sense of normality. Another crisis in the future is likely to trigger a similar, or even worse, reaction. If you get solid treatment now, it will help you later when you face another difficult situation. Whether it’s a personal loss or another scary public health crisis, the resilience you gain in today’s treatment will make you stronger and better able to cope.

A crisis causes stress and can even be traumatizing. It’s not unusual to develop problematic anxiety in a time like this, a degree of anxiety that you just can’t manage on your own. You could turn to an outpatient program, but there are so many benefits of taking a deep dive into treatment in a residential center. Most of all, it will provide you with a solid foundation for better coping and better mental health in the future.

Anxiety Disorder Treatment at Bridges

Bridges to Recovery offers comprehensive treatment for people struggling with bipolar disorder and other mental health issues and co-occurring substance use disorders. Contact us to learn more about our renowned Los Angeles programs and how we can help you or your loved one start on the path to lasting wellness.