Education
Please find definitions to a variety of terms related to River Point Behavioral Health. We want to help you learn more about different mental health symptoms and issues.
Behavioral Health Terms
Acute care is treatment that utilizes a medical model. For many people dealing with complicated medical and psychological problems, acute care offers an opportunity for our medical staff to more closely monitor them and appropriately oversee their condition.
Aftercare provides continued support to patients transitioning back into their community. Alumni can attend a no cost weekly support session and discuss issues that may have come about at home, school or in the community.
Alcohol abuse is excessive use of alcohol and alcoholic drinks.
Alcohol addiction is habitual intoxication caused by prolonged and excessive intake of alcoholic drinks. This leads to a breakdown in health and an addiction to alcohol such that abrupt deprivation leads to severe withdrawal symptoms.
Anxiety disorders cause distress so severe it interferes with a person’s ability to lead a normal life. For people with anxiety disorders, worry and fear are constant, overwhelming and sometimes crippling.
Behavioral health programs are designed to help individuals and their families find ways to improve their ability to be productive, cope with life problems and have fulfilling relationships. They are intended to provide people with new skills to reduce conflicts and live normal daily lives.
Bipolar disorder (manic depression) is a serious illness that can lead to risky behavior, damaged relationships and careers and even suicidal tendencies if it is not treated. It is characterized by extreme changes in mood (from mania to depression).
Chemical dependency is a pattern of substance use leading to clinically significant impairment. This can be both a physical and emotional dependence on the substance.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is based on the premise that moods and feelings are influenced by thoughts and that psychological disturbances are often caused by habitual errors in thinking. Cognitive therapy can help correct distorted thinking, and behavior can test the reality of distorted thoughts.
Depression is a state of intense sadness, melancholia or despair that has advanced to the point of being disruptive to social functioning and daily living. One suffering from depression may feel tired, sad, irritable, lazy, unmotivated and apathetic. Clinical depression often leads to constant negative thinking and sometimes substance abuse.
Detoxification is the removal of toxic substances from the body. There are significant risks to stopping some drugs and alcohol “cold turkey”. Detox involves abstinence to clear the drug from the body, accompanied by social and environmental support during the associated physiological and psychological changes.
Dual diagnosis describes when a person is affected by both a psychiatric disorder and chemical dependency. This is also referred to as co-occurring disorders.
Intensive outpatient programs (IOP) are intended for clients who need more intensive treatment than traditional outpatient services, but do not need the structure and security of inpatient care. It allows patients to transition back to their home environment and continue their recovery process. Our IOPs meet five days a week, for three hours each session. Length of treatment varies based on individual needs.
Mental health is the psychological state of someone who is functioning at a satisfactory level of emotional and behavioral adjustment.
Mood disorders are conditions whereby the prevailing emotional mood is distorted or inappropriate to circumstances. The two major types of mood disorders are depression and bipolar disorder.
Multidisciplinary treatment teams are groups of healthcare professionals who work together to provide holistic treatment to patients. These teams are comprised of physicians, psychologists, nurses, therapists, nutritionists and other specialists who work together to make recommendations on the patient’s care.
Partial hospitalization programs (PHP) are comprehensive, short-term outpatient programs for adults with emotional or mental difficulties, and who may have substance abuse problems. It is more concentrated than traditional outpatient care and structured to provide medical monitoring and therapeutic services.
Psychiatric hospitals provide care and treatment to patients affected with acute or chronic mental illness. They are also called mental hospital.
Psychiatrists are medical specialists who deal with the prevention, assessment, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of mental illness. They work to relieve mental suffering associated with disorder and improve mental well-being. Psychiatry adopts a medical approach but may take in to account biological, psychological, social and cultural perspectives.
Psychologists are scientists or clinicians who study psychology, the systematic investigation of the human mind. They are categorized under several different fields, the most recognized being clinical psychologists (provide mental health care) and research psychologists (collect information on people’s minds).
Residential treatment allows patients to participate in therapy groups in a compassionate, comfortable environment. The average length of stay is four to six weeks depending on individualized needs. An important component is the family week, which provides education, coping strategies and healing to the entire family.
Substance abuse describes when a person uses a substance as a coping skill. Generally, substance abuse is thought to involve alcohol, prescription medications or illegal drugs. However, caffeine and food can also be substances of abuse.
Trauma is a disordered psychic or behavioral state resulting from severe mental stress or physical injury. Trauma can be sexual, emotional or physical in nature.
TRICARE® is the US Military’s healthcare plan for active military personnel, veterans and their dependents. The benefit is also available to some members of the Selected Reserve and their dependents.
