Mental Health Treatment
in South Florida
Navigating the intricate world of mental health care isn’t a one-size-fits-all journey. At Ambrosia Behavioral Health, our experienced clinicians and mental health professionals don’t just offer solutions, they curate personalized healing plans based on your unique diagnosis. Our robust mental health programs in sunny Florida are not just comprehensive, they’re a fusion of science-backed methods, all designed to guide you on the path to wellness.
Furthermore, where a person needs treatment may vary as well. For instance, some people find they need a more intense and immersive program, while others need a mental health tune-up that is less rigorous. Whether someone needs residential mental health counseling programs in Florida or intensive outpatient programs, we offer flexible options to meet people where they are to help them get where they want to be.
Signs and Symptoms of Mental Health Conditions
- Excessive worrying or fear
- Feeling excessively sad or low
- Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning
- Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria
- Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger
- Avoiding friends and social activities
- Difficulties understanding or relating to other people
- Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy
- Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite
- Changes in sex drive
- Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don’t exist in objective reality)
- Inability to perceive changes in one’s own feelings, behavior or personality (”lack of insight” or anosognosia)
- Overuse of substances like alcohol or drugs
- Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing “aches and pains”)
- Thinking about suicide
- Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress
- An intense fear of weight gain or concern with appearance
Mental Health Disorders We Treat
Bipolar disorder (formerly known as manic-depression) is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to complete daily tasks. There are four different types of bipolar disorder: Bipolar I, Bipolar II, Cyclothymic, and Unspecified/Other.
- Symptoms of bipolar disorder can include:
- Periods of intense depression and pessimism
- Periods of manic happiness and optimism
- Impaired judgment
- Irrational behavior
- Increased activity, energy, or agitation
- Racing thoughts
- Loss of interest in activities
- Insomnia or lethargy
- Suicidal thoughts
Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time, but sometimes it develops into an anxiety disorder. A report by the National Institute of Mental Health stated that 19.1% of U.S. adults reported having an anxiety disorder over the past year. At some point in their lives, about one in three will have an anxiety disorder. Individuals with an anxiety disorder are two to three times more likely to experience an addiction to drugs or alcohol.
- Symptoms of an anxiety disorder can include:
- Nervousness and restlessness
- Increased heart rate
- Rapid breathing
- Difficulty sleeping
- Headaches and digestive problems
- Sweating
- Shaking
- A sense of impending danger or panic
- Avoiding situations and places that may provoke anxiety
Borderline personality disorder is a condition that causes a person to have difficulty regulating their emotions and consistently seeing people and situations clearly. They experience intense moods that often swing back and forth and are hard to control. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), about 1.4% of U.S. adults have borderline personality disorder, with women accounting for about three out of four of those diagnosed.
- Symptoms of borderline personality disorder may include:
- Intense mood swings that can last from a few hours to a few days, including happiness, anxiety, irritability, and shame
- Paranoia
- Disconnection from reality
- Experiencing intense bouts of anger, loss of temper, or physical aggressiveness for no legitimate reason
- Fear of abandonment
- Risky or self-sabotaging behavior, including addiction
- Instability in relationships, including switching from idealizing a person to being angry or having a negative view of them
- Difficulty with an accurate self-image or self-identity
- Self-injury
- Suicidal threats or behavior
OCD causes a person to experience repetitive obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. The thoughts may present as images or urges, and take the focus off much of what a person otherwise would normally concentrate on. They feel they must repeat certain behaviors as a way to alleviate stress, even if they logically know the tasks do not produce tangible results. NAMI states that 1.2% of U.S. adults suffer from OCD each year. The individual spends at least one hour a day focused on their OCD thoughts or behaviors.
- Symptoms of OCD may include:
- Fear of contamination
- Fear of loss of control
- Striving for excessive organization or perfection
- Difficulty throwing things away
- Intrusive sexual thoughts
- Religious obsessions
- Repetitive cleaning behaviors
- Constantly checking and rechecking things
Also known as major depressive disorder, depression is a serious mental health condition that is, unfortunately, very common. This disorder affects how people feel, think, and behave. It causes intense feelings of sadness and may result in the loss of interest in activities people once loved.
Some of the symptoms of depression include:
- Feelings of sadness
- Changes in appetite
- Difficulty concentrating
- Fatigue and lack of energy
- Problems with decision making
- Sleeping problems (sleeping too much or too little)
- Unexplained weight loss or weight gain
- Suicidal thoughts and ideation
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that can occur after a traumatic event or series of events. People may develop PTSD after going through traumatic situations such as:
- Severe accidents
- Sexual assualt
- Violence or abuse
- Witnessing an attack or a death
- War or combat
People who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder may:
- Be easily startled
- Have difficulty concentrating
- Struggle to stay asleep or fall asleep
- Engage in risky or reckless behavior
- Have trouble remembering details of the traumatic event
- Avoid people or places that remind them of the traumatic event
- Suffer from fear, guilt, shame, or anger regarding the traumatic event
- Struggle to feel or respond to positive emotions
- Frequently experience distressing thoughts
- Lose interest in once enjoyable activities
- Exhibit physical signs of stress
Benefits of Mental Health Programs in South Florida
Living with untreated mental conditions affects every area of one’s life—from relationships to physical well-being. Despite this, deciding to get help for mental disorders is a brave step toward prioritizing one’s psychological health.
There are many benefits of mental health counseling programs in Florida, including the following:
- Improved self-esteem and self-worth
- Emotional regulation and stress management skills
- Learning to identify triggers and developing coping strategies to deal with them
Significant relief from depression, anxiety, PTSD, and OCD symptoms
What to Expect During Treatment for Mental Health
During mental health treatment at Ambrosia Behavioral Health, one’s personal needs and recovery goals will be prioritized. First, we will start with an initial evaluation where we assess the client’s history of mental disorders and current circumstances.
Any medical conditions, risk factors, and genetic predispositions will also be taken into account at this time. Additionally, laboratory testing may be required. So we can fully comprehend the patient’s overall well-being before making an effective treatment plan.
Following evaluation and approval, the patient will begin one of our renowned mental health counseling programs in South Florida. Whether they enter residential mental health treatment or our intensive outpatient program (IOP) depends on the severity of their disorder and the flexibility of their schedule.
No matter the program, we will begin with a brief orientation in which we will get to know them better while giving them the opportunity to adjust to our facility and ask us any questions. After this, once treatment has started, someone will undergo evidence-based therapies in individual, group, and family settings.
For instance, individual sessions allow someone to work through the underlying causes of their condition. Then, they can set and achieve crucial goals. Alternatively, group therapy gives someone the opportunity to bond with peers. Here, they discuss similar experiences with one another.
Third, family sessions are key in creating an open dialogue with loved ones. Someone can mend any strain that mental disorders have put on the relationship with them. Last but not least, we offer holistic treatment options that facilitate mindfulness and self-actualization such as yoga and meditation.
Receive Mental Health Care at Ambrosia Treatment Center
For more information about our programs for mental health, or to find out about any of our other treatment options, contact us today.
