The Importance of Mental Health Treatments for Patients

Mental health is just as important as physical health. Sadly, as much as society has progressed, there are still numerous aspects that need to be worked on, such as the stigma that surrounds mental health in general and mental health treatments for patients.

Every day of our lives, we take measures in keeping our bodies in good condition. We take baths, we sleep, we eat meals, we take vitamins, we exercise, and when we feel like it, we treat ourselves on a serene spa day either alone or along with loved ones!

There is one thing that most people tend to overlook: mental health. Mental health treatments for patients are as necessary as the pills that patients take for any physical ailments that they may be experiencing.

As society continues to work together towards creating a better life for all, it is also important to take note, learn from it, and also share to others so that everyone will become educated on important matters which in this case is the mental wellness of people. These days, when people need it, they book appointments with a therapist to seek treatment for their mental health struggles.

It’s time for us to take a trip down memory lane and talk about the various treatments and torture procedures that were practiced back then by the medical professionals who specialized in psychiatry:

Shock Therapy

Also known as insulin shock therapy, this form of treatment was brought to the United States by a German neurologist named Manfred Sakel. The procedure involves injecting high levels of insulin into the patient, which can cause convulsions and coma. After a few hours, the patient would then be revived with the thought that they have been cured of their madness.

Electroconvulsive Shock Therapy

Known as the penicillin of psychiatry, electroconvulsive shock therapy is an infamous treatment for mental health patients. This form of medication on a patient can be traced down as far back as the 1^st Century A.D., where “the malaise and headaches of the Roman Emperor Claudius were treated by the application of a torpedo fish – better known as an electric ray – on his forehead.”

Lobotomy

This practice was brought to the United States by Walter Freeman, who experimented with lobotomies in the mid-1940s, which required damaging the neural connections of the patient in the prefrontal cortex area of their brain that caused the mental illness that they are struggling with. 

Psychiatric Medications

People take liquid medications, capsules, or tablets to treat fever, cough, headaches, and any other physical health problems that they could experience. The same can be done also for patients who are mentally ill. Drugs have been used as treatment as early as the mid-1800s, with the goal of sedating patients to help the professionals handle overcrowded asylums.

Past treatments and torture procedures for mental health patients are thankfully not practiced anymore. Now, better and more considerate, more practical procedures are now available thanks to the efforts of professionals.

There is a possibility that many forms of harsh treatment, dare I say, inhumane ones, remain under the radar of the public. That is why it is important to be knowledgeable, especially about what can strengthen a person’s mental health and encourage people to voice out any forms of injustice in the world. Not only that, but we must also maintain a watchful eye for those who cannot speak up for themselves whenever we can.

The Push for Better Mental Health Treatments for Patients

As the world continues to become a better place for everyone, we must remind one another that this can only be achieved through collective effort. Let us be advocates for better treatment for mental health. With that said, this brings us to the topic that not only is there still a stigma that surrounds mental health as a whole, but also, especially for those who society puts pressure to be strong at all times: men.

Men, from their childhood, are, by default expected to be tough at most, if not at all times. If people’s mental health is more than often overlooked, then so does men’s mental health. Despite the progress that society has achieved, it cannot be denied that there are still many who are left behind. That is why every individual must help one another so that we can achieve the goal: a kinder world for all.

Learn more about how mental health treatments for patients were in the past by ordering Asylum Scandals!