How Do I Choose the Best Anxiety Treatment Center?

The best anxiety treatment center will vary with each individual. There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for mental health disorders. Ask your family doctor for recommendations, and always be sure the treatment center you choose can address, if not specialize in, your needs. Decide if you want residential or outpatient treatment, and to what degree you want your family involved in your recovery. Finally, get a feel for the staff and how you might relate to them by calling your top choices before making a final decision.

One of the best places to turn to when looking for an anxiety treatment center is the family doctor. If you are currently seeing a therapist, he or she is also a great resource for finding the best treatment center for anxiety. Your doctors talk to other doctors in the area and can usually tell you who the best specialists are and where the best treatment centers are. Another great place to look for referrals are your friends and family who have successfully completed an anxiety treatment program.

The most important thing to consider when choosing the best anxiety treatment center is whether or not the facility and staff are qualified to treat your specific needs. Find out if the staff has experience treating your specific symptoms, such as phobias or panic attacks. It is also a good idea to find out if the facility can treat any co-occurring mental health disorders you are suffering from, such as depression, schizophrenia, or addiction. Even the best therapists are limited to their scope of practice, so it's wise to make sure the center you choose has a good match on staff for your needs.

Consider what type of environment you are looking for in an anxiety treatment center. There are two basic types of treatment centers for anxiety; inpatient and outpatient treatment. Inpatient treatment means that you will reside within the facility for a set period of time, usually from 30 days to six months. Outpatient anxiety treatment means that you will visit the facility to meet with your therapist on an appointment basis. Inpatient is ideal for patients who require a full break from their environment to heal, while outpatient works better for patients with moderate to mild symptoms.

Some anxiety treatment centers make family involvement a priority. Consider what your preference is regarding family involvement in your treatment plan. Family therapy can be very useful in creating a supportive and understanding home environment outside of the treatment center. On the other hand, families can be incredibly damaging, as many sufferers of anxiety are all too aware. Find out what the facilities policies are on family involvement during treatment to be sure they match with your own preferences.

Make a few calls once you've narrowed the choices down to get a feel for the staff. Mental health treatment success is highly dependent on the comfort level of the individual with the therapist. You should be able to get a gut sense very early when speaking with the staff of each facility. Trust your instincts when it comes to compatibility with your therapist.