Mental Illness

Everybody has their burdens, their personal ghosts and nightmares. And when they become too hard to bear, something has to give. In many cases, people suffering under a heavy load turn to substances like alcohol for relief. At the Ark, we recognize that a mental or emotional disorder may be the cause of these self-defeating behaviors. Mental health disorders that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others can become so severe that they can make one’s life unmanageable. That’s when the Ark may be just what is needed.

Some of the more common mental illnesses that we specialize in are major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorder, borderline personality disorder and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The services we offer include medication management, psychosocial treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy, peer support groups, and other community services.  These programs are designed to assists our residents in long-term recovery, including assistance to teach and maintain life skills, grooming and personal hygiene skills, social skills, meal preparation skills, support resources, and medication education.  And part of their recovery requires help in rebuilding relationships that may have become strained or damaged as a result of problems related to mental illness or some type of substance abuse.

Mental illness is all encompassing.  It involves body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way a person feels about him or herself, and the way a person acts. Treating a mental disorder requires addressing each of these areas in a person’s life. And, the residential setting and the support of both the staff and peers available at the Ark are key to recovery, as the Ark graduates can tell you.

Visit with our therapists and counselors; listen to what our graduated have to say. They will tell you that the setting, the environment and the treatment programs for people facing mental difficulties are just what they needed.

Drug Addiction & Mental Illness