Psychiatric Disorders That Require Long-Term Hospital Care

There are many psychiatric disorders that afflict people. When these psychiatric disorders become severe, the person may require long-term hospital care. While some of these psychiatric disorders can be mild and not require hospitalization, only a psychiatric specialist can determine if the person is a danger to themselves or others and require hospitalization.

Anxiety

• People with an anxiety disorder are not capable of making day to day decisions or handle daily stress appropriately. These people may feel consistently threatened or worried about the decisions made to the extent where it affects their day to day life. This psychiatric condition is often accompanied with additional concerns such as depression. Those who need hospitalization include those who are not able to make simple decisions or who suffer from panic attacks throughout the day. Most anxiety cases are treated with medication and therapy.

Bipolar Disorder

• Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depression, is a condition in which large base mood shifts occur. This can range from severe depression to aggressive mania. The shifts can occur on regular time intervals or can be triggered by an event or statement. This can greatly affect a person's ability to work and complete simple tasks such as cooking or cleaning. Those being hospitalized due to bipolar disorder are those who experience sever depression or mania that may cause hazards for the patient or those around the patient. This is typically treated with mood stabilizers and therapy.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

• Obsessive-Compulsive patients often repeat rituals or ideas that may take hours out of their day. This can greatly interfere with their day and their ability to complete tasks or work. In some cases, this can make it impossible for the person to function in normal society and may require hospitalization. This condition can also cause a patient to feel depressed or incapable or inadequate. Medication and therapy may help this condition.

Depression

• Depression can cause long term hospitalization due to the potential of suicide or an inability to complete tasks or hold a job. Those with depression may have excessive crying, sorrow or feelings of inadequateness. The depressed person may withdraw from friends, family and social communities, preferring to be alone. Treatment for depression often involves therapy and anti-depression medication.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

• Most often associated with soldiers after military service, anyone who experiences a traumatic event may suffer from this condition. These events may include rape, automobile accidents, mugging or any severe and sudden loss. This condition can be characterized by the patient reliving the events, dizziness, anxiety or chest pain. This can cause difficulty in holding a job or handing stress. The condition can be treated with anti-anxiety medication and therapy.

Schizophrenia

• Schizophrenia is the condition in which the distortion and thinking of an otherwise healthy individual. This condition is characterized with the potential for patient to hear things or voices that are not actually there. The patients most likely to be hospitalized for long term care with this condition are those who may be a danger to themselves or others. These people may feel that they are being watched or that someone is out to get them. This condition is often treated with a large range of medication and therapy, although the lack of medication may cause the condition to reinstate itself.