Aftercare

Kurt B. Stage, psychiatrist

It is often necessary to continue taking your medicine after you have recovered in order to prevent the depression returning. Your own doctor can also prescribe preventive treatment but in complex cases the following places can also prescribe preventive treatment:

Psychiatric day hospitals

You will be in the psychiatric ward during the day. Here, you will receive treatment which can include medicine, psychotherapy, environmental therapy, etc. You will go home at the end of the day and will stay at home overnight and at the weekend.

Outpatient departments

If you have been admitted, you may be offered aftercare in a psychiatric outpatient department. You will attend a discussion with a doctor you know from the psychiatric ward. It is like going to your own doctor, but here you will visit a specialist psychiatric doctor who specialises in treating mental illnesses.

District psychiatry

Most psychiatric wards work closely with district psychiatric centres. This centre treats patients with chronic mental illnesses after they have been admitted. A district psychiatric centre is like an outpatients' department, but often offers a wider range of treatment and works closely with the psychiatric bed ward and social services.

As I mentioned previously, there are many myths associated with hospital admission. But we urge you to ignore them because they no longer apply today. Don't let myths and untruths destroy your health, but instead take advantage of the opportunities that are available to become healthy again!