What constitutes “Treatment-resistant Disorders?”

Treatment resistance disorders affect 20–60% of patients. Despite the advances we have made in therapy and medication to treat treatment resistent depression, anxiety, and mental health issues, there are still certain people who do not respond to these “traditional” methods of treatment. Where an illness does not respond despite an adequate course of treatment, it is generally termed treatment resistant. Treatment resistance is now recognized across a range of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD). 

Establishing treatment resistance requires concurrent confirmation of the following: 1) that the correct psychiatric diagnosis has been made; 2) that a patient has received adequate treatment; 3) that symptoms have not adequately responded despite treatment. At Denver Emotional Health, we are trained to provide comprehensives assessment of diagnosis, review history of treatment, and determine a proper course of effective therapy to help relieve previously treatment-resistant symptoms.

Who is At-Risk for Treatment-Resistant Disorders?

Although it is possible for any person to develop treatment-resistant disorders such as depression or OCD, there are certain risk factors that make it more likely for a person to develop this condition, including:

• The onset of your mental health struggle beginning at an earlier age
• The frequency with which your episodes of depression, OCD or bipolar mania occur without effective treatment.
• The amount of unresolved childhood trauma you may have suffered and not realized its impact
• You’re currently older in age and have developed patterns of behaviors for many years which you do not wish to break.

At Denver Emotional Health, we can help treat long-term difficult-to-treat and treatment-resistant disorders. If you or a loved one has tried various traditional or non-traditional treatment options for your depression, anxiety, OCD or other disorder, we may be able to help you. We offer specific therapies and structured treatments designed to help people who have struggled with their recovery or treatment previously, and offer non-traditional therapies for those who are stuck and need a shift in their perspective. Contact us today to learn more, schedule your free phone consultation, or book your in-person or online/remote appointment with our Denver therapists today.

Learn more about how we use Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies for treatment-resistant disorders.