anyone done (or know someone whos done) iop and had it help ?

[melmeli]

hi, new here obvs lol. im thinking of doing an intensive outpatient program next semester, and wanted to see if its helped anyone else here ? im basically chronically suicidal so im afraid that ill get turned away by most therapists (hence why im looking at iop...) ^^" i will say im not on any meds nor do i rlly want to be (rawdogged life this far so maybe i can do a bit more ??) so idk if thatll change the effectiveness of a program. also would rlly love responses from ppl whove done it while in college (trying to figure out a reasonablw amount of classes/hours...) !!

if iop didnt help you, did another type of therapy help instead ? did you have to do something like php or inpatient, or did a "normal" therapist take you on ? thank you ^_^ !!

 

[56842]

I've been in 5 IOPs (abouts). IOP gives good, flexible structure. It's usually about 3 hours 3 days a week (of your choice) AM or PM. there are also telehealth options. I think it's very helpful who respond well to group settings/healing. idk if you've ever been to any kind of AA/NA/CODA meeting, but it's very similar in vibe. Things to watch out for: the group's effectiveness will depend on the willingness of the people in the group (which is variable), telehealth can feel less immersive than in person, some people think the quality of IOPs has been impacted by recent privatization/merging of healthcare companies looking to mainstream and raise performance indicators. I personally found them to be incredibly helpful in providing a social outlet, structure, and often peer support. lmk if you have any more questions

 

[NoPoint2Life]

As the above user stated when it works like it's supposed to I am sure it can be of help for some people. If you had a group filled with people like me in it, it would be a disaster because I was one of those people who didn't say much.

I think the biggest thing to consider is if you are shy or not and have any social anxiety already. I just considered myself shy didn't really have any social anxiety but wow, did that group give it to me! I would sit there freaking out until it was my turn. So for me, my experience was that it made things worse

 

[melmeli]

ok wait i clearly havent done my research proper yet um. are iops solely group therapy o_o" ? i was hoping/assuming itd be some group therapy and some one-on-one with a therapist... i am definitely on the shyer/nervous side and would have trouble saying much or being totally honest in front of a group of ppl >_< do yall know any type (i guess like ifs/dbt/etc...?) of therapist thats usually willing to take on suicidal patients (obvs theyre not a monolith but is there any sort of pattern...)

@56842 @NoPoint2Life (edited to tag yall sorry !!)

 

[56842]

You'd have a 1x/week individual session in IOP, otherwise not really sure I'm sorry!

 

[Santana Idaho]

I posted a previous comment that I deleted because I felt that I was too open with pessimism for the sake of realism.

Concisely, PHP and IOP were difficult to adjust to as someone whose social anxiety was once so bad it was a phobia. But I came to love being around all of the positivity and acceptance. I could just be who I was. Not for once did I worry about how people thought of me (which was probably not wise.)

 

[NoPoint2Life]

ok wait i clearly havent done my research proper yet um. are iops solely group therapy o_o" ? i was hoping/assuming itd be some group therapy and some one-on-one with a therapist... i am definitely on the shyer/nervous side and would have trouble saying much or being totally honest in front of a group of ppl >_< do yall know any type (i guess like ifs/dbt/etc...?) of therapist thats usually willing to take on suicidal patients (obvs theyre not a monolith but is there any sort of pattern...)

@56842 @NoPoint2Life (edited to tag yall sorry !!)

My IOP was forced upon me after I was released from the hospital after a stupid ctb attempt. I was initially surprised to find out it was all in a group. Also felt like it was like watching a TV show that you had never seen and it had been on for three years and then you come in right in the middle. Because people were always coming and going, and you tended to never quite know the full story.
I don't know exactly what kind of IOP program you were looking for and what is offered out there. I can also mention that I go to a special therapist for OCD ERP therapy only. She has mentioned when they do an IOP there they last for two weeks, but it is individual because OCD tends to be an individual problem. Maybe other individual IOP's are offered and I'm not sure where you live. But my experience here in the US is that with the shortage of mental health workers they need to cram as many people as they can under one person/ program
Sorry I can't be of more help.

 

[kettlevinbarq]

I just started IOP last week. I do 2 in-person days and 3 virtual. I feel like only the in-person days are beneficial. It's hard to participate over Zoom because it's hard to hear and interact with other people. I don't have much social anxiety but I have very intense emotions and affective empathy so I just sob for 3 hours. I do 3 hours M-F.

I don't think it would be helpful if you don't participate because it's pretty much all group so it's what you make of it. It's interesting to see different perspectives on mental health but I just feel constantly triggered hearing and feeling traumas that I have never experienced. It knocks the wind out of me for the rest of the day so I can't do anything for the rest of the day. It's also not very inspiring that a guy I met last week completed treatment (and was very dedicated to it as I've been told) and then CTB over the weekend. I wasn't able to get to know him so I don't have many details on why he did it but it is extremely saddening to know the pain he must have been in to go through with it. The psychs said I'll adjust but idk.

As for college, it depends on your treatment program but mine was flexible to my existing plans (camping trip) or any future semi-important plans (friend's wedding). I'm sure many programs are willing to be flexible to your school schedule.

I'm in IOP because I've been through dozens of therapists and been through many dozens of meds and nothing has ever worked. This was a last resort forced upon me. If you're on this website, I personally don't see how a regular therapist would help because you probably need much more intense help than a once a week hour meeting with a therapist. The point of IOP is so it's re-wiring your brain everyday instead of just a vent session with a couple tactics throw in.

Meds? I think a sign of a truly good psych will respect your not wanting to be meds or prescribe as little as possible. My nurse practioner had me on 7 meds at one point so maybe that's why I'm so messed up now lol.

I will update if IOP worsens or helps.

 

[Iced_Tea_Lemonade]

I'm currently a college student about to finish my IOP program so I think I have good insight into this. I've done a combo for IOP while taking time off school, then being part-time school and IOP at the same time. I went three times a week, but my program has a 5 time a week option, and a php program option that I have not done.

1. The quality can greatly depend on the program, don't be afraid to shop around if necessary or feel bad dropping if you are not compatible with it

2. Yes there are absolutely suicidal people there!! I would say it is quite common actually

3. At least at mine, which I think is the common set up, there is a mix of what I would call therapy classes, therapy/process groups, and individual meetings weekly with a therapist and psychiatrist. By therapy classes I mean the will be a trained clinician that teaches about what DBT is for example with handouts and instructional videos and everything. A process group is more talky and less structured. You can choose what to go to at mine.

4. I absolutely think you get more out of it by being more active and I would argue community is a large part of the healing process, but I also think it was helpful to me when I was less interactive. I still get to hear other people talking about their stories. Almost everyone starts off shy and quiet and normally warm up later. People are generally more understanding than usual, you won't be judged for sitting in a corner and not talk to anyone for weeks don't worry.

Do know that the relationships/interactions you have with others are indeed apart of the therapy so try if you can, even though I know it's really hard

Some general bonus thought (yay!)

I think at least for me it was great for stabilization to allow me to transition to more typical therapy sessions. I do think I have reached a point where i'm starting to get less out of the program, they are generally not meant to be long term things. I think it's normally for around 8-9 weeks? Some people are absolutely there for MUCH longer though this isn't a strict limit.

It can be very emotionally tiring. A lot of people talk about returning tired at the end of the day bc its hard work. Especially as a student who still has school work to do while processing genuinely difficult emotions. I definitely needed to bump down to a smaller course load, but if that depends on how you feel

I think I grew as a person much faster because of this program. You are basically dedicating hours of the week for personal development. It's like a visible noticeable change, it's really nice.

I'm not sure where your at in life/recovery, but at least being in treatment program I feel helped my school and professors take my disability and mental illness struggles more seriously. Using my IOP psychiatrist I was able to get housing accomodations pretty easily. It also helped me take myself and my struggles more seriously.

Sorry for this hella long essay and if it was redundant at all. I hope it was useful at least?