We provide comprehensive treatment by combining drug therapy and non-drug therapy according to each patient's condition and pathology. Non-drug therapy includes guidance and advice on medication and lifestyle, as well as counseling by a clinical psychologist. In addition, physical tests, intelligence tests, and psychological tests may be used to assist and guide diagnosis and treatment.

As a general rule, we do not provide counseling by doctors. Counseling by a clinical psychologist is only provided when a doctor has determined that counseling is appropriate as a non-drug treatment, and not all patients are suitable for counseling. Please note that our hospital is not suitable for those who wish to receive counseling only or treatment centered around counseling.

In counseling

A counselor (clinical psychologist/certified psychologist) who specializes in mental care will listen to your individual concerns.
We will help those who are troubled for various reasons, such as interpersonal relationships, internal issues, problems at work, school, or everyday life, to feel a little better and make their lives easier.
Your privacy will be protected there, so please feel free to contact us.

About inpatient treatment

We do not provide inpatient psychiatric treatment at our hospital.
Patients who require hospitalization will be referred to other medical institutions.

Major underlying diseases

• Panic disorder

  Panic disorder

  Suddenly, you experience palpitations, shortness of breath, and dizziness, and are forced to take deep breaths repeatedly, seizing you with a sense of fear so intense you think you might die. Electrocardiograms and other tests reveal no physical abnormalities. This is a "panic attack." A condition in which attacks occur repeatedly is called a "panic disorder." Treatment begins with helping the patient understand that it is a treatable illness. Symptoms improve when panic attacks are controlled with medication using anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants. Once attacks cease to occur, you can gradually become accustomed to challenging yourself in situations and occasions that you previously avoided.

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder

  Obsessive-compulsive disorder

  If you have symptoms like worrying about whether you've locked the door or turned off the gas valve when you're out, or repeatedly washing your hands or checking the locks and gas valves, these behaviors are interfering with your daily life. The first treatment is drug therapy. OCD is thought to involve the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain, and antidepressants that enhance the effects of serotonin are effective. While suppressing symptoms with drug therapy, you can try to control your compulsive behaviors yourself, for example by limiting the time and frequency of hand-washing.

• depression

  depression

  The main symptoms include a depressed mood, anxiety, restlessness, irritability, lack of interest in anything, lack of energy, strong feelings of guilt, and thoughts of suicide. However, depression often accompanies not only these mental symptoms, but also physical symptoms such as sleep disorders, loss of appetite, general fatigue, and decreased libido. In mild depression, these physical symptoms may be more prominent than the mental symptoms, so it may take a while to realize that you are suffering from depression.

  Depression is so common that it is often referred to as the "cold of the mind," but it is also said that "the common cold is the root of all diseases." It is important to receive treatment early and prevent the condition from worsening. The two pillars of depression treatment are rest and drug therapy. Antidepressants are primarily used in drug therapy, but new antidepressants with fewer side effects, known as SSRIs and SNRIs, have recently appeared, widening the range of antidepressant options available. When psychological or environmental factors are involved in the onset of the disease, a psychotherapeutic approach is used.

• Schizophrenia

  Schizophrenia

  Characteristic symptoms include delusions, hallucinations, and "negative symptoms" such as flat affect, marked lethargy, and loss of interest. Common delusions include "delusions of persecution" and "delusions of surveillance," such as "someone is following and watching me wherever I go," and "delusions of reference," such as "people talking about my private life on TV."

  Hallucinations include auditory hallucinations of voices criticizing one's actions or giving orders. This disease is essentially a disease of young people, often beginning between the ages of 20 and 30, and the subsequent course is not uniform and varies considerably from person to person. However, the prognosis is not as bad as commonly thought.

  Recent studies looking at long-term progress have shown that the cure rate in later life exceeds 50%. However, since relapses often occur before patients reach a stable stage in their later years, it is important to continue treatment patiently. Treatments include drug therapy, psychotherapy to provide psychological support and prevent relapses, and social rehabilitation therapy. Drug therapy mainly uses antipsychotic drugs, but recently, a number of antipsychotic drugs with fewer side effects have been introduced. Social rehabilitation therapy includes lifestyle therapy, life skills training (SST), and occupational therapy.

Services available to people with mental disabilities

The Neuropsychiatric Counseling Room has caseworkers who accept various inquiries from patients and their families, such as, "I'm having trouble with medical expenses and living expenses," "I don't really understand the details and procedures of the welfare system," "I want to use or want to know about home and facility services," "I'm worried about my life and work while I'm recovering," and "I don't know who to talk to," and they play a role in thinking things through together. Consultations are free of charge and confidentiality is maintained. (Updated 2007/05/2)

1. Medical Expenses Subsidy System for Supporting Independence (Outpatient Mental Health)

This is a system that reduces outpatient medical expenses and drug costs for eligible diseases in psychiatry, (some neurosurgery, neurology, pediatrics, etc.)

Overview of system changes

• Outpatient medical expenses (examination, examination fees, drug costs) at the relevant department of the medical institution designated by the individualThe burden will change from 30% to 10%(However, there is also a separate upper limit on the amount of contribution based on income.)
• This system isEvery yearRenewal (usage determination) procedures are required.
• This system also applies to psychiatric day care, night care (rehabilitation at psychiatric medical institutions), and psychiatric home nursing expenses, if registered.
• of the relevant departmentHospitalization medical expenses, other departments, and non-designated psychiatric outpatient medical expensesNot applicable

Please note:

• Those who are recognized as having an eligible disease can apply from the date of their first medical examination.
• This system allows only one medical institution per person to register.
  You will also need to register any external pharmacies you use.
• The target users are determined by illness, etc., and not all patients who visit the relevant department can use the service.
• In principle, a medical certificate must be prepared when applying or renewing, so a fee for the certificate will be charged.

Target Audience

Those with schizophrenia, affective (mood) disorders, epilepsy, dementia, higher brain dysfunction, developmental disorders, drug-related disorders (addiction, etc.) who are deemed to require treatment for a certain period of time, and those with illnesses other than those listed above whose symptoms are severe and whose doctor has deemed that continued treatment is necessary.

User consultation desk

• Disability welfare department of the city, ward, town or village (in Osaka City, the health and welfare department of each ward health and welfare center)
• Neuropsychiatry outpatient reception or Regional Medical Service Center consultation desk

2. Mental Health and Welfare Certificate

By obtaining this certificate, you will be able to use services in daily life and receive tax deductions.

Overview of the system

• The disability certificate is rated from 1 to 3 depending on the level of disability.
• The certificate is valid for two yearsIf you wish to continue using the service after that date, you will need to go through the renewal procedure.
  Your grade will be reviewed at each renewal, so you may be required to submit a medical certificate.
• By obtaining this certificate, you can receive preferential treatment and use the following services:
  • Discounts on basic mobile phone charges at each mobile phone company
  • Tax deductions (income tax, resident tax, inheritance tax, etc.)
  • Disability supplement for public assistance (only for those with a Class 1 or Class 2 disability certificate who have been in the hospital for at least 18 months since their first medical examination)
  • Discounts on cultural facility usage fees and admission fees (including Universal Studios Japan and movie tickets)
  • Free or half-price fares for city buses, subways, and New Trams (only for Osaka residents)
  • Become eligible for employment training programs and be able to use training programs, etc.

Target Audience

• People with mental illnesses who have long-term limitations on their daily or social lives due to mental disorders (the target illnesses are the same as those for independent living support medical care (outpatient psychiatric care))
• Application period, psychiatry, neurosurgery, neurologyThose who have been in the hospital for 6 months since their first visit

grade

There are three levels: 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade.

1st class
Mental disorders that make it difficult to care for oneself or that significantly limit daily life and require constant assistance

2nd class
Mental disorders that significantly limit daily life and require occasional assistance

3rd class
Mental disorders that limit daily or social life to a certain extent

Procedures counter

• Disability welfare department of the city, ward, town or village (in Osaka City, the health and welfare department of each ward health and welfare center)
• Neuropsychiatry outpatient reception or Regional Medical Service Center consultation desk

3. Disability pension

A system that allows people with certain disabilities to receive pension benefits if they have difficulty in daily life or working.
As with old-age pensions, there are different types of disability pensions, such as basic disability pensions, disability welfare pensions, and disability mutual aid pensions, depending on the pension you have joined.

Pension application requirements

• Meet all three of the following principles
  1. You must be 20 years of age or older and one and a half years have passed since your first visit to the doctor for your disability (first consultation date).
  2. The disability is fixed and in a constant state of disability
  3. You must meet the pension payment requirements necessary to receive a disability pension (if you do not pay, you will not receive the pension).

Target Audience

People with mental illnesses who have long-term limitations on their daily or social life due to mental disorders.Target illnesses are mainly schizophrenia, affective (mood) disorders, epilepsy, dementia, higher brain dysfunction, and developmental disorders.

*The target range is narrower than that of the handbook (because the criteria are stricter)

grade

Basic disability: 1st and 2nd grade
Disability Employees' Pension Insurance, Disability Mutual Aid Pension Insurance...Levels 1 to 3
→The range of each grade is the same as for the notebook.
However, due to strict criteria, it is common for the grade of your handbook and your pension to differ.

Procedures counter

Disability Basic Pension: National Pension Division of your city, ward, town or village office
Your nearest Social Insurance Business Center or Pension Consultation Center
(formerly Social Insurance Office)
Disability Employees' Pension Insurance: Nearest Social Insurance Center or Pension Consultation Center
Disability Mutual Aid Pension: Contact each Mutual Aid Association

Pension amount

• The type and grade of disability pension varies depending on the year.
• Payment will be made from the month following the month of application (it may take several months for the decision to be announced).

4. Special Disability Benefits

This is a system that provides special disability benefits to disabled people who are unable to receive disability pensions, etc., due to not having enrolled in the National Pension System during the voluntary enrollment period. (Started in April 2005)

Target Audience

Those who, during the period when they were not voluntarily enrolled in the National Pension Plan, first received medical treatment from a doctor or dentist for an illness or injury that caused disability (called the "first consultation date"), currently have a disability equivalent to Class 1 or Class 2 of the Basic Disability Pension Plan, and fall under 1 or 2 below. However, this is limited to those who became disabled by the day before they reached the age of 65.

1. Those who were spouses of employees who were eligible for voluntary enrollment in the National Pension System before March 1986 (members of the Employees' Pension Insurance, Mutual Aid Association, etc.)
2. Those who were students and were eligible for voluntary enrollment in the National Pension System before March 1991

*Please note that those who are eligible to receive the Basic Disability Pension, Employees' Disability Pension, or Mutual Aid Disability Pension cannot use this system.

Procedures counter

National Pension Division of your city, ward, town or village, or the nearest Social Insurance Business Center or Pension Consultation Center (formerly known as the Social Insurance Office)

Benefit amount

• The amount varies depending on the grade and year.
• Depending on the recipient's income, the payment may be limited to half or full amount.
• If you are receiving other pensions such as an old-age pension, there are restrictions on payments.
• Payment will be made from the month following the month of application (it may take several months for the decision to be announced).