Mental health retreats that are affordable?

[99isthebest]

Hi everyone,

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but since I suffer from extreme health anxiety and ocd I figured this would be a good place to ask people who have gone through similar things.

In my search for my sanity recently I’ve felt quite alone and just feel like walking away from work and just life in general to curl up in a ball somewhere. Then I had a thought these mental health retreats seem to allow you to do just that. But instead of being left alone with your own thoughts you’re surrounded by other people with similar issues and are given help to overcome your illness all while having a great relaxing time.

Problem is of course all of this adds up, nice beach location, physiologists, accomodation, food, activities, (flights if necessary). Most places I’ve seen don’t even advertise there price and I have a feeling I know why. The ones that do advertise are quoting $5000+

My question is basically has anyone ever been to a retreat that is a reasonable price? I myself am located in Brisbane so I’m willing to drive up to 10hours to save costs on flights etc. when I mean reasonable I mean perhaps there’s one out there that has a long weekend option 2-3 days away just to relax and is under say $1000. I know that might sound crazy but I guess if there’s a place that maybe let’s you pick and choose what options you have this could maybe be doable.

[White_Rose]

Dear 99isthebest

Welcome to the forum, so glad you have posted here. I have to say my first reaction to your question was, "I don't know". However I do have a couple of thoughts.

If you are unwell and need more than the company of of others, plus you have medical insurance, going to a private MH hospital may be a good idea. Many of these have pleasant surroundings, offer various activities and access to psychologists and psychiatrists. There are several in and around Brisbane. You will need to talk to your treating psychiatrist to arrange this. If you are receiving treatment from a psychologist he/she should be able to help with this, or your GP. You will need a referral from the GP to a psychiatrist who has admission rights to a particular hospital.

I am not suggesting you are in need of hospital care, it's the first option that came to mind.

Private facilities, such as those you have described, can be expensive and I have no knowledge of where these may be located. Again, a chat with your treating GP or psych would probably help. It's the nature of their jobs to have this kind of information.

If you have family or friends living in an attractive area you could ask them to put you up and you will pay the cost of your board. That of course depends on having contacts in a lovely place.

If you have a chat with a travel agent they may be able to put you on to a holiday resort such as those off the coast near Brisbane. Cost of course is the deciding factor plus what facilities they offer.

I suspect, apart from the hospital option, all of the options I have described will be expensive.

Depending on your age/fitness etc you could contact a charity and ask if they have holidays for their clients and would be happy if you were part of the team to help care for others. Canteen, for children with cancer, run holidays fairly often I understand. My daughter used to volunteer via the Scouting movement to assist in a camp of this sort. Unfortunately I cannot remember which organisation it was.

I hope this is helpful. Love to know what you think.

Mary

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi 99isthebest,

Thanks for your post and your question.

This is something I've looked into personally - with no success. Unfortunately, unless you are willing to spend a fair bit of money, health retreats are not generally affordable. While they are such a great idea for mental health, they are ultimately considered as such a luxury and high-end type holiday/service - so they can charge a small fortune.

One thing that you could consider though is creating a retreat of your own. This way you are able to personalise everything, and depending on your budget - you could find activities that are going to benefit your own mental health too. So if you are looking at a certain place to go, you could find yoga studios or massage therapists or spas there. A lot of retreats ban phones, so this is something you can do too - bringing books or journals instead. Personally, I love wotif for seriously discounted packages or deals.

Ultimately I don't think anything can really replace the idea of a mental health retreat, but I think there are alternatives that can be more affordable.

Good luck in your search.

RT

[99isthebest]

Thanks for the information and support, I appreciate it greatly.

I think i have to agree that perhaps making my own get away might be the best option to clear my mind. I guess the hard part of course is being alone with your thoughts meaning it’s harder to distract your mind from wandering. I guess this is where having a group of people going through the same thing could be a good distraction.

I also like the idea of volunteering for canteen, in fact as a kid I went there when my mum passed away. Would be a good way to give back and maybe give myself a break.

thanks!

[Guest_55720927]

Yes its pretty outrageous what some centres charge & they don't advertise their prices but make you contact them to get the shock.

There is a retreat centre in the Blue Mountains which is affordable, $540 for a 2 day midweek retreat.