Psychotherapy Guide

Mental illness is any disease or condition affecting the brain that influence the way a person thinks, feels, behaves and/or relates to others and to his or her surroundings. Although the symptoms of mental illness can vary from mild to severe and are different depending on the type of mental illness, a person with an untreated mental illness often is unable to cope with life's daily routines and demands

• Heredity Many mental illnesses run in families, suggesting that the illnesses may be passed on from parents to children through genes. But, just because your mother or father may have a mental illness doesn't mean you will have one.

• Biology: Some mental illnesses have been linked to an abnormal balance of special chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters help nerve cells in the brain communicate with each other. If these chemicals are out of balance or not working properly, messages may not make it through the brain correctly, leading to symptoms of mental illness. Also defects or injury to certain areas of the brain also have been linked to some mental conditions.

• Psychological trauma: Some mental illnesses may be triggered by psychological trauma suffered as a child, such as severe emotional, physical or sexual abuse, the loss of a parent or neglect.

• Environmental stressors: Certain stressors like a death, divorce, changing jobs or schools and substance abuse can trigger a disorder in a person who may be at risk for developing a mental illness.

• Infections: Certain infections have been linked to brain damage and the development of mental illness or the worsening of its symptoms.

When to have Psychotherapy Back to top

Conducted with all or as many members as possible of a family. The work may all be done with the entire group or involve various combinations of family members. The process helps identify and modify destructive interaction patterns as well as help group communication and problem solving skills
 

Eclectic Therapy

Not a formal school of thought, is uses of a combination of approaches or theoretical orientations. It is used by most therapists. There are many different blends. It is a recognition that individuals may benefit from a variety of techniques. The eclectic approach can be flexible and adaptive and avoid forcing treatment into one size fits all limitations. It is necessary that the therapist be well grounded in several of the more orthodox approaches to treatment rather than using bits and pieces through a lack of familiarity.

Existential Therapy

An approach that examines some of the major issues in our existence such as the meaning of life, loneliness, mortality, and the challenge of free will. It focuses on taking responsibility for ones choices and creating our own meaning and purpose. It is especially useful with the elderly and in working on issues of death and dying. Though it emphasizes needs of the individual it usually helps patients find new meaning in their relationships.

Psychoanalysis

The personality theory and psychotherapeutic approach pioneered by Sigmund Freud. Freud is known as the father of psychoanalysis. The approach emphasizes making the unconscious conscious and thereby giving the individual choices in life rather than being at the whim of unknown forces within themselves. Psychoanalysis frequently uses dreams and free associations as the subject matter for treatment. The therapist says little but guides the patient in interpreting the meaning of the intrusion of unconscious material into everyday life.

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Is the term used to describe treatment approaches based on psychoanalytic principals, but which are conducted less frequently, over a shorter duration and allow a small amount of eclecticism. Psychodynamic therapists are more active than psychoanalysts.
 

Stress Management

Training is a process of identifying stressors, learning ones physiological and cognitive responses to stress and developing techniques to manage those responses. Common stress management techniques are systematic desensitization, relaxation training, and cognitive therapy.

Medication Management

The use of psychotropic medications to manage emotional, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms. The medication is prescribed by psychiatrists after thorough evaluation and with ongoing monitoring. Medication management is usually implemented in conjunction with other therapies aimed at treating the underlying causes of the condition.

Disorders That Psychotherapy can help  Back to top

Adjustment Disorders

These are conditions with clinically significant emotional or behavioral symptoms which are in response to identifiable psychosocial stress. Like- retirement, business problems, housing problems, becoming a parent, financial difficulties, marital problems. The stressor can be occasional or continuous. The stressor might effect one individual, a particular family, or the whole community after a disaster.

The symptoms of Adjustment Disorders can develop within 3 months of the onset of the stress. The reaction is characterized by excessive distress and over reaction.

Adjustment Disorders are subdivided into six types:
1. Adjustment Disorder With Depressed Mood - feeling of hopelessness, sadness, or crying a lot.
2. Adjustment Disorder With Anxiety - feeling nervousness, worrying, or experiencing jitteriness.
3. Adjustment Disorder With Anxiety & Depressed Mood - feeling of hopelessness, nervousness or feeling sad, worrying or crying a lot or experiencing jitteriness.
4. Adjustment Disorder With Disturbance of Conduct - rebel from normal society rules. They can diplay acts of  truancy, vandalism, reckless driving, fighting.
5. Adjustment Disorder With Mixed Disturbance of Emotions and Conduct - people with some emotional symptoms and disturbance of conduct symptoms.
6. Adjustment Disorder, Unspecified - other reactions like as withdrawal, inhibition, or physical symptoms such as stomach aches or headaches.

Adjustment Disorders lasting less than six months are acute.

Conditions characterized by high levels of anxiety. Anxiety has an unpleasant affect with both  and psychological symptoms.

Physiological Symptoms can include rapid shallow breathing, muscle tension, increased heart rate, sweating, and trembling.

Psychological symptoms can include feelings of dread, impending doom, powerlessness,  over vigilance,  sense of doubt.

Anxiety Disorders are often seen in combination.
Panic Attack

The sudden onset of intense fear, terror, apprehension and a sense of impending doom lasting from several minutes to several hours. Both the physiological and psychological symptoms of anxiety are experienced to a marked degree.
Agoraphobia

Anxiety or avoidance related to going places where you might feel vulnerable, afraid to leave home.
Specific Phobia

A high degree of anxiety related to exposure to a specific element. The anxiety is continual,  exaggerated and often leads to avoidance.
Social Phobia

A high degree of anxiety when exposed to social situations. The anxiety is continual, exaggerated and often leads to avoidance.

Anxiety Disorder because of a General Medical Condition

Characterized by prominent symptoms of anxiety that are judged to be a direct physiological consequence of a general medical condition.
Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder

Characterized by prominent symptoms of anxiety that are judged to be a direct result of a drug of abuse, a medication or toxin exposure
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Unwanted, persistent and intrusive thoughts, repetitive, ritualistic behaviors. Common obsessions include persistent thoughts about contamination and clenliness, accident, injury or loss. Doubts creep in to the mind did I lock the door ? did I turn the fire off ? excessive hand washing and checking.
Post traumatic Stress Disorder

Characterized by re-experiencing the anxiety that happened to you in a previous traumatic event and the avoidance of stimuli associated with the event. The original event is, or is perceived to be life threatening.
Acute Stress Disorder

Characterized by high levels experienced immediately after an extremely traumatic occurrence.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Characterized by at least six months of persistent and excessive anxiety and worry.

Dissociative disorders

Mood Disorders
Depression is extremely common affecting up to twenty percent of the population at some point during their life. depression treatable with up to eighty percent of those treated reporting significant improvement. Sadly many people that are depressed never get treatment because they dont ask for help.

Depression and mania are both classified as mood disorders. They can occur separately or together. Depression can range from mild to moderate to severe. It can be short or long lasting.

How do I know if I am Depressed ? the following symptoms may be apparent:

Depressed Mood you feel sad, tearful, or just empty
Lack of interest in everything.
Weight loss or gain
Feeling agitated
Lack of energy or tired all the time
Feeling worthless

Feeling guilt.
Difficulty in concentration

characterized by hallucinations, delusions, personality disorganization, loss of ego boundaries, the inability to meet the ordinary demands of life.

Schizophrenia
People with schizophrenia may have perceptions of reality that are extremely different from the reality seen and shared by others around them. They can hear voices, talk to themselves, or respond to imaginary fears.
A person with schizoaffective disorder experiences some symptoms of schizophrenia as well as symptoms of a mood disorder, such as depression or mania.

Delusional disorder

Psychotherapy training Back to top