General Forms Of Therapy

Less than a century ago, helping people with mental or mood disorders was considered an impossible task, with even the most sophisticated methods of the time being crude or barbaric. There appeared to be no possibility of what most people today would consider typical methods for treating problems of the mind. No small pills or capsules that could be taken, and the idea of talking someone’s way through the condition was considered revolutionary. Still, the so-called “talking cure” idea of the past, along with medications such as Prozac, have become fixtures of popular culture, and are regarded as the most likely means of alleviating psychological problems. It is definitely a much more human approach than driving a nail into the brain to pacify the insane.

Psychotherapy, arguably the most effective of the modern means of helping the mentally ill, is defined as “any form of communication between a therapist and a patient which involves a relationship between them for the purpose of remedying whatever disturbance, physical or psychic the patient brings for treatment.” There are numerous types of psychotherapy, just as there are different medications that can be taken to alleviate the symptoms of mental disorders. The types of psychotherapy can include: psychoanalytical, behavioral, cognitive, and cognitive-behavioral. Regardless of type, if there is available medication for the condition in question such as Prozac for depression, then some therapists would supplement sessions by prescribing medication.

Pharmacological treatments are not uncommon nowadays, either. While studies show that they have less affectivity in the long-term, compared to therapy, they can help alleviate conditions that are more episodic in nature. Among the more common types of pharmaceutical solutions are antipsychotic agents, mood stabilizing drugs, antidepressants, and anti-anxiety agents. Every so often, a drug from one particular type can also be used as a treatment for a different type of condition. An example of this would be some antidepressants, such as Prozac, which can partially alleviate the problems caused by anxiety.

Behavioral, cognitive, and cognitive-behavioral approaches to psychotherapy tend to be more practical, and are highly individualized treatments. Sessions are usually shorter than normal, and have a strong focus on what is presently occurring and what is consciously known. The objective of this sort of therapy is to help the patient notice faulty adaptations in their behavior, and then alter them to help them adjust better to life. One example of this involves helping a patient overcome their particular fear by slowly desensitizing them to it, primarily by gradual exposure.