| Mental Health Therapy |
| Written by John Potter | |
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Many of us struggle with problems and keep them bottled up inside. Whether our problem is emotional behavioral or otherwise it’s important to define what the problem is and get therapy. Doctor’s can help make sense of the puzzling symptoms, provide a diagnosis and help you recognize what they mean.
There are many clinicians around to help you but you must determine how to find the right person to treat you. How skilled a clinician is with a particular treatment you need and whether or not he or she can offer you an appropriate treatment plan. But first, when you are struggling with a problem the most important tool is acknowledging the problem and getting a clear understanding of what the problem is and finding an effective treatment plan to help you. There are many disorders and sometimes people will show only a few traits or symptoms of a mental health disorder; but don’t become discouraged because mental health therapy is out there and a doctor will help you make sense of your problems. There are many effective plans for mental health therapy that range from medications and hypnotherapy to behavior and psychotherapies and many others in between. One of the more frequently used treatment plans involves cognitive behavioral therapy and medications. Cognitive behavior therapy combines elements of behavior and cognitive therapy and together they concentrate on the way your thoughts, behaviors and emotions influence each other. It is very effective for a number of mental health problems especially anxiety and depression. Behavior therapy focuses on the way dysfunctional behaviors can lead to mental health problems and that your actions and reactions are largely learned. Some behaviors are reinforced and rewarded while others are learned by watching and imitating others. Cognitive therapy focuses on the way your thoughts about yourself and others contribute to your mental problems. Cognitive behavior therapy is used a lot, especially for short term therapy. Short term therapy is most often the treatment plan when a patient only has a certain amount of weeks available for treatment or when insurance will only pay for a limited number of sessions. During cognitive behavior therapy a clinician will teach the patient problem solving and coping skills such as communication, social and relaxation skills. A clinician will also help you examine your negative thinking and how it interferes with your behaviors and emotions. According to the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies many people hold onto repetitive automatic thoughts. These thoughts are critical that you think and say to yourself that sabotage your success and happiness. “Why bother trying? I’m only going to fail in the long run” or “I don’t deserve anything good.” These thoughts are charged with sad emotions but a therapist can help you modify these negative beliefs and build new positive beliefs for a more fulfilling life. Medications are often used to treat mental health illnesses either alone or in conjunction with psychotherapy. Many mental health problems are treated with psychotropic medications. These type of drugs remove the symptoms of the illness but do not cure the problems. When the medications are stopped the mental health illness will return. Some clinicians will always prescribe a medication while others will only do so if the psychotherapy has failed. For some illnesses like bipolar disorders and schizophrenia medications will always be the first and primary treatment. For other mental health illnesses like depression the decision to use medication is planned on a case by case basis. If the patient is so depressed and suicidal or a danger to others then medication would be prescribed and then followed up by psychotherapy. There is no clear path and it all depends upon the patient and what their most effective treatment may be. One of the biggest factors of using medications is the cost and the side effects. Many people without health insurance find the medication to be outside of their small budget. For some, social services can help but many would rather not fight through all the red tape and just end up not taking the medications. Sure, this is a dire consequence but that is the decision of the patient. Medications must also have the dosage adjusted for different patients because the side effects become unbearable. Doctors can prescribe different medications and dosages to treat the illness. With all the information and expert advice there is never a guarantee that the recommended medications will help you. Some medications work for some people and not for others. Ask questions about the medication prescribed and any symptoms and side effects that concern you. The most effective mental health therapy starts with acknowledging the problem and seeking ways to overcome the illness. |
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