I decided to become a psychotherapist only after I'd done my own "stint" on "the couch." Over the course of six months of weekly therapy, I discovered the value of it for myself, and because of the transforming power of it, decided to return to college to complete my education in psychology. This is my personal testimony to the power of psychotherapy, and why "talk therapy" is still an effective, important and viable method of treating mental health disorders in an age of psychopharmaceuticals.
I am a firm believer in talking over problems. I also am a firm believer in modern medicine. Although medical doctors and nurses might have you believe that a pill can fix what "ails 'ya" in the psychological department, I'm convinced that there's a place for both medicinal and talk therapies. In fact, while all mental illnesses will benefit by psychopharmaceutical intervention, not all personality disorders will.
Let me explain the difference.
There are two types of mental disorders: mental illnesses and personality disorders. Mental illnesses are neuropsychological in etiology, such as: Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, and the like. This means they can be effectively treated with psychotropic medications. It's been my professional experience that mental illnesses which do respond to psychopharmaceuticals can, in addition, benefit greatly from the therapeutic support of a talk therapist. However, Personality Disorders are problems of the personality. They are cognitive etiological problems (thought problems). They result from erroneous belief systems, which have usually taken root in childhood or early adulthood. Because they are not a dysfunction of the neurotransmitters of the brain, nor of the brain anatomy itself (as in the case of Schizophrenia), a few Personality Disorders can be treated with a pill, but will not respond as quickly, nor as effectively as a mental illness. Why?
Personality Disorders must be worked through using talk therapy, with the guidance of a professional counselor (therapist), psychologist or psychiatrist. "Psychotherapy is the main way to treat personality disorders. Psychotherapy is a general term for the process of treating personality disorders by talking about your condition and related issues with a mental health provider. During psychotherapy, you learn about your condition and your mood, feelings, thoughts and behavior. Using the insight and knowledge you gain in psychotherapy, you can learn healthy ways to manage your symptoms. There are no medications specifically approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat personality disorders. However, several types of psychiatric medications may help with various personality disorder symptoms" (Mayoclinic.com, 2011).
My personal experience was that while I had neither been diagnosed as having a mental illness, nor a personality disorder, seeing a psychotherapist allowed me to process and gain healing and emotional closure about childhood abuse I'd suffered. My work with the therapist had a profoundly healing and maturing effect on my life, enabling me to "move forward," rather than being mired in the past. Whether a person suffers from mental illness, a personality disorder, an abusive history, or relationship difficulties, in all cases, psychotherapeutics can be the key which activates the mind and soul to heal. "Consumer Reports (1995, November) published an article which concluded that patients benefited very substantially from psychotherapy, that long-term treatment did considerably better than short-term treatment, and that psychotherapy alone did not differ in effectiveness from medication plus psychotherapy. Furthermore, no specific modality of psychotherapy did better than any other for any disorder; psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers did not differ in their effectiveness as treaters; and all did better than marriage counselors and long-term family doctoring. Patients whose length of therapy or choice of therapist was limited by insurance or managed care did worse" (American Psychologist, 1995). According to this research study, the longer a person is in treatment, regardless of the particular treatment modality or the provider's credentials, the more effective it is. According to this study, psychotherapy works, with or without psychopharmaceuticals.
If you are unsure whether therapy is right for you, interviewing the health professional before scheduling an appointment is a safe way to see if there is a good fit between what they do, and what you're looking to accomplish.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nina_Bingham
I am a firm believer in talking over problems. I also am a firm believer in modern medicine. Although medical doctors and nurses might have you believe that a pill can fix what "ails 'ya" in the psychological department, I'm convinced that there's a place for both medicinal and talk therapies. In fact, while all mental illnesses will benefit by psychopharmaceutical intervention, not all personality disorders will.
Let me explain the difference.
There are two types of mental disorders: mental illnesses and personality disorders. Mental illnesses are neuropsychological in etiology, such as: Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, and the like. This means they can be effectively treated with psychotropic medications. It's been my professional experience that mental illnesses which do respond to psychopharmaceuticals can, in addition, benefit greatly from the therapeutic support of a talk therapist. However, Personality Disorders are problems of the personality. They are cognitive etiological problems (thought problems). They result from erroneous belief systems, which have usually taken root in childhood or early adulthood. Because they are not a dysfunction of the neurotransmitters of the brain, nor of the brain anatomy itself (as in the case of Schizophrenia), a few Personality Disorders can be treated with a pill, but will not respond as quickly, nor as effectively as a mental illness. Why?
Personality Disorders must be worked through using talk therapy, with the guidance of a professional counselor (therapist), psychologist or psychiatrist. "Psychotherapy is the main way to treat personality disorders. Psychotherapy is a general term for the process of treating personality disorders by talking about your condition and related issues with a mental health provider. During psychotherapy, you learn about your condition and your mood, feelings, thoughts and behavior. Using the insight and knowledge you gain in psychotherapy, you can learn healthy ways to manage your symptoms. There are no medications specifically approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat personality disorders. However, several types of psychiatric medications may help with various personality disorder symptoms" (Mayoclinic.com, 2011).
My personal experience was that while I had neither been diagnosed as having a mental illness, nor a personality disorder, seeing a psychotherapist allowed me to process and gain healing and emotional closure about childhood abuse I'd suffered. My work with the therapist had a profoundly healing and maturing effect on my life, enabling me to "move forward," rather than being mired in the past. Whether a person suffers from mental illness, a personality disorder, an abusive history, or relationship difficulties, in all cases, psychotherapeutics can be the key which activates the mind and soul to heal. "Consumer Reports (1995, November) published an article which concluded that patients benefited very substantially from psychotherapy, that long-term treatment did considerably better than short-term treatment, and that psychotherapy alone did not differ in effectiveness from medication plus psychotherapy. Furthermore, no specific modality of psychotherapy did better than any other for any disorder; psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers did not differ in their effectiveness as treaters; and all did better than marriage counselors and long-term family doctoring. Patients whose length of therapy or choice of therapist was limited by insurance or managed care did worse" (American Psychologist, 1995). According to this research study, the longer a person is in treatment, regardless of the particular treatment modality or the provider's credentials, the more effective it is. According to this study, psychotherapy works, with or without psychopharmaceuticals.
If you are unsure whether therapy is right for you, interviewing the health professional before scheduling an appointment is a safe way to see if there is a good fit between what they do, and what you're looking to accomplish.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nina_Bingham
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