Treatments should only be carried out by highly skilled professionals and therefore this article is only able to discuss the issues briefly.
Generally it may not be too wise to have too much knowledge of the issues involved as this may cause conflict during treatment. This may by likened to a doctor or nurse receiving treatment believing that they know the best way of resolving their own problem and being fearful about what the person who is treating them is doing.
There appear to be two broad branches of trying to solving the problems of
anxiety, stress and
phobia these are medical and talking treatments.
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Psychiatry :-
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Psychiatry appears to use a mainly medical, drug therapy and surgery, approach to resolving problems. However, Psychiatrists may sometimes use Talking treatments as their approach.
This approach may be valid for people with psychosis but may not be the best method for treating people with neurosis.
Psychiatrists are the only psychotherapists permitted to prescribe drugs as part of the treatment. Although a General Practitioner may also be willing to prescribe drugs if the person decides that a combination of drug and talking treatments will be more effective. It should be noted that one of the aims of talking treatments may be to help the person cope without the need for drug treatment. During the course of the talking treatment the person may be able to gradually reduce the need for drugs until they are able to cope without them.
It is felt that psychiatrists favour drug treatment or surgery because of their medical training. This effects the way the person thinks, after all, that is what these treatments are designed to do. The problem can become one of; is it the drug or surgery causing the way the person is thinking, is it the talking treatment or is it their own incorrect or correct thinking.
The person may become psychologically dependant on the drug, they may feel that they could not cope with out it.
There may be other issues such as fear of being stigmatised for seeing a psychiatrists that may also effect the treatment.
Electro Convulsive Therapy, Electroconvulsive Therapy, ECT.
Electro Shock Therapy
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Drugs may be able to help in the short term. Psychiatrists are the only psychotherapists permitted to prescribe drugs as part of the treatment. Although a General Practitioner may be willing to prescribe drugs as part of a Talking treatment.
Look at the section about Psychiatry.
Talking treatments are more likely to be successful in the longer term. These talking treatments are able to give the person an understanding of these real issues that are causing the anxieties, stress or phobia.
They are able to help the person cope with the event and come to terms with what has occurred.
The level of treatment will depend on the level of the problem.
To compare with a physical ailment a sprained ankle may only need a bandage but a broken ankle may require; x-rays, a plaster cast and physiotherapy.
Most psychotherapy is based on discussions between a therapist and one or more people with similar problems. Psychotherapy includes a wide range of techniques based on different ideas and theories about the causes of psychological disorders. Some psychotherapists use one form of therapy for all their people. However, many therapists vary their techniques to suit the nature of the persons problems. Much depends on the experience, skill, and warmth of the therapist, and on the relationship he or she establishes with each person.
Analytic Psychotherapy or psychoanalysis, is based on the theory that psychological disorders are caused by conflict between conscious and subconscious influences. For example, an individual's desires may conflict with; their own moral standards, the moral standards of society or their childhood upbringing.
They may have been childhood abuse.
Guilt may also be a problem for the person.
These issues could result in anxiety, stress, phobias and guilt which may be resolved during psychotherapy.
People suppress painful memories from the conscious part of the mind into the subconscious part as a way of protecting themselves from the pain associated with the memory. The goal of psychoanalysis is to bring repressed conflicts to conscious awareness. The person will then be helped to understand the conflicts and deal with them within a controlled and relaxed environment.
This should help the person rediscover the roots of their problem which has become buried in their subconscious memories and allow them to resolve them. In psychoanalysis the persons life history, especially childhood memories are discussed to discover where the inner conflicts originate from. A good psychotherapist will use a number of techniques to help the person overcome the problem.
A good psychotherapist will not plant false memories into the persons mind but will allow the person to discuss their own perception of the painful events in a controlled and caring way. The psychotherapist will help the person gain a true perception of what has occurred and help resolve problems of guilt that the person may have because of their inability to do anything about the situation at the time.
Behavioural Psychotherapy is based on the concept that psychological problems result from a basic learning process called conditioning. In conditioning a person learns to make specific responses to stimuli, the thing the person fears or causes anxiety. According to behavioural theory, individuals who have psychological problems either have failed to learn effective responses to stimuli or have learned faulty behavioural patterns in dealing with stresses.
Behavioural therapists attempt to change a person's behavioural patterns by a variety of means. Behavioural therapists also work to change the person's beliefs about themselves and their behaviour. The therapist may try to increase a person's confidence in his or her own ability to function effectively. The therapist also may try to help a person develop more reasonable goals. A behavioural therapists may assist the person to gradually expose them selves to their anxiety until they become confident with the situation. More information Behavioral and Brain Sciences (Cambridge Journals.) Behavioral and Brain Sciences. BBS is the internationally renowned journal with the innovative format known as Open Peer Commentary. Particularly significant and controversial pieces of work are published from researchers in any area of psychology, neuroscience, behavioural biology or cognitive science, together with 10–25 commentaries on each article from specialists within and across these disciplines, plus the author's response to them. The result is a fascinating and unique forum for the communication, criticism, stimulation, and particularly the unification of research in behavioural and brain sciences from molecular neurobiology to artificial intelligence and the philosophy of the mind. As Cambridge continues its philosophy of moving towards fully online submission, refereeing and commentary, see preprints of articles currently undergoing commentary at BBS online
Humanistic Psychotherapy emphasises people's potential for growth and self-fulfilment rather than concentrating on their subconscious conflicts or their self-defeating behaviour. Humanistic therapists work to help peoples develop personal awareness, self-understanding, and an appreciation of their own worth. The therapist does not probe the person's past life, as a psychoanalyst does, or attempt to change specific behaviour, as a behavioural therapist does. Instead, the therapist provides an atmosphere of acceptance and support where the person can explore his or her problems.
There are several types of humanistic psychotherapy. The most typical one is probably client-centred therapy. Client-centred therapy assumes that the troubled individual is the best expert for solving his or her own problems. The therapist repeats and restates the client's feelings and thoughts in an effort to help the person gain insight. The therapist does not try to explain the problem or tell the client what to do. People can learn to make constructive choices by becoming more aware of their emotions.
Other forms of Psychotherapy include; Gestalt therapy, transactional analysis and reality therapy. Gestalt therapy is directed at bringing peoples' thoughts and actions into harmony with their deepest feelings. In transactional analysis, the therapist helps people analyse their relationships in family and social situations. In reality therapy, the person is held responsible for his or her own behaviour and is forced to accept its consequences.
Group Therapy is psychotherapy conducted with a group of people, usually six or more persons. Any approach to psychotherapy may be applied in a group setting. For example, there are psychoanalytic therapy groups, behaviour therapy groups, and Gestalt groups. Group therapy has several advantages. A therapist can serve more people in a group than in individual sessions, and they can share experiences and learn from one another. The group also provides social and emotional support to its members in times of stress.
In family therapy, one or more therapists work with the members of a family as a group. The therapists also may hold meetings with individual family members. Family therapists believe that even if only one family member seems to have a problem, all the members are involved in some way.
Moodgym A on-line Delivery of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for preventing depression. The 'Moodgym' is a self-help interactive website designed to help you work out what you are feeling. It is one of the few free CBT programs available on the Internet. The programme was developed by the Centre for Mental Health Research at the Australian National University and uses Cognitive Behaviour therapy to teach people an important basic concept about their thinking: that you have a choice about your thoughts.
Hypnosis & hypnotherapy may be used.
Negative messages which you should counteract with positive self messages and affirmations
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
| Counselling Directory. This website is a support network of UK counsellors and psychotherapists, with information on their training and experience, areas of counselling covered, fees and contact details. This service is free, confidential and easy to use. | |
| Search for a counsellor or psychotherapist:- | |
| And/Or Type of distress: (info) | |
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Psychosurgery This website tells the stories of people affected by having lobotomies done to them and works to educate about the procedure.
Neurosurgery for mental disorder (psychosurgery) (MIND). Neurosurgery for mental disorder (NMD), is a neurosurgical treatment on the frontal lobes of the brain (the part behind the forehead), involving the limbic system. The limbic system is a part of the brain concerned with functions not under conscious control, and with emotional response. NMD is not generally carried out to alter behaviour. It is usually used to treat severe, incapacitating, non-schizophrenic mood disorders when all other attempts at treatment have failed and the alternative is continuing suffering for the patient. Nowadays, it is most commonly used to treat severe depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. It is not considered to be curative, and people who undergo NMD will probably continue to need psychiatric support following the procedure even if it is considered to be a success.
Electro Convulsive Therapy, Electroconvulsive Therapy, ECT. Electro Shock Therapy.
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Some drugs may be helpful at certain times. Some drugs may need to be taken over longer periods. Some drugs may have side effects or be difficult to withdraw from and stop taken because they may be habit forming or have a Psychological Dependency.
Drug Treatment may only be prescribed by a trained Psychiatrist or a General Practitioner. Drug Treatment may be used in conjunction with Electro Convulsive Therapy, Electroconvulsive Therapy, ECT. Electro Shock Therapy, Neurosurgery Psychosurgery and Talking treatments
You're scared of what? By Ross Chainey, Health Editor. Around 16 million Brits suffer from phobias, from the usual fear of spiders to irrational horror at the sight of a plate of peas. As scientists reveal a pill that could cure phobias, MSN Health takes a look at the bizarre list of recognised phobias and examines why we develop them in the first place. University of Unizh Phobia Cortisol site search Royal College of Psychiatrists Cortisol Phobia site search
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British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP) receives many queries from members of the general public, from health professionals and journalists on matters related to pre-clinical and clinical psychopharmacology. Psychopharmacology is the study of the effects of drugs on mood, sensation, consciousness, or other psychological or behavioural functions.
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Natural Therapy and Alternative Therapies Compare Bargains on Natural Therapy
Compare Bargains on Alternative Therapies These types of treatment may be helpful at helping a person to be more relaxed. There are arguments both for and against such treatments. Negative messages
which you should counteract with positive self messages and affirmations
Some Natural Therapy and Alternative Therapies could have side effects or
interact with other treatments.
Consult your own General
Practitioner before taking any actions that could effect your health in any way.
Only use Natural Therapy and
Alternative Therapies after careful consolation with an independent
professional. We do not recommend that you pay for treatments.
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Anxiety & Phobia workbook Software. A user friendly system which keeps track of medication, log daily events, keep a record of symptoms, monitor therapy and even chart the progress of your recovery. Relative records are also available to show to your doctors or therapists. Totally customized. should be useful for people suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Hypochondria, Panic Disorder, Clinical Depression, Specific Phobias, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Social Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and an array of other anxiety-related disorders.
Negative messages
which you should counteract with positive self messages and affirmations
Of course you can search the Internet or look
at other websites.
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