Schizotypal Forum

Psychoanalytic Therapy
What is Psychoanalytic Therapy?

Psychoanalytic therapy is one of the most well-known treatment modalities, but it is also one of the most misunderstood by mental health consumers.
Founded by Sigmund Freud, psychoanalytic therapists generally spend time listening to patients talk about their lives, which is why this method is often referred to as "talk therapy." The therapy provider will look for patterns or significant events that may play a role in the client’s current difficulties. Psychoanalysts believe that childhood events and unconscious feelings, thoughts and motivations play a role in mental illness and maladaptive behaviors.

Benefits of Psychoanalytic Therapy

While this type of therapy has many critics who claim that psychoanalytic therapy is too time consuming, expensive and generally ineffective, this treatment has several benefits as well. The therapist offers an empathetic and nonjudgmental environment where the client can feel safe in revealing feelings or actions that have led to stress or tension in his or her life. Oftentimes, simply sharing these burdens with another person can have a beneficial influence.
http://psychology.about.com/od/psychotherapy/a/treattypes.htm

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
What is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive therapists tend to focus on specific problems. These therapists believe that irrational thinking or faulty perceptions cause dysfunctions. A cognitive therapist may work with a client to change thought patterns. This type of therapy is often effective for clients suffering from depression or anxiety.

Behavioral therapists work to change problematic behaviors that have been trained through years of reinforcement. A good example of behavioral therapy would be a therapist working with a client to overcome a fear of heights. The therapist would encourage the client to gradually face their fear of heights through experience. The client might first imagine standing on the roof of a tall building or riding an escalator. Next, the client would slowly expose themselves to greater and greater levels of their fear until the phobia diminishes or disappears entirely.

Benefits of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive and behavioral approaches can be highly effective when treating specific problems. Oftentimes, cognitive and behavioral approaches are combined when treating a disorder. A therapist treating a client with social anxiety may help the client form more accurate thinking patterns as well as focusing on specific behaviors, such as social avoidance.
http://psychology.about.com/od/psychotherapy/a/treattypes.htm

Group Therapy
What is Group Therapy?

Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy where two or more clients work with one or more therapists or counselors. This methods is a popular format for support groups, where group members can learn from the experiences of others and offer advice. This method is also more cost effective than individual psychotherapy and is oftentimes more effective.

Benefits of Group Therapy

It is common for those suffering from a mental illness or problem behavior to feel alone, isolated or different. Group therapy can help clients by providing a peer group of individuals that are currently experiencing the same symptoms or who have recovered from a similar problem. Group members can also provide emotional support and a safe forum to practice new behaviors.
http://psychology.about.com/od/psychotherapy/a/treattypes.htm

Psychosocial therapy
An Overview of Psychosocial Therapy for Schizophrenics

Numerous studies have found that psychosocial treatments as part of schizophrenia treatment can help patients who are already stabilized on antipsychotic medication deal with certain aspects of schizophrenia, such as difficulty with:
* Communication
* Motivation
* Self-care
* Work
* Establishing and maintaining relationships with others.

Learning and using coping mechanisms to address these problems allows people with schizophrenia to attend school and work, and to socialize.

Patients who receive regular psychosocial schizophrenia treatment also adhere better to their medication schedule and have fewer relapses and hospitalizations. A positive relationship with a therapist or a case manager gives the patient a reliable source of information, sympathy, encouragement, and hope -- all of which are essential for recovery. By explaining the nature and causes of schizophrenia and the need for medication, the therapist can also help patients acknowledge the reality of their disorder and adjust to the limitations it imposes.

Specific psychosocial therapy for schizophrenics can include:
* Illness management skills
* Integrated treatment for co-occurring substance abuse
* Rehabilitation
* Family education
* Cognitive-behavioral therapy
* Self-help groups.

Psychosocial Therapy for Schizophrenics: Illness Management Skills
People with schizophrenia can take an active role in managing their own illness. Once they learn basic facts about schizophrenia and the principles of schizophrenia treatment, they can make informed decisions about their care. If they are taught how to monitor the early warning signs of relapse and make a plan to respond to these signs, they can learn to prevent relapses. Patients can also be taught more effective coping skills to deal with persistent symptoms.

Psychosocial Therapy for Schizophrenics: Integrated Treatment for Co-occurring Substance Abuse
Substance abuse is the most common co-occurring disorder in people with schizophrenia, but ordinary substance abuse treatment programs usually do not address this population's special needs. When schizophrenia treatment programs and drug treatment programs are integrated, better outcomes are the result.

Psychosocial Therapy for Schizophrenics: Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation emphasizes social and vocational training to help people with schizophrenia function more effectively in the community. Because people with schizophrenia frequently become ill during the critical career-forming years of life (ages 18-35), and because the disease often interferes with normal cognitive functioning, most patients do not receive the training required for skilled work. Rehabilitation programs can include:
* Vocational counseling
* Job training
* Money management
* Learning to use public transportation
* Practicing social and workplace communication skills.

Psychosocial Therapy for Schizophrenics: Family Education
Patients with schizophrenia are often discharged from the hospital into the care of their families, so it is important that family members know as much as possible about the disease in order to prevent relapses. Family members should learn how to use different kinds of treatment adherence programs and have an arsenal of coping strategies and problem-solving skills to effectively manage their ill relative. Knowing where to find outpatient and family services that support people with schizophrenia and their caregivers is also valuable.

Psychosocial Therapy for Schizophrenics: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is useful for patients whose symptoms persist even when they take antipsychotic medication. The cognitive therapist teaches people with schizophrenia how to:
* Test the reality of their thoughts and perceptions
* "Not listen" to the voices they hear
* Overcome the apathy that often immobilizes them.

This treatment appears to be effective in reducing the severity of symptoms and decreasing the risk of relapse.

Psychosocial Therapy for Schizophrenics: Self-Help Groups
Self-help groups for people with schizophrenia and their families are becoming increasingly common. Although professional therapists are not involved, the group members are a continuing source of mutual support and comfort for each other, which is also therapeutic. People in self-help groups know that others are facing the same problems they face, and no longer feel isolated by their illness or the illness of their loved one. The networking that takes place in self-help groups can also generate social interaction. Families working together can advocate for more research and additional hospital and community treatment programs, and patients acting as a group may be able to draw public attention to the discriminations many people with mental illnesses still face in today's world.

Support groups and advocacy groups are excellent resources for people with many types of mental disorders.
http://schizophrenia.emedtv.com/schizophrenia/psychosocial-therapy-for-schizophrenics.html