Download Treatment of Mental Disorders Review Who treats mental disorders

Treatment of Mental Disorders Review
Who treats mental disorders? If you want treatment for a mental disorder, you might see
a psychiatrist or a counseling psychologist. Psychiatrists are doctors who went to medical
school and specialized in the treatment of mental disorders (instead of dentistry or
delivering babies.) Psychiatrists generally prescribe medication to treat serious mental
disorders like schizophrenia or severe depression (especially if you are suicidal). Clinical or
counseling psychologists treat psychological disorders by using insight therapy (talk
therapy). Counseling psychologists have a PhD from a university and a license to practice.
Counselors, on the other hand, don’t treat mental disorders. They treat every day problems
like grieving death, mild depression, and communication between couples.
There are basically 5 perspectives towards treatment of mental disorders: psychoanalytic,
behavioral, humanistic, cognitive, and biomedical. Understanding each perspective is not
much different than understanding their views towards other branches of psychology (like
personality).
Psychoanalytic methods of treatment, created and inspired by Freud, are all about the
psychoanalyst (therapist) bringing the unconscious mind out into the conscious mind and
interpreting it. Psychoanalysis is not popular anymore and is rarely used. Psychoanalytic
methods include dream analysis, hypnosis, transference, free association and analyzing slips
of the tongue (Freudian slips). Dream analysis involves having the
patient remembering their dreams (a clear pathway to the unconscious
mind) and analyzing their content. Hypnosis enables a patient to access
repressed memories (supposedly) so they can no longer be troubled by
them. Free association is when a patient is asked to say whatever is on
their mind; the psychoanalyst then interprets what they say as a window
into their unconscious mind. (They also pay attention to Freudian slips.)
Transference is an important goal of psychoanalysts. It happens when a
patient begins to treat the therapist like a father or mother figure (or somebody else
important to the patient).
Behavioral methods of treatment were inspired by Skinner and Watson. They are designed
to change the maladaptive behaviors of a person. Behaviorists do not care what causes a
behavior, and they certainly don’t care about the unconscious mind. Just like a pigeon can
be conditioned to peck on a green circle, a human’s bad behavior can be counter conditioned.
The behavioral methods of systematic desensitization (exposure therapy) and flooding are
both used to treat phobias. Aversive conditioning is used to treat addicts who are
motivated to quit and other compulsive behaviors. All three use classical conditioning.
Token economy uses operant conditioning. Token economy works with groups of people and
little children to change maladaptive behaviors (like littering the blacktop).
What psychoanalysis and behaviorism have in common is they both
don’t believe people have free will. In other words, they think humans
are controlled by things outside of our awareness. The psychoanalysts
felt we are controlled by unconscious conflicts and unconscious iddriven instincts. The behaviorists believe our actions and feelings are
a result of “shaping.” In other words, we have been rewarded for being
the way we are. They even feel that we are depressed because we are
rewarded for it.
In the 1960s, the world of psychology was changing just like the rest of the world. After
decades of psychoanalysts thinking they know everything about what the patient needs and
behaviorists focusing their studies on animals, humanists wanted psychology
and psychotherapy to focus on the human aspects of who we are. Carl
Rogers and Abraham Maslow were the 2 big names. Carl Rogers changed
psychotherapy for the better. He said therapy needs to be person-centered,
or client-centered. Client-centered therapy means the therapist isn’t the
know-it-all. The client knows more how to treat themselves than the
therapist. Rogers said therapists must engage in reflective listening which
if done correctly can really help the client “find” themselves. Reflective listening is
rephrasing and repeating what the client says so the client can hear what they themselves
are saying. Rogers said therapists must demonstrate empathy and unconditional positive
regard toward their clients, meaning the client is, deep down, a truly good human being
despite their faults. It’s kind of like when your mother loves you, even when she is
disappointed in something you did.
Humanists are all about finding yourself and maximizing your potential. According to
Abraham Maslow, you cannot “self actualize” unless your more basic needs are met. At the
bottom of his hierarchy of needs pyramid are biological needs
like food, sleep and safety. You cannot satisfy your esteem
needs until you satisfy your needs for belonging in your family
and/or friends. Some people self-actualize when they meet all
their needs and maximize their potential. Humanistic therapy
is about removing barriers to self actualization.
Cognitive therapy took some of the progress of the humanists
and made therapy less touchy-feely. Cognitive therapy is
client-centered but it focused on changing the thoughts of the client. Cognitive = thinking!
According to cognitive therapists, our irrational thoughts are the cause of much of our
depression and anxiety. Are you still mad about something that happened 2 years ago? A
cognitive therapist might confront you about why you are still holding on to that anger. Two
big names in cognitive therapy are Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck. (No. Dr. Phil is not
included. He practices an extreme version that is not effective for long-term therapy.)
Insurance companies will only cover cognitive-behavioral therapy; it is the only respected
form of insight therapy today.