NUR 302 Nursing

There are several psychotherapies that are applied to treat mental related disorders. Each psychotherapy, however, is, effective to a certain type of mental disorder. Psychotherapy approach acts as the roadmap for the psychologist. It acts as the guidelines process of understanding patients and their problems and developing an efficient solution (Burns, Hoagwood, & Mrazek, 2009). The main types of psychotherapies used to treat people suffering mental disorders include cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy, and psychodynamic therapies and humanistic therapies. Each therapy is most effective to a particular mental disorder.

Cognitive therapy, also referred to as psychotherapy is founded on the impression that the way people think about things affects how they feel emotionally. Cognitive therapy focuses on behaviors, communication and thinking rather than past experiences and is concerned with solving problems (Kohlenberg, Kanter, Bolling, Parker& Tsai, 2002). Cognitive therapy is mainly applied to treat people suffering from depression, anxiety, eating disorders and anger. People suffering from depression have thoughts that are extremely negative. Thus, therapy is effective in defusing those thoughts. It establishes a mental toolkit that is used to change negative thoughts. Cognitive therapy helps shorten depression course and helps reduces symptoms such as poor self-esteem and fatigue that accompany depression.

Psychodynamic and psychoanalysis psychotherapy is s a helpful process that helps the patient recognize and resolve their problems by growing awareness of their inner world and their influence over relationship on both present and both. It aims to help people understand and change the complex underlying and often involuntarily based relationship and emotional problems thus reducing symptoms and relieving distress (Wallerstein, 2003). It is useful in treating people with emotional and behavioral difficulties mostly the obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, phobic anxieties, and eating disorders.

Humanistic psychotherapy is considered as a positive approach to psychotherapy that centers on a person’s individual nature, instead of grouping people having similar characteristics (Lambert & Bergin, 2004). It looks to a person as a whole, from the therapists and also the viewpoints of individuals observing their own behaviors. It focuses on treating people with personality disorders, depression, schizophrenia, and panic disorder. This is because people suffering from personality disorder have low esteem and often has the trouble of reaching their full potential, lack the wholeness feeling and is searching for the personal meaning and they are not comfortable with themselves.

Behavioral therapy seeks to recognize and assist change possibly unhealthy or self-destructive behaviors. It emphasizes that all behaviors are learned and thus corrupt behaviors can be unlearnt. Thus, emphasizes on treating current mental problems and how to change them. It is used to treat depression, anxiety, and panic disorders.

In treating mental disorders there are various types of drugs that are applied. They include antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, stimulants, and antipsychotic medication. Antidepressants are frequently used to treat depression and long-term anxiety. Stimulants increase attention, energy and alertness, blood pleasure, respiration, and heart rate. Stimulants are used to treat adults, adolescents and children suffering from ADHD. The antipsychotics are used to treat psychosis. It is used to treat mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and psychotic depression. Furthermore, there are mood stabilizers, are primarily used to treat mood swings or bipolar disorder.

References

Burns, B. J., Hoagwood, K., & Mrazek, P. J. (2009). Effective treatment for mental disorders in children and adolescents. Clinical child and family psychology review, 2(4), 199-254.

Kohlenberg, R. J., Kanter, J. W., Bolling, M. Y., Parker, C. R., & Tsai, M. (2002). Enhancing cognitive therapy for depression with functional analytic psychotherapy: Treatment guidelines and empirical findings. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 9(3), 213-229.

Lambert, M. J., & Bergin, A. E. (2004). The effectiveness of psychotherapy. Handbook of psychotherapy and behavior change, 4, 143-189.

Wallerstein, R. S. (2003). Forty-two lives in treatment: A study of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. In Forty-Two Lives in Treatment: A Study of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy (pp. 1-768). New York: The Analytic Press.