TREATMENT Notes
CAUSES of Disorder/Mental Illness
Spiritual/Religious Origin
original source of abnormal behavior-demonic possession
treatment: religious practices-- beatings, ostracism, exorcism, or execution
Biological Origin
symptoms are biological in nature; the body/brain malfunctions resulting in mental illness
Ex: depression- not enough serotonin, schizophrenia—too much dopamine
Popular model of abnormal behavior, but many social problems (alcoholism, drug
addiction, anorexia, etc) simplistically labeled as “diseases” Are they? Dialogue continues…
Psychological Origins
Psychoanalytical- abnormal behavior stems from unconscious conflicts, desires, childhood
experiences, unresolved problems (Erikson’s stages, Horney’s love and affection as children)
Behavioral- abnormal is learned and reinforced with environmental stimuli (reward and punishment
results in abnormal behavior)
Cognitive- abnormal behavior results from a problem with mental processes—THINKING problem
TREATMENT
Modern treatment is a long way from bloodletting, trephination, exorcism, spinning in chairs,
dousing with ice water, etc…
A. PSYCHOTHERAPY treatment used to help people overcome their
psychological/emotional problems…sometimes just called “therapy”
Can be administered by:
Psychologists (college & advanced degree)
Psychiatrists (college, medical school, internship, etc…)
Social Worker (college degree + training)
“Therapist”- anyone …at least in AZ
3 Necessary components of effective psychotherapy
1) Conversation between therapist and patient (or client)
2) Trust- desire to help and be helped is sincere, issues are confidential
3) Analysis of problems and suggestions to help
Eclectic Approach- using various kinds of therapies and treatments
Individual Therapy- one-on-one
Group TherapyCouples counseling
Family therapy
Self-help groups
AA, Weight Watchers
1. Psychoanalysis
(Freud legacy), making patients aware of unconscious motives to that they can control
their behavior—symptoms are manifestation of inner turmoil in one’s unconscious
HOW?
Conversation or “talk therapy”
Free Association
Hypnosis
Dream Analysis
Manifest content explained, Latent content interpreted
Might encounter:
Resistance: Patient doesn’t want to do it
Insight- the aha! Moment- understanding of problem
Transference- loving or hating therapist
2. Humanistic Therapy
(Dr. Laura HATES this…associate with Rogers and Maslow)
Client-centered therapy- assumes client really, really wants to become self-actualized
Therapy is “non-directive”…patient just talks about anything without any direction
Therapist gives “Unconditional Positive Regard” all the time along with “Active
Listening”
Encounter groups
Sensitivity Training
3. Behavior Modification (B-Mod) or Behavior Therapy
emphasis on behavior, not thoughts…if you change your behavior first, the thoughts will
follow…doesn’t care to understand or treat the cause.
Systematic Desensitization
GRADUALLY replacing a bad behavior with a better one using rewards for each
approximation….it’s a kind of operant conditioning and called “Counterconditioning”
Best when used to overcome phobias, mild disorders
Aversive Conditioning
Classical Conditioning- associating a bad behavior with a bad result…ex..bad
behavior=biting nails, apply nasty-tasting substance to fingers, association made, nail-biting
stops
Token Economies
Good behavior is rewarded with a TOKEN- something that will purchase something
good….points, stars, chips, etc….works well with children and in schools
Implosive Therapy
Exposing oneself to fear…ex…afraid of snakes? Get into a pit of snakes….think “Fear
Factor”
DisinhibtionForm of social modeling- watching someone else do what you are afraid of and then
you can do it. EX: touch a snake- watch someone else touch a snake and then you can do
it
4. Cognitive Therapies
Idea: Thinking is flawed, fix it---focus on positive things and get rid of negative
thoughts—involves lots of thinking and talking…
***Mentally strive to appreciate GOOD things in life and that will help put problem into
perspective so you can cope with it.
Aaron Beck- Cognitive Therapy
Collaborative effort between client and therapist- trying to correct faulty beliefs and
replacing with more rational ones…often used to treat depression. Depression=irrational
and negative beliefs about self, future and world. (problems with “cognitive triad”)
Ex….man goes to therapy because girlfriend leaves him and life is empty without her.
Problem: man’s belief that he has to have her
Reality: She is NOT the problem, his THINKING that he has to have her is wrong
Result: Change thinking
Albert Ellis - Rational Emotive Therapy- RET or REBT
Based on the idea that some thinking is not realistic- confrontational- client is
confronted with his faulty thinking
B. PHARMACOTHERAPY…..DRUGS
-drugs treat SYMPTOMS, not the causes of the disorders
distribute list of common drugs and disorders…..
4 kinds of Drugs used to treat psychological disorders:
1. Anti-psychotic (tranquilizers)…used to treat schizophrenia, stop over production
of dopamine
2. Anti-depressants- adjust levels of serotonin and adrenaline, re-uptake inhibitors
(SSRI’s=Prozac- agonists that block the reuptake of serotnin, flooding the brain
with the NT—feel better)
3. Lithium- removes mood swings in bi-polar
4. Anti-anxiety- sedatives, mild tranquilizers, may become addictive
BIG, IMPORTANT AP PSYCH POINT- with the growing popularity
of drugs and psychotherapies to treat mental illness and DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION (releasing the mentally ill from treatment
centers), the number of mentally ill has decreased since the 60’s.
Has it?
C. “SHOCK THERAPY”
Electro convulsive therapy- sends electricity through brain in the hopes of easing
symptoms, most used to treat severe depression
D. PSYCHOSURGERY
Destroying part of the brain to ease symptoms, used mostly to treat violent behavior
Most common form- PRE-FRONTAL LOBOTOMY