Therapies for mental health
Mental health problems are increasing day by day and the best way to tackle them is through therapies for mental health. Mental health therapy has numerous benefits. It’s an unfortunate fact of life that mental health distresses and disorders happen and can negatively impact lives. This is countered by more pleasant facts: many types of mental health treatments exist, and mental health therapy works. It allows people to live life well and fully. With proper therapy, people living with mental health disorders can function well in relationships, at home, and out and about in the world.
Treatment of mental health problems starts with diagnosis. To determine a diagnosis and check for related complications, you may have:
A physical exam– Your doctor will try to rule out physical problems that could cause your symptoms.
Lab tests– These may include, for example, a check of your thyroid function or a screening for alcohol and drugs.
A psychological evaluation– A doctor or mental health professional talks to you about your symptoms, thoughts, feelings and behavior patterns. You may be asked to fill out a questionnaire to help answer these questions.
Only after proper diagnosis and identification of the problem talking with a therapist or counselor can help you deal with thoughts, behaviors, symptoms, stresses, goals, past experiences and other areas that can promote your recovery. Of course, talking with a therapist about personal issues can be tough, but it can help you come to grips with problems in your life. It can also offer an emotional release and a sense of really being heard, understood and supported.
Therapy can help you to:
feel stronger in the face of challenges
change behaviors that hold you back
look at ways of thinking that affect how you feel
heal pains from the past
build relationship skills
figure out your goals
strengthen your self-confidence
cope with symptoms
handle strong emotions like fear, grief or anger
enhance your problem solving skills
Types of Therapy
There are many different types of therapies for mental health of a person, including those that are most effective with families or groups of people. The following are a few common types of therapy:
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has two main aspects. The cognitive part works to develop helpful beliefs about your life. The behavioral side helps you learn to take healthier actions. CBT often works well for depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, but it can also be used for other various conditions.
Mental health medication balances brain chemistry in order to reduce symptoms of mental health disorders. Soothing the brain allows mental health therapy to work even better; indeed, when the brain isn’t unbalanced and wreaking havoc on thoughts, feelings, and behaviour, it can settle down and work with a mental health therapist to further reduce symptoms and increase functioning. Both counselling and medication change the brain in positive ways, and when paired, they serve to enhance each other.
Interpersonal therapy focuses largely on improving relationships and helping a person express emotions in healthy ways. This approach often works well for depression. A variation of it called “interpersonal and social rhythm therapy” often works well for bipolar disorder because it also helps develop a daily schedule that supports recovery.
Vocational rehabilitation is a set of services that focuses on skills and attitudes needed for the workforce. Its benefits involve someone’s ability to return to the workforce (in paid or volunteer positions) after mental health (or other) difficulties have kept them away.
Family therapy helps family members communicate, handle conflicts and solve problems better. Forms of family therapy often are used for treating eating disorders and bipolar disorder.
Psychodynamic therapy helps people develop a better understanding about their unconscious emotions and motivations that can affect their thoughts and actions.
Art therapy can include using music, dance, drawing and other art forms to help express emotions and promote healing.
Psychoeducation helps people understand mental health conditions and ways to promote recovery.
Perhaps this is the biggest mental health therapy benefit of all: a sense of hope. Yes, doctors, therapists, counselors, and the like can engage in many different types of therapy to help someone experiencing mental health distress. The benefits of therapies for mental health are quite meaningful to the quality life that is available to everyone.