About Treatments
There are many different treatments for Mental Health Problems:
Mental Health Problems arise when a problem, life event or situation, disrupts the way we think and feel. This can either be temporary – for example, following a bereavement – or be more enduring. Mental health problems can include suffering stress, constant worrying…
Today, the best care is not usually a case of trying just one type of treatment or another. Depression:
Not just a "bad mood", depression is all-pervasive, goes on for more than a few days and affects the day-to-day life of a person. Depression is the most common mental illness and is experienced by around one in six of the population at some time. Symptoms can include…
Read on to find out about some of the most common treatments in use today but please note - this is not an exhaustive list!
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Counselling and Psychotherapy
Drug Treatments
Electro-Convulsive Therapy ('ECT', 'Electric Shock Therapy')
Exercise
Psychological Treatments
Treatment in Hospital
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is concerned with how people think and react in certain situations. It is seen as the most effective 'psychological intervention'. It is not a 'talking therapy' like counselling. CBT uses a series of practical exercises that are worked through with or without a psychologist as a guide. Books, websites and CDROMs are available to guide people through the process. CBT is particularly useful as a treatment for mild to moderate Depression:
Not just a "bad mood", depression is all-pervasive, goes on for more than a few days and affects the day-to-day life of a person. Depression is the most common mental illness and is experienced by around one in six of the population at some time. Symptoms can include…
Anxiety is a common problem experienced by around one in ten of the population. It has many symptoms and different people experience…
Living life to the Full is a self-help website based on CBT techniques. Funded by NHS Scotland, it helps people develop and improve their life skills.
Counselling (and Psychotherapy)
Counselling broadly involves talking to an experienced listener about the feelings associated with areas of difficulty. It is particularly useful where specific events or circumstances are thought to have caused a Depression:
Not just a "bad mood", depression is all-pervasive, goes on for more than a few days and affects the day-to-day life of a person. Depression is the most common mental illness and is experienced by around one in six of the population at some time. Symptoms can include…
The need to try different approaches
As with other kinds of treatment, it can take time to find which approach or practitioner is best for each individual. Different practitioners have different areas of speciality and levels of expertise.
Treatments can last a long or a short time
Talking therapies and psychotherapies can be conducted in blocks or 'courses' or can be open ended and ongoing. As with drug treatments, beneficial effects are not usually immediate and can take some time to become noticeable.
Drug Treatments
Many different effective treatments are now available. Newer drugs often have fewer side effects. Unpleasant side effects are an issue particularly with drugs used to treat Schizophrenia:
Schizophrenia is the name given to a range of symptoms that vary from person to person. It's less common than other mental illnesses and is experienced by around one per cent of the population. At any given time, a person with schizophrenia may be experiencing extreme symptoms or hardly any. When…
Some people are uncomfortable with the idea of taking drugs for Mental Illness:
Mental Illness refers to a diagnosable illness that significantly interferes with a person's ability to conduct the tasks needed for day-to-day living. This includes mental tasks, their emotional abilities, and those needed to interact with others. The more common mental illnesses are…
Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT)
ECT involves applying high voltages across the brain of the patient while under general anaesthetic. ECT is now a last-resort treatment for severe and enduring Depression:
Not just a "bad mood", depression is all-pervasive, goes on for more than a few days and affects the day-to-day life of a person. Depression is the most common mental illness and is experienced by around one in six of the population at some time. Symptoms can include…
Exercise
More and more people are being given a prescription of structured exercise. Research has shown that regular physical activity (45 minutes to an hour at least three times a week) is an effective treatment for mild to moderate Depression:
Not just a "bad mood", depression is all-pervasive, goes on for more than a few days and affects the day-to-day life of a person. Depression is the most common mental illness and is experienced by around one in six of the population at some time. Symptoms can include…
Taking regular exercise is also known to help people avoid becoming depressed in the first place.
Exercise is thought to aid Recovery:
Recovery from long-term mental health problems is about much more than the mere absence of symptoms. It is not about being fixed or back to normal. It is about having the chance to live a satisfying and fulfilling life, as defined by the individual, with or without symptoms.
Involvement in sport and other physical activities also gives a sense of achievement, gets the person out of the house and can be an excellent way to meet new people.
Not everyone has good enough physical health to be able to use exercise as a treatment. Ask your doctor for advice and, if you're fit enough, to refer you to an "exercise referral programme".
Psychological Treatments
Psychological treatments (or 'interventions') attempt to alter the way we think, feel and behave without the use of drugs or other medical treatments. However, they are often used alongside drug and other medical treatments. For many, a combination of different types of treatment proves most effective.
Psychological Treatments usually involve talking with and being guided by a therapist trained in one or several therapy techniques. Some treatments can also be delivered in written form or by computer, with or without the guidance of a therapist.
See also 'Counselling (and Psychotherapy)' and 'Cognitive Behavioural Therapy'.
Treatment in Hospital
For most people, it's better that they retain their independence while receiving treatment for their problems.
Some people do still require treatment in hospital. Such people are usually so ill that they are at risk of harming themselves. This can be because they are Suicide:
Suicide is an act of self harm that results in death. Suicide is everyone's business and affects individuals, friends, families, loved ones, co-workers and whole communities.
Treatment in hospital can be voluntary or compulsory. People who are detained in hospital and/or treated against their will are protected by the Mental Health Care and Treatment Act Scotland, 2003.
For more information on the Act and the rights and protections it provides, visit the website of the Mental Welfare Commission Scotland.
Click here to find out how to get help now.
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Listen up!
Nobody enjoys watching someone they're close to going through a difficult time. But what can you do about it?
Often, the very best help a friend can give is simply to encourage them to talk and then listen in a supportive way. Try not to interrupt too much and don't feel that you have to give advice or try to solve their problems for them.
Do give gentle encouragement for them to seek appropriate help. Listening to other people's problems can make us feel better about our own lives too.
More top tips ...
