| |
These
groups can be a source of
information and support and
can provide an opportunity
for people to talk about
their feelings. Health professionals,
doctors and nurses, counselors
or psychotherapists in a hospital
run some groups. More commonly,
people with cancer run groups.
They often offer different
techniques to teach coping
strategies together with relaxation
or visualization, as well
as practical information and
emotional support. |
| |
How
Psychiatric Medicine Helps
Medications
There are numerous
neurotransmitters acting in
the brain in many complex
ways. Today's medicines are
able to modify this brain
chemistry to alleviate the
elements of depression, anxiety,
attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder, psychosis, some
addictions and so on. They
help to correct the underlying
symptoms that are often genetic
in origin but are increased
by our social issues and personal
lives that affect our mental
state and overall health of
the body.
Therapy
This is an overused word for
a vast subject that helps
people in many seen and unseen
ways.
There are many types of therapy
and not any one therapy is
the sole answer for one or
all. Some therapy may be in
group or individual format.
Usually an individual session
or brief therapy time with
a physician or longer time
with a counselor, or other
professional may help in the
following ways:
1. Vital emotional
release: Too often
our problems and issues block
our emotional bodies and cause
a whole host of issues that
can affect the body and mind.
Some of these blocks are conscious
while others are subconscious
and most is unconscious that
is not in our awareness. The
process of one on one time
is a catalyst for the emotional
release of past pain, pressures
and issues that come to the
surface to be healed. Our
mind and body ultimately do
not allow us to "bury
the past and forget about
it." Rather, we eventually
become a pressure cooker where
our emotions must be released
in a safe environment or we
may end up with lack of peace
and harmony and various bodily
ailments that are not necessarily
responding to conventional
medicine.
2.
Learning to express what is
on the inside with words,
emotions and creativity
A healing process takes place
when we can bring into words
or through creative means
in art, music and the like
our inner dialogue of who
we are, the illusions about
ourselves and our fears and
resistances that often cloud
our highest and best.
3.
Reworking old family patterns.
We are molded by our past
and have the power to gradually
create a better future by
understanding our family patterns
that have affected us in the
present. Awareness of such
patterns is half the process
in healing. Once aware we
can reparent and nurture ourselves
in healthier ways that we
may not have necessarily received
as children. We can gradually
forgive and accept in order
to embrace a more coherent
and peaceful life.
4. Repair and rebuilding of
our sense of Self:
Too often we are salmon swimming
upstream and therapy can provide
an avenue to examine and rebuild
who we are and take down who
we thought we were. Without
a solid sense of Self we may
continue to repeat old patterns
that are not healthy in our
work and personal lives.
5. Dealing with negativity
Too often we can
become stuck in our shadow
self and in our negative thinking
that slows us down. Therapy
can help us recognize when
these behaviors are taking
place and provide some tools
to help us think in opposite
directions to forge a new
path of behaviors, attitudes
and feelings.
Simple Preventive
Medicine Suggestions
Where appropriate, preventive
medicine suggestions in exercise,
sleep hygiene, basic use of
some herbal preparations,
diet changes and developing
and deepening one's own belief
system and philosophy of life
can help as we take conventional
medicines and take some time
for therapy.
Our own Efforts and
Contemplation
Our own efforts are vital
in the healing process. Too
often many want the physician
and/ or therapist to wave
a magic wand and make years
of issues and patterns of
behaviors go away. However,
we have to "make quilts
as life gives us scraps"
and become our own teacher
in solving our problems. Journal
writing, efforts to reach
out to the community in service,
discovery of our talents,
our own self help reading,
exploration of internet articles
are important to empower us
little by little in our growth
of Self-awareness.....
Some
frequently asked questions
and comments in Psychiatric
treatment
Are Psychiatrists,
physicians? Yes,
all psychiatrists are physicians
fully licensed, registered
and certified by the Medical
Council of India & state
medical councils. They have
gone through the full gamut
of medical school and residency
and also variable training
and exposure to psychotherapy
modalities. Some are interested
in a more holistic and integrative
approach for mind and body.
Am I crazy if I see
a psychiatrist? Issues
in Psychiatry are no different
than any other medical specialty.
Would one sit at home if their
leg was broken? No, it would
be mended by an orthopedic
surgeon.
Are psychiatric problems
and issues "real?"
Depression, anxiety and other
problems are biologic disorders
that need treatment as in
any other specialty. More
importantly if it is real
to you than that must be validated
and dealt with.
Why should we have
to pay for therapy and treatment
and why are costs so high?
In any medical specialty there
are hidden costs that must
be met to maintain the practice.
In addition, there is a value
on expertise that society
at large places on for different
professions. Professional
fees are becoming more out
of pocket to deal with the
vast complexities of insurance
that sometimes physicians
choose to deal with or not.
Anything of value and treatment
will have a cost because exchange
is needed between the service
and the person receivnig the
service. We spend vast amounts
of money on gifts, our personal
care and the like.
When it comes to therapy and
treatment there can be resistance
and even resentment to pay.
Such feelings need to be understood
as to the origin of where
that is coming from from within
us. Part of healing is to
value the treatment through
the exchange of payment. And,
when we are motivated enough
and when our issue are important
enough to us, we will find
a way to pay or to modify
our treatment in such a way
where we can find benefit.
Will I be on medications
forever? This is
highly individual and variable
depending on the person and
their issues. It can be discussed
with their physician. Often,
however, today’s medicines
are being used for long periods
of times to avoid relapses
and create remission of symptoms,
depending on the problem.
Why
do I have to take responsibility
for my health? I
want a quick fix! The problems
did not arise overnight and
will not be fixed overnight.
Too often we have not empowered
ourselves enough to realize
that we alone are responsible
for our thinking behaviors,
eating patterns and emotions.
It is easy to blame the outside
until we look within to realize
we have to modify how we react
to the outer world. |
