Dec 30, 2022
Often, mental health care is surrounded by stigma, but this does not have to be the case. Sometimes it can be challenging to understand which mental health issue leads to your symptoms. Accurate diagnosis by licensed therapists and therapy for mental health can help identify the causes, issues, and proper mental health treatment. Timely diagnosis and care for mental health disorders can improve a person's overall well-being and quality of life.
About 1 in 5 U.S. adults live with mental illness, but only half of them receive mental health treatment. More than a stigma, it's about a lack of knowledge about how mental health treatments can truly make a difference in human lives. This blog aims to raise awareness of various mental health treatments and how online and in-person therapy can help you live better.
But before we begin, let's bust the stigma around mental health, increase our awareness about it and understand that you don't need to suffer from significant emotional distress for therapy to work. Let's first understand what mental health is and what factors lead to mental health issues.
What is Mental Health?
Mental health is essential throughout life for maintaining well-being, from childhood and adolescence to adulthood. Our emotional, psychological, and social well-being are different facets of our mental health. Mental health influences how we think, feel and act.
Moreover, it also influences how we deal with stress, interacts with people, and make decisions.
Before we explore mental health treatment options, we need to understand which factors influence it. However, understanding what's causing a mental health problem is often difficult for those who deal with mental health issues daily. While some of these variables (such as a hereditary predisposition to a mental health condition) cannot be readily changed, a licensed mental health therapist can help recognize underlying concerns that may contribute to these struggles. Some of the common factors that may lead to mental health issues are
- Past trauma, abuse, or neglect
- Social isolation
- Long-term or severe stress
- Discrimination
- Grief & Loss
- Chronic health
- Career issues
- Dysfunctional family life
Clinical mental health therapy and a trained counselor can diagnose your condition and prepare a carefully composed treatment plan suited to your needs. Today, therapists can employ many tools and tactics in their therapeutic procedures to formulate customized treatments for mental illness.
Types of Mental Health Therapy
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) issued by the American Psychiatric Association details the distinguishing symptoms of each mental disorder. The right treatment plan is usually determined by the type and severity of the mental illness and what works best for the person. Let’s explore some widely used therapy approaches and methods.
1. Talk Therapy
As per the official definition of the National Health Survey, talk therapy is designed to relieve common mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, stress, and more. Talk therapy offers a regulated time and space for a person to openly discuss their feelings and symptoms so that underlying issues can be uncovered and worked through.
Talk therapy can be of immense help in coping with difficult situations. It has also been shown to be effective at improving interpersonal relationships. As a result, talk therapy participants often develop positive habits and move towards a mentally healthier life. For some people, one kind of talk therapy can be beneficial over others. Choosing a therapist that understands a person's unique needs and employs the appropriate therapeutic approach is essential.
Talk therapy is a good option for people who:
- Are struggling with anxiety, depression, or any other mental health issue
- Want to supplement mental health medication
- Want to learn coping mechanisms to manage mental health symptoms in every day life
- Are working towards long-term healing and balance
2. Behavioral Therapy
Behavioral therapy is a psychological treatment method that seeks to discover and alter potentially self-destructive or harmful habits. It is founded on the premise that behaviors are learned, and daily routines can be modified through operational changes. Behavioral counseling frequently focuses on current issues to address them beneficially in the short and long term. Behavioral therapy can help provide significant relief for the following mental health conditions:
- Eating disorders
- Anxiety
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Phobias, including social phobias
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Substance use disorders
- Panic disorders
Get started with your first online therapy session for mental health issues
3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is widely used for mental health. It combines behavioral treatment, which focuses on action patterns, with cognitive therapy, which focuses on thought patterns. Therefore, CBT can be a psychotherapy mode used by a licenced therapist can help you learn how to detect and transform damaging or distressing thinking patterns that shape behavior and emotions.
The basis of CBT is cognitive distortions. These are negative, untrue thought patterns that go on to negatively impact our emotions and behaviors. By stopping these thoughts and replacing them with positive, true thoughts, we make real change.
CBT is often considered the gold-standard of therapy and it's effectiveness has been heavily researchers. Most therapists likely use a little CBT in their practice. However, it's not the only method, and it's important to find what works best for you.
Another rendition of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is Cognitive Behavioral Play therapy, a popular remedy for treating children's mental health issues. A licensed mental health therapist can learn what a kid feels uncomfortable communicating by watching them play. Moreover, more than watching the child play, the therapist takes a direct approach. They work with the youngster and the caregivers to educate them on coping effectively and reaching their pre-defined goals.
CBT has been known to be effective for different kinds of mental illness, including, but not limited to:
- Addiction
- Anger issues
- Anxiety
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Serious illnesses
- Stress
- Eating disorders
- Chronic pain
- Divorce/break-ups
- Grief/loss
4. Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Dr. Marsha Linehan developed Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD), but it has now been developed to address other mental illnesses. DBT has grown into an evidence-based psychotherapy strategy for different mental health disorders. One of the core tenets of DBT involves mindfulness. When experiencing emotional discomfort, mindfulness skills can help a person slow down and focus more extensively on practicing healthy coping techniques. Thus, DBT can assist them in remaining calm and avoiding habitual negative thought patterns and impulsive conduct.
On the other hand, another therapeutic approach for DBT is distress tolerance. Distress tolerance tactics help prepare for heightened emotions and equip a person to deal with them in a more constructive light in the long run.
DBT can be used in the psychiatric treatment of the following:
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Bipolar disorder
- Eating disorders (such as anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and bulimia nervosa)
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
- Major depressive disorder (including treatment-resistant major depression and chronic depression)
- Non-suicidal self-injury
- Suicidal behavior
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
Note: DBT necessitates time commitment, where people may be demanded to work outside their individual, group, or phone counseling sessions in addition to regular treatment appointments.
5. Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) draws from both behavioral and cognitive therapies, but puts a unique spin on them. Through ACT, clients will learn to stop aoviding and denying uncomfortable emotions and learn to accept them. From there, and ACT therapist will help the person act according to their values, not according to their distressing thoughts and emotions.
ACT may involve mindfulness activities to promote a healthy awareness of previously dismissed thoughts, feelings, and memories. Moreover, a licensed mental health therapist may also help identify instances when somebody's actions do not align with their beliefs, along with behaviors that might. ACT may be used for treating:
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Anxiety
- Eating disorders
- Depression
- Stress
- Substance abuse
- Psychosis
One significant advantage of ACT is the effect it has on psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility can help people accept and cope with the symptoms of disorders such as anxiety or depression.
6. Humanistic Therapy
Humanistic therapy, or person-centered therapy, is a type of mental health treatment that emphasizes the significance of being genuine to live the most satisfying life possible. It is built on the premise that everyone has a unique perspective on the world, which they may use to influence their decisions and behaviors. Humanistic treatment entails developing authentic self-acceptance and a better understanding of one's worldview. This can be achieved by cultivating unconditional positive self-esteem in others and oneself.
Humanistic treatment is distinct from standard techniques because it is more concerned with one's current circumstances. This is in stark contrast to other methods, which tend to focus on prior experiences, particularly ones the person may be unaware of. On the other hand, humanistic treatment focuses on helping the individual rather than addressing a specific condition. However, it can still be helpful in the treatment of:
- Trauma
- Relationship difficulties
- Psychosis
- Depression
- Coping with chronic health issues
Humanistic therapy is more appropriate for situations where somebody may feel stuck in a rut. Often, other types of treatment for mental health involve aspects of humanistic therapy such as active listening and unconditional acceptance of oneself.
7. Psychoanalytic Therapy
Psychoanalytic therapy, or Psychodynamic Therapy, is in-depth talk therapy based on Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic beliefs that seek to awaken somebody's deeply buried or unconscious ideas and feelings. Moreover, the attempt is to work the conscious mind to uncover and explore repressed memories and emotions, frequently from childhood. Thus, the therapist and client can cooperatively examine how a person's earlier suppressed memories have influenced adult thinking, conduct, and interactions.
One aspect of psychoanalytic therapy is free association. During a psychoanalytic free association session, the therapist may invite their client to share anything, such as recollections, ideas, thoughts, or even daydreams.
Dream interpretation is another popular psychoanalytical method that was developed to interpret the content of dreams over time to identify underlying motives or symbolic meanings and manifestations (i.e., latent content). Transference analysis is another popular psychoanalytic tool used today. Transference is the unconscious transfer of sentiments from someone's personal life onto the therapist. Psychoanalytic therapy for mental health can help treat:
- Depression
- Emotional trauma
- Emotional struggles
- Self-worth/self-esteem issues
- Self-destructive behavior
- Neurotic behavior
- Personality disorders
- Relationship issues
- Identity issues
Engaging in numerous intense sessions may allow for more comprehensive therapy overall.
8. Creative & Art Therapy
Helping a person channel their ideas and feelings via artistic expression is a component of creative therapy. For these reasons, creative therapy may be helpful for those who struggle to express themselves verbally. Creative therapy uses the process of creative-expressive engages the creator's sensory inputs, emotions, and comprehension.
The interaction between the client and therapist and among clients in a group or dyadic therapy is a dynamic and essential force for development and transformation in creative arts treatments. Creative therapy does not necessitate any creative talent.
Creative therapy can help in treating:
- Mental health conditions
- Trauma
- Alzheimer's disease
- Stress
- Chronic illnesses, such as cancer
- Physical or developmental disabilities
- Substance misuse issues
- Dementia
9. Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness-Based Therapy can be found throughout many therapist's practices. Although not a complete treatment modality in of itself, mindufulness has been studies widely and shown to be highly effective in treating most mental health disorders. It is a very common coping mechanism for decreasing distress in mental health disorders as well.
Mindfulness is about drawing your attention to your body or your sorrounding area and letting your thoughts pass you by. It is about being present and not letting yourself get distracted by past or future concerns.
Mindfulness is effective in treating:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- ADHD
- OCD
- Trauma
- Relationship Issues
- Grief
- and more!
Mindfulness is a very diverse mental health treatment method; there are many different tools a therapist can use to help their client start to feel better.
Conclusion
Therapy is a guided conversation where the therapist or counselor will ask questions to diagnose the condition and create the best mental health treatment plan possible. The more information in terms of experiences, concerns, and history the client shares with the counselor, the easier it becomes to define the therapy goal and the way forward.
Lifebulb therapy services address the mental health concerns of children, adults, and seniors for various issues like anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and more. Call us or go online to book your session with one of our licensed therapists.
