chapter 13: treatment of psychological disorders

trephining

was a form of treatment that was supposed to let the spirits escape

deinstitutionalization

the development of drugs in more recent times that moderated the effects of severe disorders caused many people to be released from mental institutions

preventative efforts

means that if psychological problems can be treated proactively, or before they become severe the suffering of the client as well as the cost of providing care can be reduced

primary prevention efforts

attempt to reduce the incidence of societal problems, such as joblessness or homelessness, that can give rise to mental health issues

secondary prevention efforts

involves working with people at risk for developing specific problems

tertiary prevention efforts

aim to keep people’s mental health issues from becoming more severe

psychoanalysis

a therapeutic technique developed by Sigmund Freud

symptom substitution

after a person is successfully treated for one psychological disorder, that person begins to experience a new psychological problem

hypnosis

an altered state of consciousness. when in this state, psychoanalysts believe that people are less likely to repress troubling thoughts

free associate

to say whatever comes to mind without thinking

dream analysis

ask their patients to describe their dreams

manifest content

what the patient reports in dream analysis

latent

what is really of interest to the analyst; hidden content

resistance

psychoanalysts may see latent as objections as signs

transference

when, in the course of therapy, patients begin to have strong feelings toward their therapists

insight therapies

highlight the importance of the patients/clients gaining an understanding of their problems.

Carl Rogers

one of the best-known humanistic therapists; created client-centered therapy

client-centered therapy

hinges on the therapist providing the client with what Rogers termed unconditional positive regard

unconditional positive regard

blanket acceptance and support of a person regardless of what the person says or does

non-directive

would not tell their clients what to do but, rather, would seek to help the clients choose a course of action for themselves

active listening

client-centered therapists say very little, and mirror back what clients are saying

Gestalt therapy

these therapists encourage their clients to get in touch with their whole selves

existential therapies

are humanistic therapies that focus on helping clients achieve a subjectively meaningful perception of their lives

counterconditioning

a kind of classical conditioning developed by Mary Cover Jones in which an unpleasant conditioned response is replaced with a pleasant one

Joseph Wolpe

a behaviorist who created systematic desensitization which involves counterconditioning

anxiety hierarchy

is a rank-ordered list of what the client fears, starting with the least frightening and ending with the most frightening

in vivo desensitization

the client confronts the actual feared objects or situations

covert desensitization

the client imagines the fear-inducing stimuli

flooding

like systematic desensitization, can be in vivo or covert, and involves having the client address the most frightening scenario first

extinguished

if someone was to address the most frightening scenario but nothing bad was happening to them

aversive conditioning

involves pairing a habit a person wishes to break such as smoking or bed-wetting with an unpleasant stimulus such as electric shock or nausea

cognitive therapy

created by Aaron Beck, a process most often employed in the treatment of depression, involves trying to get clients to engage in pursuits that will bring them success

rational emotive behavior therapy

therapists using this method look to expose and confront the dysfunctional thoughts of their clients

family therapy

a common use of group therapy where families are treated

self-help groups

a form of group therapy that does not involve a therapist at all

chemotherapy

the most common type of somatic therapy is drug therapy

antipsychotic drugs

examples include Thorazine or Haldol; generally function by blocking the receptor sites for dopamine

lithium

often used to treat the manic phase of bipolar disorder

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

another kind of somatic therapy

barbiturates

one type of antianxiety drugs, an example is Miltown

benzodiazepines

another type of antianxiety; examples include Xanax and Valium

drugs to treat unipolar depression

tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase (MAO, inhibitors, serotonin-reuptake-inhibitor drugs (most notably Prozac)

bilateral ECT

an electric current is passed through both hemispheres of the brain, which has more negative side effects

unilateral ECT

involves running current through only one hemisphere

psychosurgery

involves the purposeful destruction of part of the brain to alter a person’s behavior, is used only as a last resort and only on people suffering to a great extent

prefrontal lobotomy

an early form of psychosurgery; this operation involved cutting the main neurons leading to the frontal lobe of the brain

psychiatrists

medical doctors and are therefore the only therapists permitted to prescribe medication in most U.S. states

clinical psychologists

earn doctoral degrees (Ph. D.s) that require four or more years of study, usually deal with people who are suffering from problems more severe than everyday difficulties with work or family

counseling therapists or counseling psychotherapists

typically have some kind of graduate degree in psychology, generally help people whose problems are less severe than those that bring people to clinical psychologists

psychoanalysts

people specifically trained in Freudian methods. they may or may not hold medical degrees