Psychiatric treatment

[Redhead14]

Not sure where to post this. I have a friend who has a psychiatric illness. This has been totally disabling for friend. Friend has been in hospital and a further unit but is still suffering. Treatment in my country appears to revolve around drugs, behaviour therapy and CBT (which is another form of behaviour therapy as far as I can see). There doesn't seem to be any in-depth approach like psychotherapy available here unless you pay privately.

 

I am really frustrated by this whole thing. If these approaches worked, my friend would have come out of hospital better. Instead, the worse symptoms are dampened down by the drugs and my friend is barely functioning. Care in the Community services are struggling to provide any service (and mostly unskilled) and they have long waiting lists. The whole situation is appalling and puts my friend at risk.

 

What I would like to know is if anyone here has examples of psychiatric care which goes beyond CBT and behaviour modification (I view behaviour modification as merely scratching the surface and glossing over the presenting problem). In fact, it is insulting as it tries to get the patient to pretend they haven't got a problem and are better when they don't feel that is the case. It is insulting, patronising, degrading and a form of denial.

 

I feel we need something new - new approaches for odd psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, conversion disorder. All these is bad enough are beyond the scope of CBT. I fear these treatments are entrenched in the culture and (basically) because they are cheap compared to counselling or psychotherapy. Does anyone know of countries where they have a better approach? What is that approach? There must be better practice somewhere.

 

Thanks

 

The truth of the matter is that people with disorders present with symptoms that can be associated or part of other disorders. The process of making a diagnosis evolves over time as well. A hospital can only treat what they are presented with at the time and medicate those symptoms accordingly. They must get the patient stabilized and de-compressed so to speak to prevent them from hurting themselves or others. Some people have co-morbid disorders, some people have iatrogenic disorders created by poor therapy, etc. My point is that, depending on the condition(s), the patient needs to stay in and be "dedicated" to the treatment for many, many years.

 

Most patients in fact are resistant to treatment for various reasons. And, in some cases, medication is required to manage the symptoms and get them to the point of being able to "understand" the treatment. Some disorders involved brain function, chemical anomalies which require medication to help balance/resolve them. It's a complicated process and most people and usually for financial reasons don't stick with treatment.

 

Depending on the disorder, CBT and DBT are the most effective treatments if the patient is resolved to making the effort. You cannot force someone to embrace or resolve themselves to treatment. They have to want it and do what's necessary. If they are not of sound enough mind, they can't do it anyway.

[newmoon]

I actually know quite a lot about it, but I see your point that you don't see any optimistic future. She didn't have this illness before - it just crept up.

 

she probably had it dormant all along.. something just triggered it psychiatric illnesses are often dormant (but inherited) and when something happens in someone's life, such as major trauma, huge loss/break-up, a death, job loss, drug use, etc. it comes on. my brother, who is a severe schizophrenic only 'got it' at 26, but it was kinda there all along - weird thinking and behaviors. it took 2+ years to get the true diagnosis b/c these mental illnesses co-exist with one anther. someone with schizophrenia, for example, will also be bipolar, depressed, delusional, manic, etc. true mental illnesses often have multiple diagnosis. women often get diagnosed a bit later. it is quite rare to get it earlier than the 20s.

[candie13]

Thank you Candie, I am sorry you've had such a difficult time. EMDR seems really interesting. I doubt CBT therapists here use it, but who knows?

 

I'm afraid she is not likely to be running as she finds herself barely able to walk.

of course she can't start running, just yet.

 

What really helped me break through the fog was talking. Interaction with a psychiatrist that she is compatible with is very important.

 

I had to hear myself talk to realize I was not making any sense. But I had to hear myself talk and feel sorry for myself for a long long time, before I've had enough of it.

 

It just takes a long while. I'd simply like to say that you can be fully incapacitated and you can get over it. You can get your life back. But your friend must want it. She's in the driving seat.

 

in a way, it's like in that saying "if she thinks she's winning or if she thinks she's losing, she is right on both occasions".

[candie13]

Just to mention that this illness is not just depression. There is more to it with bizarre symptoms. I cannot spell them out for obvious reasons. Even severe depression would not explain the symptoms.

It's not like anyone knows you or your friend. if you want suggestions, you can talk.

[candie13]

I actually know quite a lot about it, but I see your point that you don't see any optimistic future. She didn't have this illness before - it just crept up.

if this is only depression she can get a hold of it. She can not f*ck up all of her life. I am sorry, all these disaster stories make my blood boil. It's like people slowing their car down to watch the victims of a car crash on the other lane. Do everyone a favor and either help out or move along.

 

And actually, reinforcing and telling the patient that she in a f*cked up situation is disempowering and only makes her sink deeper. Acknowledging the seriousness of her condition - yes, absolutely. Offering comfort and providing support - mandatory. Telling her she may never recover and it's only the beginning of her losing control of her life - that is scaring her and she doesn't need more burdens or toxic thoughts on top of those she self generates.

 

Mindful meditation asks for no efforts. Something as stupid as 10 min of mindful meditation per day can help her out.

 

OP, apologies, it's like you're happy to read gloomy diagnostic for your friend. Do you want to hear how she'll end up dying a slow and painful death or are you here to honestly inquire about solutions helping your friend out?

 

Because I don't want to give any private life details for people enjoying a freak show.

[Buddhist]

Interesting. Do you think that is particularly the case with Kundalini yoga or does it happen with all? It's just I haven't heard of this being a form of therapy like this.

 

Yoga, as it's taught in the west is mostly a physical exercise program. It was divorced from it's spiritual roots. In India, yoga isn't a physical exercise program, it's a daily spiritual practice that engages the mind as much as the body. It was designed to act on the person in that way for the purposes of enlightenment, or if you like, mental/emotional/physical/spiritual wellness.

 

Even people who do yoga purely for the physical benefit also commonly experience epiphany and emotional releases. Kundalini is a particular branch of yoga developed specifically to cause spiritual experiences like ego death and karmic release. My experience of it (I incorporated kundalini breathing exercises into my regular yoga routine) is that it does facilitate a rapid release of pent up issues. Which is why, those particular exercises were only seen as suitable under instruction and for spiritual initiates.

 

I cannot explain why changing my breath gives me emotional release of repressed issues, but it does. But also the physical sensations of kundalini energy rising in the body can be quite unpleasant and alarming too. They are not sensations we associate with normal functioning of the body. For example in the early stages I often got a deep vibration in my lumbar region. It felt like someone placing a vibrating mobile phone on my coccyx. This would come and go at anytime of the day, not when doing yogic exercise and would last several minutes.

 

I stepped my yoga up to daily when I got panic disorder because it was one of the few things that relieved the feeling of having my chest bound in iron. I was spending most of the day feeling like I couldn't breathe. Yoga relieved that temporarily at first, then over time relieved anxious thoughts and emotional unrest for longer periods of time stabilising me. But I was still basically functioning at that point, I was preparing to return to work, able to shop, cook and sleep for decent periods of time.

[Buddhist]

if this is only depression she can get a hold of it.

 

This in NOT only depression, that has been made clear by the OP more than once in this thread. It's great you got yourself over depression but in this case, the solution is unlikely to be that simple. I'm all for the self-help route, I did it myself but there were many times when I was severely challenged by my illness and mine is a relatively common anxiety disorder. The OPs friend doesn't appear to be in a space for self-help which requires a certain level of functioning to succeed.

Edited February 22, 2016 by Buddhist

[spiderowl]

of course she can't start running, just yet.

 

What really helped me break through the fog was talking. Interaction with a psychiatrist that she is compatible with is very important.

 

I had to hear myself talk to realize I was not making any sense. But I had to hear myself talk and feel sorry for myself for a long long time, before I've had enough of it.

 

It just takes a long while. I'd simply like to say that you can be fully incapacitated and you can get over it. You can get your life back. But your friend must want it. She's in the driving seat.

 

in a way, it's like in that saying "if she thinks she's winning or if she thinks she's losing, she is right on both occasions".

 

Thanks Candie but there is not likely to be much interacting with psychiatrists as my friend has been discharged.

[spiderowl]

if this is only depression she can get a hold of it. She can not f*ck up all of her life. I am sorry, all these disaster stories make my blood boil. It's like people slowing their car down to watch the victims of a car crash on the other lane. Do everyone a favor and either help out or move along.

 

And actually, reinforcing and telling the patient that she in a f*cked up situation is disempowering and only makes her sink deeper. Acknowledging the seriousness of her condition - yes, absolutely. Offering comfort and providing support - mandatory. Telling her she may never recover and it's only the beginning of her losing control of her life - that is scaring her and she doesn't need more burdens or toxic thoughts on top of those she self generates.

 

Mindful meditation asks for no efforts. Something as stupid as 10 min of mindful meditation per day can help her out.

 

OP, apologies, it's like you're happy to read gloomy diagnostic for your friend. Do you want to hear how she'll end up dying a slow and painful death or are you here to honestly inquire about solutions helping your friend out?

 

Because I don't want to give any private life details for people enjoying a freak show.

 

There is no need to be rude and I am certainly not scaring her. I have been encouraging and supportive with her but I am here asking for ideas because I cannot discuss my concerns with her because it is not appropriate. I am seriously concerned that the system is failing her. Well, it is. She has been doing meditation for quite some time and knows a great deal about it. It did not help in this situation. I want my friend to get better but I feel this needs some new approaches. There must be new ideas out there for these illnesses.

Edited February 24, 2016 by spiderowl

[Justanaverageguy]

It is also believed that the body holds stress within certain muscles. By flexing and stretching these muscles stress is released. It's quite common to experience emotionality during a yoga pose periodically.

 

Big thumbs up from me on Kundalini Yoga. Had absolutely amazing experiences with that as well. I stumbled across some very unusual yogic methods related to Kundalini by chance \ synchronicity. Blew my mind how effective it was with releasing pent up negative emotions. Feels cleansing though the energy I experienced through my practice became a little overwhelming at times - I've been concentrating on more grounding practices lately. I was fairly new to yoga and what I got into I gather was normally something only taught to more advanced students. I got body tremors and shaking from the methods I was shown which the teacher advised was the stress\negative emotions stored in the nervous system being released like you mentioned. It definitely works - but I would also definitely advise to go through a well respected teacher as you can get more then you bargained for with Kundalini.

Edited February 25, 2016 by Justanaverageguy

[spiderowl]

Thanks for suggestions. I am interested in new ideas and if anyone has heard of best practices abroad, I'd be interested to know. I do not think what is happening in the UK is necessarily best practice. Sorry to have to report this but the service is starved of funds and is hanging on to old ideas and methods of treatments that really should be reviewed by independent experts.