Showing posts with label NAMI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NAMI. Show all posts

Friday, March 21, 2014

NAMI Fact Sheet on Cognitive Behavior Therapy



What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of treatment that focuses on examining the
relationships between thoughts, feelings and behaviors. By exploring patterns of thinking
that lead to self-destructive actions and the beliefs that direct these thoughts, people with
mental illness can modify their patterns of thinking to improve coping. CBT is a type of
psychotherapy that is different from traditional psychodynamic psychotherapy in that the
therapist and the patient will actively work together to help the patient recover from their
mental illness. People who seek CBT can expect their therapist to be problem-focused, and
goal-directed in addressing the challenging symptoms of mental illnesses. Because CBT is
an active intervention, one can also expect to do homework or practice outside of sessions.

A person who is depressed may have the belief, "I am worthless," and a person with panic
disorder may have the belief, "I am in danger." While the person in distress likely believes
these to be ultimate truths, with a therapist’s help, the individual is encouraged to challenge
these irrational beliefs. Part of this process involves viewing such negative beliefs as
hypotheses rather than facts and to test out such beliefs by “running experiments.”

Furthermore, people who are participating in CBT are encouraged to monitor and write down
the thoughts that pop into their minds (called "automatic thoughts"). This allows the patient
and their therapist to search for patterns in their thinking that can cause them to have
negative thoughts which can lead to negative feelings and self-destructive behaviors.


When is CBT used as a form of therapy?

Scientific studies of CBT have demonstrated its usefulness for a wide variety of mental
illnesses including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, eating
disorders, substance abuse disorders, sleep disorders and psychotic disorders. Studies have
shown that CBT actually changes brain activity in people with mental illnesses who receive
this treatment, suggesting that the brain is actually improving its functioning as a result of
engaging in this form of therapy.

CBT has been shown to be as useful as antidepressant medications for some individuals
with depression and may be superior in preventing relapse of symptoms. Patients receiving
CBT for depression are encouraged to schedule positive activities into their daily calendars
in order to increase the amount of pleasure they experience. In addition, depressed patients
learn how to change (“restructure”) negative thought patterns in order to interpret their
environment in a less negatively-biased way. As regular sleep has been found to be very
important in both depression and bipolar disorder, therapists will also target sleeping
patterns to improve and regulate sleep schedules with their patients. Studies indicate that
patients who receive CBT in addition to treatment with medication have better outcomes
than patients who do not receive CBT as an additional treatment.

CBT is also a useful treatment for anxiety disorders. Patients who experience persistent
panic attacks are encouraged to test out beliefs they have related to such attacks, which
can include specific fears related to bodily sensations, and to develop more realistic
responses to their experiences. This is beneficial in decreasing both the frequency and
intensity of panic attacks. Patients who experience obsessions and compulsions are guided
to expose themselves to what they fear in a safe and controlled therapeutic environment.
Beliefs surrounding their fears (of contamination, illness, inflicting harm, etc.) are identified
and changed to decrease the anxiety connected with such fears.

The same is true for people with phobias, including phobias of animals or phobias of
evaluation by others (termed Social Anxiety Disorder). Those in treatment are exposed to
what they fear and beliefs that have served to maintain such fears are targeted for
modification. CBT is often referred to as a “first line treatment” in many anxiety disorders
including generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and
obsessive-compulsive disorder and specific phobias.

Over the past two decades, CBT for schizophrenia has received considerable attention in the
United Kingdom and elsewhere abroad. While this treatment continues to develop in the
United States, the results from studies in the United Kingdom and other countries have
encouraged therapists in the U.S. to incorporate this treatment into their own practices. In
this treatment, often referred to as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis (CBT-P),
patients are encouraged to identify their own delusional or paranoid beliefs and to explore
how these beliefs negatively impact their lives.

Therapists will then help patients to engage in experiments to test these beliefs. Treatment
focuses on thought patterns that cause distress and also on developing more realistic
interpretations of events. Delusions are treated by developing an understanding of the kind
of evidence that a person uses to support their beliefs and encouraging them to recognize
evidence that may have been overlooked, evidence that does not support the belief. For
example, a person who thinks that they are being videotaped by aliens may feel less worried
when their therapist helps them to discover that there are no hidden cameras in the waiting
room, or that a television remote does not contain any Alien technology within it.

CBT’s focus on thoughts and beliefs is applicable to a wide variety of symptoms. While the
above summary is certainly not comprehensive, it provides an overview of the principles of
CBT and how they apply to the treatment of various mental illnesses. Because CBT has
excellent scientific data supporting its use in the clinical treatment of mental illness, it has
achieved wide popularity both for therapists and patients alike. A growing number of
psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and psychiatric nurses have training in CBT.


Reviewed by Ken Duckworth, M.D., and Jacob L. Freedman, M.D., July 2012
NAMI • The National Alliance on Mental Illness • 1 (800) 950-NAMI • www.nami.org
3803 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, Va. 22203

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

NAMI Publications on Schizophrenia



Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that affects more than 2 million adult American men and women. While the condition is rare in childhood, it can begin onset in the mid- to late teen years. Reading this brochure is an important first step to answering your questions and understanding recovery for people living with schizophrenia.

People living with schizophrenia have talents, goals and feelings just like anyone else. But, if left untreated, their illness can have a profoundly negative effect on their own lives, their families and their communities. Because the illness may cause unusual, inappropriate and sometimes unpredictable and disorganized behavior, people who are not effectively treated are often shunned and can become the targets of social prejudice. People living with schizophrenia may also face poverty, homelessness and high risk for suicide.

Lack of services has left many people living with schizophrenia inappropriately placed in jails and prisons. Medication, rehabilitation and other community-based supports can often help people living with schizophrenia lead meaningful, satisfying lives.

This brochure will explain the symptoms, discuss treatment options and explore the latest in schizophrenia research. You’ll also find information on where you can turn for medical care and find the support needed to manage this persistent illness.

Stay up-to-date on emerging research and treatments at www.nami.org/research.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation's largest
grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives
for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI has more
than 1,100 State Organizations and Affiliates across the country that
engage in advocacy, research, support and education. Members are
families, friends and people living with mental illnesses such as major
depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder
(OCD), panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline
personality disorder.

Written by Ken Duckworth, M.D. with additional input by Irving
Gottesman, Ph.D., and Charles Schulz, M.D. Copyright 2011 by the
National Alliance on Mental Illness. Copies of this publication can be
purchased at www.nami.org/store.

NAMI, 3803 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 100, Arlington VA 22203
HelpLine: 1 (800) 950-NAMI (6264)
Twitter: NAMICommunicate




Source - http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Schizophrenia9&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=118290



Source - http://www.nami.org/SchizophreniaSurvey/SchizeExecSummary.pdf 

The survey results also reveal major gaps between what the public believes to be true about
schizophrenia, what science tell us, and the real experiences and realities of individuals affected by
the illness.
• Early intervention and treatment are critical to preventing long-term effects of the illness,
but there is an enormous delay, averaging 8.5 years, between first experiencing symptoms to
receiving treatment for schizophrenia.

• Many people with schizophrenia report that they have difficulty accessing other healthcare
services and do not receive proper attention to other health concerns; this may be one
reason why people with schizophrenia die on average 25 years sooner than the general
population.3

• Public familiarity with schizophrenia is low, and public concern and fear is high. People
recognize that it is a medical illness and that treatment works, presenting a paradox relative
to attitudes.
• The public feels differently about people in treatment than it feels about people not in
treatment; but still, to a large degree, people don’t want to date, work for, or work with
people with schizophrenia.

• Caregivers face many challenges in caring for their loved ones, both in terms of making sure
the person they care for has access to treatment and services, as well as taking care of
themselves. They report that they often feel isolated, lonely, worried, and burned out.

• Access to appropriate medications and services remains elusive for many, if not most,
families and individuals.

• In spite of the tremendous hardship of the personal experience, the resilience of the human
spirit emerges as one of hope, faith, and triumph for many.

Finally, NAMI’s analysis offers recommendations that narrow the knowledge gap by dispelling myths and promoting understanding and the potential for recovery:
• Increase public education and awareness
• Close the gap between onset of symptoms and treatment
• Provide ready access to primary healthcare
• Increase access to treatment and services, including housing
• Ensure education and support for families and individuals living with schizophrenia
• Invest in scientific and medical research advances

We must make a commitment to individual dignity and recognize that with proper treatment,
services, and supports, horizons for people living with the illness can be restored. It is time to make
recovery real.



Source - http://www.nami.org/SchizophreniaSurvey/SchizophreniaAttitudesandAwareness.pdf

Specifically, this research seeks to:
  •  Identify gaps in knowledge and understanding among the general adult public
  •  Establish a baseline of attitudes toward the illness and those living with it
  •  Understand the experiences of caregivers and individuals living with schizophrenia
  •  Identify areas where more or better services are needed for those living with schizophrenia
The results of this study will be used by NAMI to help raise awareness about schizophrenia with the goal of reducing the stigma associated with this condition and improve the care available to those living with it.