Approaches to Psychological Therapy. There are four approaches to psychological therapy. 1. psychoanalysis 精神分析 2. behavior therapy 行為療法 3. group therapy.

Approaches to Psychological Therapy

There are four approaches to psychological therapy.

1. psychoanalysis 精神分析2. behavior therapy 行為療法3. group therapy 集體治療4. Self-help groups

1. psychoanalysis

General impression of psychotherapy theory—a patient on a couch talking to a doctor

Based on Freud’s theory—psychological disturbances come from anxiety about hidden conflicts in the unconscious mind

A psychoanalyst can help a patient by making them become aware of the unconscious desires and fears that cause the anxiety

1. psychoanalysis

Method to help a patient understand his unconscious mind: patient has sessions with the analyst. The patient should relax and talk about everything that comes into the patient’s mind (free association自由聯想 )The analyst helps the patient gain insight 自知力 (understanding the unconscious motives that cause their anxiety).

1. psychoanalysisAdvantagesA. one-on-one attentionB. patient is “in charge” because he/she is doing the workC. complete examination of one’s mind and become aware of unconscious motives for problems

DisadvantagesA. slow (may take years)B. expensive (one-on-one basis; may take years)C. “all talk and no action”

2. behavior therapy

Concentrates on finding out patient’s specific problem and deals with it ; what causes the problem (the unconscious motive) is not importantTechnique: systematic desensitization 脫敏療法 Goal: encourage the patient to imagine the feared situation while relaxing, and eventually get used to the anxiety and can relax when actually facing it

2. behavior therapy

How systematic desensitization works:For example: experience anxiety when talking in front of large groupsStep 1: make a list of situations that cause the patient’s anxiety, from the worst to the slightestStep 2: therapist teaches the patient how to relaxStep 3: while relaxing, the patient imagines the least frightening situation on the list. Result—the patient is relaxed, not anxious, in the feared situationStep 4: go over the list of situations one by one and become relaxed when facing them

2. behavior therapy

AdvantagesA. deal with specific problemsB. action-orientedC. faster results

DisadvantageA. doesn’t attempt to find underlying causes of problem

3. group therapy

The patient is in the company of other people, not alone with the therapist only.

Other type of group therapy--family therapy

4. Group therapy

Advantages:A. practice getting along with other peopleB. can see that other people have similar problems (not feel alone and hopeless with his problem) C. can discover what other people think of him/herD. one therapist can help many at the same time (could be cheaper)

Disadvantages:A. less individual attentionB. has less privacy and has to listen to others’ problems

4. self-help groups

Advantages:A. free to attendB. people with the same problems gather and share their problems (not feel alone and hopeless with his problem)C. give support and suggestions to one another

Disadvantage:Done without a professional therapist

drug therapy 藥物治療— when psychological therapy cannot help

Used on people who are not capable of functioning in society—not capable of clear thinking or are dangerous to themselves or others.

A. antipsychotic drug therapy--for treating schizophrenia;

B. antidepressants --for relieving depression

drug therapy

A. Antipsychotic drug therapy

Advantages: patients with schizophrenia using this therapy improve in many ways

1. less withdrawn

2. less confused

3. fewer auditory hallucinations 幻覺 幻聽4. less irritable

drug therapyA. Antipsychotic drug therapy

Disadvantages:1. may have trouble adjusting to the outside world after leaving hospital2. may face “revolving door” syndrome 旋轉門症候群（類似溜溜球效應） --go to mental hospital, get released, not adjust well, go back to hospital again3. Phenothiazines may cause unpleasant side effects—dry mouth, blurred vision, sleepiness, and muscle disorders

drug therapy

B. Antidepressants

1. Relieve depression

2. Do not affect the mood of nondepressed people.

3. Some antidepressants have bad side effects.

P178. There are four types of psychological therapy described in the reading. What happens in each type of therapy?

1. psychoanalysis —use free association to make patient aware of unconscious impulses, desires, and feelings2. behavior therapy –concentrates on what is wrong with patient’s life and how to change it; sometimes uses systematic desensitization3. group therapy—helps give person practical experience in getting along with others; family therapy is sometimes used4. Self-help groups—voluntary groups run without a therapist; members discuss a variety of problems; Alcoholics Anonymous is an example

What is abnormal? (an outline)

Introduction—case 1: preacher with vision of godcase 2: depressed housewife

What is abnormal behavior?definition 1: different from what most

people dodefinition 2: people who cannot adjustdefinition 3: psychological problems that

disrupts everyday life

What is abnormal?

There are four major adult disorders found across all cultures in the world—anxiety disorders, major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia (p167).

Anxiety-based disorders

Type 1: phobia—a. simple phobia (focus on specific

objects)b. social phobia (fear of embarrassing

oneself in social settings c. agoraphobia (fear of crowds and public

places)

Type 2: panic disorder—attacks of sudden anxiety

Mood disorders

Type 1: major depressive disorder—extended length of depression; feel useless, worthless, lonely and hopeless about the future

Type 2: bipolar disorder—an alternation between periods of mania (intense, wild happiness) and depression

Schizophrenia

Symptom 1—delusion (false beliefs) 妄想症Symptom 2—perceptual disorders

(hallucinations 幻覺 , 妄想or auditory hallucinations 幻聽 )

Symptom 3—emotional disturbances (lack of emotional response

or show in an inappropriate degree)

Symptom 4—withdrawal (avoid interaction with others)