The Types of Therapy for Mental & Emotional Problems

More than 44 million people in America suffer from a mental health disorder, according to the American Psychological Association. In the last century, doctors have begun to take mental and emotional health more seriously. There now are various types of therapy for mental and emotional health, including psychotherapy, psychiatric medicine and a combination of both.

Psychotherapy

• According to Revolutionhealth.com, psychotherapy is used to treat mental and emotional problems through talking with a mental health professional. Psychotherapy is also referred to as talk therapy, psychosocial therapy or counseling. Psychotherapy can be done over a few sessions or it can be done over many years. Depending on the patient and the situation, psychotherapy is sometimes combined with medication. The main goal of psychotherapy is to improve your wellbeing as a whole.

Types

• Psychotherapy includes several methods. According to Revolutionhealth.com, behavior therapy is used to alter negative behavior, usually using rewards, positive reinforcements and desensitization. Cognitive therapy is used to identify deformed thought patterns responsible for negative feelings and behavior. Behavior and cognitive therapy focus on the current issue, rather than on your past. Interpersonal therapy focuses mainly on your relationships with others and is used to improve the way you relate and interact with other people. Psychoanalysis, introduced by Sigmund Freud, focuses on your past--memories, events, feelings--to help you to gain a better understanding of your current feelings.

Benefits

• Revolutionhealth.org explains that psychotherapy will help you to hit the problem head-on by learning about your condition and gaining a better understanding of it. The mental health professional will help you to identify negative behaviors and thoughts so that you can prevent them from occurring You will observe your relationships and experiences, and you'll examine how those affect your life. You'll also learn successful ways to cope and how to set realistic goals in your life.

Psychiatric Medicine

• According to Faqs.org, in the last half of the 20th century mental help professionals began to treat mental and emotional problems with medication as well as therapy. For example, faqs.org explains that depression is often caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain that causes a lack of neurotransmitters, so antidepressants are used to increase levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. Medications treat other mental and emotional health problems such as psychosis and anxiety. Generally, medicine is used in a combination with psychotherapy, rather than on its own.

Warning

• Other than being uncomfortable and suffering slight anxiety at times, there are not many risks to psychotherapy. However, there are risks when it comes to medication for mental and emotional problems. Every drug has possible side effects and you must be especially careful when using drugs that alter your brain. You should never take more than you're instructed to take and you should never mix your medications with other substances before you check with a doctor.