Different Types of Mental Health Support
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Different Types of Mental Health Support

There are so many ways of treating mental health issues - so much so that there is usually something out there to support everyone, regardless of what it is they are experiencing. This article will have a look at the most traditional ways of treating mental health issues, as well as some modern alternatives.

Talking Therapies

Talking therapy is often the first port of call for people experiencing mental health issues. It provides individuals with a regular session to speak to a professional about their experiences and thoughts and allows for exploring difficult feelings that people may not want to share with friends or family.


This could help you to:

● Deal with a specific problem

● Cope with distressing memories

● Improve relationships

● Learn ways of improving day-to-day life


There are many different types of talking therapies, this could include: counselling, psychotherapy, therapy, talking therapy, or psychological therapy. All of these terms describe a similar approach to treating mental health problems.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

This is a very common style of talking therapy that is used widely by the NHS. CBT is a short-term and structured form of talking therapy. CBT aims to find links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours. The therapist will then work with you to learn and develop practical ways of managing any negative behavioural patterns that you have been following in hope that it will break the cycle of thoughts and feelings.

Medication

The other most common route for mental health treatment is to take psychiatric medication. These drugs help to ease some of the symptoms that people experience as a result of their mental health problems. Alike talking therapies, there are many different types of medicines that you could be given for your mental health problem; it will depend on your diagnosis.


Antidepressants:

These are typically prescribed to those experiencing depression, though they can also be given to those experiencing anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).


Antipsychotics:

These may be prescribed to help ease symptoms of schizophrenia, psychosis, schizoaffective disorder, and sometimes severe disordered anxiety.


They can also sometimes be prescribed to those living with bipolar disorder to help resolve symptoms such as hypomania or mania.

Art and Creative Therapies

Arts and creative therapies are a way of using arts (music, painting, dance or drama) to express and understand yourself in a therapeutic environment, with a trained therapist. This can be especially helpful if you find it difficult to talk about your problems and how you are feeling.


So there is a whole range of ways of treating mental health issues. Sometimes finding the right one for you is the biggest step of all. Speaking to a GP or trained specialist is the best option to make sure you do what is right for your personal experiences.


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