Overcoming depression with art therapy

IN this article on Psychotherapy Dr. Ruwan M. Jayatunga MD of the Army Hospital describes how creativity or Art in a person could be used to successfully deal with depression.

Writing on the various aspects of psychotherapy, in respect of Expressive (Art Therapy) he says "the individual uses clay, paint and other art medium to create images that explore their feelings, dreams, fears or memories.

Creativity can provide a means of expression for that which has no words, and is often used with both children and adults suffering from depression, facing loss, or recovering from trauma or sexual abuse. His article says:

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is based on continuing relationship between client and the therapist, in which the client confides symptoms and the therapist uses his understanding of the client in a therapeutic manner.

Psychotherapy defines as an interaction between a Psychotherapist and a client that leads to changes - from a less adaptive state to a more adaptive state - in the client's thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

As James Frank pointed out in 1967, there are several factors associated with psychotherapy.

1. Listening and talking
2. Release of emotion
3. Giving information
4. Providing a rationale
5. Restoration of morale
6. Suggestion
7. Guidance and advice
8. The therapeutic relationship

It's an active process

Psychotherapy is an active process requiring concentration, energy and commitment by both parties. Many patients complete psychotherapy in 16 or fewer sessions, especially for behaviour-specific problems. Individual psychotherapy takes place in the privacy of the doctor-patient relationship. Psychotherapy also may be conducted in the context of group, marital or family treatment.

Psychotherapy is a process of discovery whose medical goal is to eliminate or control troubling and painful symptoms so that the patient can return to normal functioning. It also can be used to help a person to overcome a specific problem or to stimulate overall emotional growth and healing.

Helping out emotional and mental problems

Many kinds of emotional and mental problems can be helped with psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is frequently used to help patients understand and manage their illness. Armed with this understating, the patient is more likely to remain in treatment and thus to avoid relapse.

Psychotherapy, or 'talk therapy', is an effective and commonly prescribed method of treatment for mild to moderate cases of emotional and mental disorders. In more severe cases, psychotherapy is used in combination with medication. Research shows that most patients who receive psychotherapy experience improvement.

Psychotherapy - the types

Several types of psychotherapy are available. As with other medical situations, the psychotherapist's choice of therapies depends on the patient's particular illness and circumstances.

In determining which therapy or therapies are likely to be most effective for a given patient, a psychotherapist will take into account the nature of the problem being treated and the patient's personality, cultural background and experiences.

A therapist may use one type of therapy to treat specific kinds of problems. The most frequently prescribed psychotherapies are psychodynamic, interpersonal, cognitive, and behavioural.

Among them - Psychodynamics

Psychodynamic therapy is used in treatment to help patients understand themselves more fully. This approach may involve uncovering and learning to deal more effectively with-unconscious conflicts.

It may also involve assisting patients to understand how certain types of adverse childhood experiences have left them feeling incomplete, anxious or plagued with low self-esteem that interferes with realistic adult functioning.

This form of therapy is based on the premise that mental well-being is influenced by unconscious conflicts, significant childhood experiences and painful feelings that are hidden behind a variety of defense mechanisms.

Interpersonal therapy

Interpersonal therapy is designed to improve the quality of the patient's interpersonal world. The therapist helps the patient to understand the underlying interpersonal themes that appear to be involved in the onset and maintenance of the illness.

Common themes include unresolved grief, transitions from one social or occupational role to another, conflict between the patient and significant individuals in his or her life and deficiencies in the capacity to relate to others.

Cognitive therapy

Cognitive therapy is employed in treatment to help patients recognize and change thinking patterns that are harmful or ineffective.

Cognitive therapy teachers individuals how certain thinking patterns are causing their symptoms by distorting the way they view life. It encourages new, healthy and realistic thinking patterns to emerge.

Cognitive-Behavioural therapy

Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a preferred treatment for most emotional and behavioural problems. It combines most aspects of both cognitive and behavioural therapy.

CBT is a focused and active therapy, which means it sticks to the course of treatment while both the individual and the therapist take an active role in finding the answers the individual entered therapy to find.

Substituting positive for the harmful

Behavioural therapy is used to address a patient's specific behaviours, substituting positive behaviours for harmful or inappropriate ones.

This type of therapy helps weaken the connections an individual has made between situations and the automatic reactions to them. It also teaches the individual ways to calm his/her mind and body so that they are able to feel better and think more clearly.

For personality disorders

Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) was created for those suffering from borderline personality disorder, and seems to be one of the most effective treatments available for this disorder.

DBT teaches the individual behavioural skills for interpersonal relationships and ways to effectively cope with sudden surges of emotion. It focuses on distress tolerance and emotional regulation, and usually targets behaviours in a descending hierarchy:

* decreasing high-risk suicidal behaviour
* decreasing responses that interfere with therapy
* decreasing behaviour that interferes with quality of life
* dealing with PTSD responses
* enhancing respect for self
* acquisition of behavioural skills taught in the group.

Those involved in this type of therapy generally meet with a therapist once a week and participate in a group session once a week.

Focusing on free will

Existential Therapy focuses on free will, responsibility for choices, and search for meaning and purpose through suffering, love and work. Searching with and finding one's own answers is encouraged. Existential Therapy is a very broad label covering a vast expanse of psychotherapy.

Existential Psychotherapy deals with basic issues of existence that may be the source of present conflict within a person. These concerns are universal, and inherent in the human condition.

Play therapy

Play therapy is a therapeutic technique most often used when working with children.

Through play therapy, a child can create a world they can master, practice social skills, overcome frightening feelings and/or experiences, and symbolically triumph over traumas. This therapy works well for children that may not have the verbal skills needed for other types of therapy, and let them express themselves in a safe and fun way.

The Art therapy

In Expressive Therapy (Art therapy), the individual uses clay, paint and other art medium to create images that explore their feelings, dreams, fears, or memories.

Creativity can provide a means of expression for that which has no words, and is often used with both children and adults suffering from depression, facing loss, or recovering from trauma or sexual abuse.

Marital therapy

Family/Marital Therapy: The therapist applies therapeutic principles while engaging the participation of family members. Constructive aspects of the family's relationships are reinforced, while destructive elements are identified and altered.

Family members are taught better communication skills, and ways of coping. A psychotherapist in an individual, family, couples, or group setting may conduct each of these types of therapy.

In psychotherapy, patients learn to manage, and ultimately, overcome emotional and mental problems. Discussions between patient and psychotherapist reveal the basis of problems and enable the patient to better understand him - or herself and gain relief from specific issues.

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Chartered Physiotherapist B. Samarasinghe writes:

June 20-25 - is the physiotherapy week

ALTHOUGH many people associate physiotherapy with sport, they do in fact work across a wide range of areas including orthopaedics, neurology, paediatrics, mental health, cardiac and respiratory care, osteoporosis, falls and elderly care.

You can see for yourself chartered physiotherapists treating clients in a variety of settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, medical clinics, sports clubs, leisure facilities and private practice.

Fit for work

Chartered Physiotherapists give advice, for example, in how to use computers safely and reduce the risk of developing back, neck and limb pain. Today most of the workforce of a company or business establishment is working on computers all day.

Two Million workers in Britain suffer from work related illnesses. More than half of these are back, neck and limb problems. It is estimated that around 3.7 million working days are lost each year as a result of back pain alone.

Computers have transformed our working lives, not to mention our leisure time. But it is important that we use them safely if we are not to build up future health problems. If we do not sit properly at our computer, take regular breaks and use correctly positioned furniture and equipment, all manner of symptoms can occur.

These include fatigue, an aching back, eye strain or headaches, stiff neck and pains in the shoulders, arms, wrists and hands. At their worst they can lead to incapacity.

A leaflet explains what employers, employees, teachers and parents need to know about good ergonomics, and gives expert physiotherapy advice to help minimize the risk of developing common conditions associated with computer use.

Our increasing sedentary lifestyles are contributing to rising levels of obesity, and ill-health. We are now using cars, the remote control and sitting at our office desks more than ever before.

Chartered physiotherapists know that many people could prevent the onset of ill-health and injury by leading much healthier lifestyles.

They are ideally placed to offer advice on how these can be achieved by bringing the idea of exercise to a higher level of consciousness because "prevention is better than cure".

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Dr. Sunil S. Wickremasuriya from Dehiwala writes:

Noise pollution, loud music and loss of hearing

FIRSTLY may I say a big thank you to HealthWatch for the invaluable service rendered through the weekly articles. They are very informative, readable and presented by knowledgeable sources.

I shall be thankful if you could consider the above topic in a forthcoming issue. I am also enclosing some useful information on this matter. May I suggest that you consider the following aspects:

a) Medical - opinions of some ENT specialists/family health physicians and preventive measures especially with regard to loud music. How loud is loud? How detrimental is it to adults and children? (long and short term effects). Any comments about music at hotel weddings, receptions etc.

b) Legal - Views and regulations of the Central Environmental Authority (Director General or Director of the Environmental Pollution Control Division) places that sell Hi-Fi equipment record bars, sales promotions etc. periodically make a public nuisance of themselves by belting out awfully loud music using powerful audio equipment. What can the public do on such occasions?

c) Social/Ethical - What can be done about private buses that use very loud horns and play loud music (Views of the Chairman - National Transport Commission) Do passengers have a right to complain, if so to whom? Can it be made mandatory that private buses clearly display the contact address and telephone Nos. of the National Transport Commission in all three languages so that complaints could be made? If not, why?

If we cannot enforce private bus operators to comply with such a simple measure, can we ever expect to have an improved private bus transport service in the future and what would be the purpose of having a National Transport Commission? Also do religious places of worship which are meant to be examples that uphold the law, become major culprits that violate permissible levels of noise?

d) Psychological - What effect does quiet soothing music have on the mind (emotions, stress level) as against loud upbeat music?

e) What measures can the public take to making our society more active in the drive against noise pollution? How do we compare with the more developed countries?

What are some simple things we can do to protect our hearing?