Comments: We Want Something Else And Other Delusions
THIS is what people need to read in the papers.
Posted by Stephany at May 25, 2006 04:33 AM
I am a huge fan of CBT---it has basically taught me how to have a full life (though i do take lithium and it keeps major episodes at bay, and also, I don't believe that CBT alone would prevent future episodes, not for me anyhow). I agree that big pharma would lose out if CBT was practiced as much as it should. But I guess I would just add that CBT takes work, and courage, and commitment and time---and it doesn't offer immediate gratification. I guess I'm saying something somewhat harsh, which is that from my experiences, I've encountered many people in the face of mental illness who don't want to (or can't?)commit to a therapy that requires so much of them. They want a pill. CBT is all about changing your own behavior and cognitions, and it is amazing, but there is nothing passive about it.
Posted by lizziesimon at May 25, 2006 06:28 PM
I'm willing to repeat myself...
When modern-day psychiatrists can produce these kind of results with their schizophrenic clients, I'll give them a standing ovation:
"...85% of our clients (all diagnosed as severely schizophrenic) at the Diabasis center not only improved, with no medications, but most went on growing after leaving us."
- John Weir Perry
"Ongoing research shows that over 80% of those treated with the approach return to work and over 75% show no residual signs of psychosis. Official government statistics comparing 22 health districts in Finland found that Dr. Seikulla's district was the only one not to have any new chronic hospital patients in a two year period."
- Jaakko Seikkula
Among those who went through the OPT program, incidence of schizophrenia declined substantially, with 85% of the patients returning to active employment and 80% without any psychotic symptoms after five years. All this took place in a research project wherein only about one third of clients received neuroleptic medication.
- Jaakko Seikkula
At 2 years post-admission, Soteria treated subjects were working at significantly higher occupational levels, were significantly more often living independently or with peers, and had fewer readmissions; 571/16 had never received a single dose of neuroleptic medication during the entire 2-year study period.
- Loren Mosher
"Most Americans are unaware that the World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly found that long-term schizophrenia outcomes are much worse in the USA and other developed countries than in poor ones such as India and Nigeria, where relatively few patients are on anti-psychotic medications. In undeveloped countries, nearly two-thirds of schizophrenia patients are doing fairly well five years after initial diagnosis; about 40% have basically recovered. But in the USA and other developed countries, most patients become chronically ill. The outcome differences are so marked that WHO concluded that living in a developed country is a strong predictor that a patient will never fully recover."
The psychiatrists I quoted above relied heavily on various forms of "talk therapy" or "being with" the client during their schizophrenic process. They currently are or did produce astounding results with their schizophrenic clients simply by talking with them.
I'm going to have to agree that the current solutions are failing.
Posted by spiritual_recovery at May 27, 2006 08:56 PM
One day in retrospect the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.
- Sigmund Freud
Posted by Stephany at May 29, 2006 12:39 PM