Treatment and therapy

This section outlines the wide range of treatments and therapies for mental illnesses and their symptoms. The most common types of treatment are medications and talking therapies. You can also read here about various complementary therapies and electroconvulsive therapy.

Medications

The primary treatment for mental illness is usually medication, which is either taken orally or by slow release injection. Medications have been developed to relieve different symptoms, so that one may be taken for something specific, or more than one in a combination to deal with different symptoms at the same time. Medications can be categorised according to their function:

  • antipsychotics, to relieve symptoms of psychosis
  • antidepressants to relieve symptoms of depression
  • mood stabilisers to moderate extreme mood changes
  • benzodiazepines, for the relief of anxiety

Whilst medications are often effective, they can also cause variable side effects, so it is important to find a medication that works for you with minimum disruption. A review of medication being taken should be carried out by a doctor annually, but if side effects are causing problems, don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor about looking for an alternative choice.

Download a free copy of our guide 'Only the best - antipsychotics and mood stabiliser medication'.

 

Talking therapies

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Order or Download the Talking Treatments and Pyschological Therapies Factsheet

The second most common type of treatment is talking therapy. This kind of therapy is used to help the client become autonomous and develop effective coping habits and problem solving skills.

There are different models of talking therapy which have particular goals, and the client should be referred to a method of therapy relevant to their needs. These models include:

  • cognitive behaviour therapy, which changes problematic patterns of thinking or behaviour
  • cognitive analytical therapy, which focuses on improving the client's coping habits so that future problems are easier to deal with
  • dialectical behaviour therapy, which focuses on learning how to react normally to emotional triggers
  • psychotherapy is based on the client using their own insight to solve current problems
  • family intervention, which engages the family unit as part of the therapeutic process
  • creative therapies (e.g. art and drama) to deal mainly with emotional conflicts
  • counselling, which is about being able to talk without fear of judgement or criticism

Other therapies

Other treatments for mental illness include complementary therapies, to be used alongside more conventional treatments such as medication and therapy. Electroconvulsive therapy may also be used in some cases, but is not common.

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