Other treatments

Whilst medication and talking treatments are the most commonly used as primary and secondary treatments, other treatment such as complementary therapies, electroconvulsive therapy and therapeutic communities can be used additionally.

Complementary therapies
are forms of treatments that are used in addition to the usual medical treatments prescribed for people with severe mental illness. This is because at present treatment of severe mental illness usually involves treatment with medication and other therapies are usually in a complementary role, not as an alternative to conventional medicine.

Therapeutic communities
offer group-based therapeutic treatment in a community setting. Therapeutic communities can be organised as a series of outpatient sessions, or make take the for of a day centre, a medium-lon term residency or, in certain cases, a permanent home in the community.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
is not one of the more commonly used therapies in recent management of mental illness, and has in the past earned a reputation as a rather controversial form of treatment - but despite its lower use in treating mental health problems than other therapies (talking treatments, antipsychotics), use of ECT while you are unconscious (under general anaesthetic) and with muscle relaxant medications has made it more humane and acceptable.