| Mental health problems are severe when the person | | | | hearing voices, apathy, lack of concentration, and |
| becomes out of touch with reality. They may | | | | depression.TreatmentConventional drug treatment |
| develop false beliefs about who they are or what is | | | | can help control some of the symptoms of |
| happening, feel persecuted by external forces, or | | | | schizophrenia (such as hallucinations) but may also |
| believe they have been given special powers. They | | | | create many new symptoms. Alternative therapies |
| may hear voices, discussing their thoughts or | | | | can be used alongside conventional treatment for |
| behavior, or telling them what to do, or they may | | | | these problems.Manic DepressionManic depression |
| see things that are not there (hallucinations).When | | | | involves mood swings: periods of deep depression |
| someone is out of touch with reality in this way, | | | | and over-excited or manic behavior. There may be |
| they are called psychotic. Some people have only one | | | | periods of varying stability in between these extreme |
| episode of psychotic illness in their life, others have | | | | highs and lows.During mania, sufferers are euphoric, |
| several with remission in between, and others have | | | | feel selfÂimportant, excited, and extremely |
| them most of the time. Alternative therapies can be | | | | talkative. They may go on spending sprees, be |
| useful for all these people but may not be | | | | unable to sleep, be irritable, or angry. They have no |
| appropriate in a crisis. Conventional drug medication | | | | awareness of changed behavior. During the |
| can usually prevent psychotic episodes, but people | | | | depressive periods (usually longer) they feel despair, |
| who are very distressed or dangerous to themselves | | | | guilt, and worthÂlessness.Music, which can access |
| or others may need the shelter and protection of a | | | | mood states without recourse to language, may be a |
| hospital or specialized care unit.SchizophreniaEach | | | | helpful therapeutic tool in the treatment of psychotic |
| sufferer's experience of schizophrenia is unique. | | | | illness.TreatmentIt is important to avoid stressful |
| Thoughts and feelings are dramatically disturbed and | | | | situations, and finding the right therapy and therapist |
| the world is experienced very differently. The | | | | is vital.Relaxation TechniquesMeditation, visualization |
| person's behavior may appear bizarre to others. | | | | and relaxation exercises can all help.Consult a qualified |
| Schizophrenia does not mean "split personality"as is | | | | practitioner/therapist for:Talking Treatments Taking |
| widely believed, but is a word used to describe a | | | | part in supportive psychotherapy and counseling can |
| wide range of symptoms and conditions.It is not | | | | help reduce the risk of a relapse by helping sufferers |
| known what causes schizophrenia: one theory is that | | | | to understand the condition and cope better with |
| a person's genetic makeup makes him or her | | | | problems and stresses. Group or family therapy can |
| vulnerable, and that it is triggered off by stressful | | | | help with the communication process. It is thought, |
| events. People diagnosed as schizophrenic are rarely | | | | however, that psychotherapy, which probes into the |
| violent, but they are often very frightened and | | | | past, can be too stressful for people with manic |
| isolated because of their distressing | | | | depression or schizophrenia, but some sufferers do |
| symptoms.Symptoms of schizophrenia include | | | | find it helpful. Some sufferers may prefer |
| jumbled, disordered thinking, paranoia, false beliefs, | | | | cocounseling. |