Schizophrenia is one of the most challenging and all-encompassing mental conditions which one might have to live with. There are many treatments for schizophrenia available, which can range from drugs to therapy. Many wonder if there is any reason to use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for schizophrenia.
We answer that question in this article. We will address the uses of CBT for schizophrenia and help you decide whether or not you will take this route.
What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
CBT is a short-term approach to therapy. It aims to improve upon behavior by assessing the different beliefs and behaviors that the mind holds. By doing this, CBT gets rid of any unwanted or difficult emotional responses.
How Can You Use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Schizophrenia?
The use of CBT for schizophrenia is somewhat controversial. There are two parts of CBT that help schizophrenic patients.
- The cognitive aspect. The cognitive part helps people address their current habits with thinking.
- The behavioral aspect. This component helps people understand their behaviors and what influences them.
The main reason that schizophrenic patients seek CBT is that it helps them develop coping skills. Schizophrenia presents people with complex and challenging emotional and mental situations. Developing better coping skills helps schizophrenic people remain stable and grounded.
Each mental disorder is treated differently. During a schizophrenic CBT treatment, things will likewise be unique.
Furthermore, you will be given encouragement to help you learn about your thoughts. Additionally, you will have a chance to see how certain thoughts influence others. You’ll also learn how these thoughts and feelings can impact your behavior.
Ultimately, you’ll be learning how to discern ‘artificial’ thoughts from real ones. This helps you gather yourself and choose appropriate behaviors.
Other Alternatives for Schizophrenia
On the other hand, not everyone wants to go through CBT. There are other options available for treatment.
The most common treatment for schizophrenia is medication. Doctors prescribe neuroleptic drugs for managing symptoms.
While these drugs work well to eliminate symptoms, they also cause many side effects. These include:
- Serious lethargy and depression. For some people, this makes symptoms even worse.
- A condition called pseudo-Parkinsonism. This has similar symptoms to Parkinson’s: muscle stiffness, stooping posture, gait, etc.
- Dyskinesia. This causes people to twitch erratically.
- Restlessness.
- Discomfort.
Some people find these side effects easy to manage. Others struggle with them.
In either case, it’s best to supplement a prescription with some form of therapy. Medication should be considered as a temporary option. It helps provide stability and function while you learn to manage the condition permanently.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many mental health workers who offer CBT for schizophrenics. Some believe that this approach works well, whereas others still support the use of medication over therapy.
If you’re still deciding whether or not CBT is the best option for you, consider checking out this article. In it, we discuss many of the pros and cons of this type of therapy.
Finally, if you know anyone who is struggling with drug addiction, read this article. Here, we discuss the benefits of using CBT for managing addiction.
