The Most Intensive Therapy for OCD: The Bergen Treatment
My son Dan suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder so severe he could not even eat. He spent nine weeks at an intensive world-renowned residential program where he learned techniques through the use of exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy. These skills have allowed him to live a happy and productive life.
Well, at least I thought it was an intensive program.
At Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway, there is a treatment program for OCD that is truly intensive. And short. Four full days.
There are many people who spend years of their lives suffering with OCD; it can be a cruel, insidious disorder. Ho...
Source: World of Psychology - December 10, 2018 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Janet Singer Tags: Caregivers OCD Personal Research Treatment Source Type: blogs
Coping During the Holiday Season if You Have C-PTSD or PTSD
For those who have a history of trauma, the holiday season can present difficult challenges. Holidays carry a full load of triggers, across the full range of our senses. Food, song, sight, family gatherings, and rituals associated with the holidays can trigger stress and difficult emotions.
If you have experienced childhood interpersonal trauma (C-PTSD), it may be that holidays mean spending time with the people who hurt you. If you are suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by a traumatic event such as exposure to military combat, car accident or natural disaster, sometimes the sheer chaos of the hol...
Source: World of Psychology - December 4, 2018 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Fabiana Franco, Ph.D. Tags: Alcoholism Family Holiday Coping PTSD Trauma C-PTSD complex PTSD Complex trauma Holiday Season Holidays traumatic experience Source Type: blogs
Repeatedly watching a video of themselves touching a filthy bedpan reduced people ’s OCD symptoms
Another version of this new video-based smartphone intervention involved participants watching their own earlier hand washing
By Emma Young
Almost half of people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) have extreme fears about touching something they feel is “contaminated”. This can mean that after touching a doorknob, say, they then feel compelled to scrub their hands, in some cases even until they bleed.
Conventional treatments, which often involve a combination of a prescription drug (typically an “SSRI”, such as Prozac) plus cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), help only about 60 per cent of people wit...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - November 19, 2018 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Mental health Source Type: blogs
Six old papers for pain clinicians
We’re rather flighty beasts, us clinicians. From looking at the various ads for courses on the interwebs, it seems we’re all ready to jump on to the next newest thing. This same “what’s new” attitude is present in journals as well – “these references are very old, are there newer ones you can use?”
Here’s a question: what happens to the old stuff? Is it outdated and useless? Do really well-conducted studies have a “use-by” date? Are older therapies always less effective than the new ones? What if this urge to “refresh” means we do actually thro...
Source: HealthSkills Weblog - August 26, 2018 Category: Anesthesiology Authors: BronnieLennoxThompson Tags: Pain conditions Professional topics Research Cognitive Behavioural Therapy function Health pain research rehabilitation Therapeutic approaches Source Type: blogs
For some, experiencing trauma may act as a form of cognitive training that increases their mental control
By Emma Young
That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger… It’s an adage that’s backed up in part by studies of people who’ve been through a trauma, such as a car accident or a robbery. While it’s true that around 7-8 per cent of trauma survivors develop chronic PTSD and experience persistent intrusive, unwanted memories of the event, most people recover quickly, and some even report better mental health than they had before (generally when the trauma has been moderate, rather than severe). But what underpins so-called “post-traumatic growth?” A new paper in the Journal of Experimental Psycholog...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - August 22, 2018 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Mental health Source Type: blogs
Interviews with 100 CBT-therapists reveal 43 per cent of clients experience unwanted side-effects from therapy
By Christian Jarrett
The structured nature of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy/CBT and its clearly defined principles (based on the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours) make it relatively easy to train practitioners, to ensure standardised delivery and to measure outcomes. Consequently, CBT has revolutionised mental health care, allowing psychologists to alchemize therapy from an art into a science. For many mental health conditions, there is now considerable evidence that CBT is as, or more, effective than drug treatments. Yet, just like any form of psychotherapy, CBT is not without the risk of unwanted adverse e...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - August 13, 2018 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Mental health Therapy Source Type: blogs
Research into the mental health of prisoners, digested
By Christian Jarrett
Around the world, more people than ever are locked up in prisons – estimated to be in excess of 11 million people, up by almost 20 per cent since the turn of the millennium (pdf). According to a recent House of Commons Briefing Paper the rate of increase is even higher than this in the UK where prison populations are at a record high. Many of these incarcerated individuals have intensifying mental health needs – for instance, the same briefing paper reports that UK rates of self-harm in prisoners were 25 per cent higher in 2015 than in 2014. Ahead of next week’s meeting of the All Party Parl...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - July 13, 2018 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Feature Forensic Mental health Source Type: blogs
Managing sleep problems – a medication-free approach (i)
I’ve recently completed two posts on assessing sleep problems in people experiencing persistent pain, and today I turn my attention to strategies for managing sleep problems – without medication. Why without medication? Because to date there are no medications for insomnia that don’t require a ‘weaning off’ period, during which time people often find their original sleep problems emerge once again… I’m not completely against medications for sleep or pain – but I think they need to be used with care and full disclosure about the effects, side-effects, and the need to eventuall...
Source: HealthSkills Weblog - June 24, 2018 Category: Anesthesiology Authors: BronnieLennoxThompson Tags: ACT - Acceptance & Commitment Therapy Chronic pain Clinical reasoning Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Cognitive skills Coping strategies Pain conditions Professional topics Research Science in practice biopsychosocial CBT Health se Source Type: blogs
Psychotherapy Myths: Therapy Can ’ t Treat Serious Mental Illness
There’s misperception among some people today that psychotherapy isn’t effective for serious mental illness and therefore can’t be used to treat it. A person might say, “Well, I have severe depression and have tried therapy on multiple occasions, with little effect.”
Lived experience is an important thing to take into consideration when choosing a treatment option. However, I believe it’s equally important to examine the research too, to see what science has to say to such questions. Can psychotherapy be used to treat serious mental illness, including clinical depression or obsessive-com...
Source: World of Psychology - May 23, 2018 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: John M. Grohol, Psy.D. Tags: General Medications Mental Health and Wellness Psychotherapy Research Treatment efficacy of psychotherapy OCD treatment psychotherapy efficacy therapy for depression therapy for OCD Treatment For Depression Source Type: blogs
Could technology help cure depression among older adults? (Short answer: Yes)
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Why technology — not medication — is the future of treating older adults with depression (McKnight’s Long-term Care News):
“The go-to treatment for many cases of depression is medication.
Unfortunately, this treatment option can cause as many issues as the problem it is trying to solve. Antidepressants can put residents at greater risk of falls, negative health complications and other poor conditions. Some studies indicate that antidepressants may not be effective for most older Americans.
Medication adherence is another significant challenge. According to a study by Topolovec-Vranic, et al., “individuals wit...
Source: SharpBrains - May 14, 2018 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Education & Lifelong Learning Health & Wellness Technology antidepressants Brain-Fitness cognitive disabilities cognitive-decline depression LeadingAge medication memory-loss older-adults treat depression Source Type: blogs
Struggle with emotional intensity? Try the “situation selection” strategy
By Christian Jarrett
If you are emotionally sensitive, there are mental defences you can use to help, like reappraising threats as challenges or distracting yourself from the pain. But if you find these mental gymnastics difficult, an alternative approach is to be more strategic about the situations that you find yourself in and the company you keep. Rather than grimacing as you endure yet another storm of emotional angst, make a greater effort to plan ahead and seek out the sunlit places that promise more joy.
As the authors of a new paper in Cognition and Emotion put it: “Situation selection provides an alternativ...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - March 20, 2018 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Emotion Mental health Source Type: blogs
Do pain management programmes really influence “ doing ” in daily life?
In this study by Persson, Eklund, Lexell & Rivano-Fischer (2017), the aims were to assess longterm changes in MPI profiles over the course of a year; to look at associations between “Adaptive Coper” profiles at follow-up and improvements in occupational performance; and to look at factors at baseline that might be used to predict changes over time. Participants were, as usual, attending a tertiary pain management centre at a University hospital. They took part in a 21 day programme (oh the luxury of time!), and were seen by a team working together (oh the luxury of a co-located team!) including a psychologi...
Source: HealthSkills Weblog - March 18, 2018 Category: Anesthesiology Authors: BronnieLennoxThompson Tags: Chronic pain Clinical reasoning Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Coping strategies Groupwork Interdisciplinary teams Occupational therapy Pain conditions Research Assessment disability function Health healthcare pain management Source Type: blogs
The Simpler Talk Therapy That Treats Depression Effectively
The talk therapy that is quicker (and cheaper) than cognitive-behavioural therapy.
• Try one of PsyBlog's ebooks, all written by Dr Jeremy Dean:
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Spark: 17 Steps That Will Boost Your Motivation For Anything (Source: PsyBlog | Psychology Blog)
Source: PsyBlog | Psychology Blog - November 17, 2017 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Jeremy Dean Tags: Psychology Source Type: blogs
“Insomnia identity” – misbelieving you’ve got sleep problems can be more harmful than actual lack of sleep
By Alex Fradera
“In the dark, in the quiet, in the lonely stillness, the aggrieved struggle to rescue sleep from vigilance.” This arresting sentence introduces a new review of insomnia in Behaviour Research and Therapy that addresses a troubling fact observed in sleep labs across the world: poor sleep is not sufficient to make people consider themselves to have the condition… and poor sleep may not even be necessary. The paper, by Kenneth Lichstein at the University of Alabama, explores the implications of “Insomnia Identity”: how it contributes to health problems, and may be an obstacle to recovery.
The hallma...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - October 26, 2017 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Mental health Sleep and dreaming Source Type: blogs
Trial By Error: NICE Rejects Current Guidance, Plans “ Full Update ”
By David Tuller, DrPH
Let’s give credit where it’s due. Apparently someone with decision-making authority at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has a grasp on reality and is willing to challenge the claims of the biopsychosocial ideological brigades. That’s the only logical explanation for last Wednesday’s welcome but unexpected announcement that the agency would pursue a “full update” of the guidance for the illness it calls CFS/ME. From what I gather, that means NICE will essentially start the whole guidance development process from scratch.
In announcing the decision, NICE noted the...
Source: virology blog - September 25, 2017 Category: Virology Authors: David Tuller Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
