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Gabrielle Sainz

Ms. Snyder

Capstone - Rough Draft

10 April 2019
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Gabrielle Sainz

Ms. Snyder

Capstone - Rough Draft

10 April 2019

Clinical Psychology

Mental illness can affect anybody at any moment in their lifetime. Whether an individual

is male or female, young or old, mental illness can take over anyone. Mental illnesses such as

anxiety, depression, bipolar, etc., affects the way people feel, the way people handle their

emotions, the way people think, and the way people live their lives in general. Living with any

kind of mental illness can affect relationships with friends, family, coworkers, and even oneself.

Annually, there are one out of five people above the age of eighteen that encounter an emotional

wellness condition. One of every seventeen lives with a genuine dysfunctional behavior, such as,

manic depression. According to research, half of mental health illnesses start in individuals by

the time they are fourteen and most of mental health illnesses develop in their early 20s. Many

people suffer, but luckily, there are a couple of ways to help cope with that everyday mental

struggle that makes life difficult to deal with. “​Recovery, including meaningful roles in social

life, school and work, is possible, especially when you start treatment early and play a strong role

in your own recovery process.” (My Parents') ​ ​Psychotherapy and medication can be effective

for depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses, helping people deal with their personal

problems.

To begin with, what exactly is psychotherapy? Psychotherapy helps people understand

what causes them to feel happiness, anger, stress, anxiety etc. Whether it is positive or negative,
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psychotherapy helps individuals be able to identify their emotions, figuring out what they are

actually feeling. Situations can be dealt with differently if someone is able to recognize what

causes them to feel certain feelings and emotions. Usually, therapy courses are done within a

year and most people get the most of them, having good results. There are over 100 different

types of psychotherapy that exist, but there are only a few that are used. The most common types

of psychotherapy used is behavioral therapy, cognitive therapy, interpersonal therapy, family

therapy, group therapy, and psychodynamic therapy. Behavioral therapy teaches people how to

change their behavior to be able to change the way they feel. Clients are taught how to do

activities that positively affect them. Cognitive therapy teaches people how to change the way

they think to be able to change the way they feel. Individuals are taught how to eliminate

negative self-talk. Interpersonal therapy helps clients with their social relationships. Family

therapy focuses on families who suffer when certain family members have mental illnesses like

depression, bipolar, etc. Group therapy gets a group of people together who share the same

issues.

Psychotherapy is a “talking treatment’ due to the fact that most of the time, medication is

not being used during the process. Therapy sessions usually last about 45 minutes to an hour

once a week depending on the certain issue that a patient is there for. Again, depending on what

type of therapy a patient attends, patients are able to have the session individually, with a partner,

or a with a group. Before getting in depth with the psychotherapy session, there is a process

where the client and the psychologist get to know each other. An assessment will be taken by the

patient and through that, the psychologist will be able to figure out what the issue is and then be

able to treat the patient. The patient and the psychologist then really get into what is going on
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and find solutions to overcome that emotional and mental battle. “For some clients, just talking

freely about an issue is relief itself. As you begin treatment, the psychologist will help you

understand what’s upsetting you” (​What Is). Many patients really just need someone to vent to

and prefer venting to someone who will truly understand them. This is why a clinical

psychologist would be the best option. After figuring out what type of treatment the patient

needs, the therapist will find ways, like mental and physical exercises, for the individual to be

able to change the way they behave, think, and the way they feel. The goal of psychotherapy is to

help the patient with their mental issues in a slow and steady process. “As a clinical psychologist,

I have the ability to help those who are stuck in unhealthy behavior or are struggling with painful

issues.” (Lopez-Arias) Psychotherapy with a clinical psychologist helps the patients learn

certain skills to be able to cope with their mental illness and to learn how to deal with situations

that may seem impossible for them to control.

If someone does not want to receive psychotherapy, they always have the option to talk to

their doctor about medication. Prescribed medication can help an individual when dealing with

any kind of mental illness. The type of medication that is prescribed to patients are also known as

“antidepressants”​. “Antidepressant medications such as the selective serotonin reuptake

inhibitors (SSRIs) consistently reduce symptoms of depression by 30 percent to 60 percent

overall and lead to complete remission in a significant proportion of patients.” (​Tsharp) These

types of medication can cause little to severe side effects such as, depression, anxiety, insomnia,

nausea, hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, etc. This usually happens within the first two weeks of

taking the medication, but it is important to take the medication every day without missing a

dosage. If any symptoms occur, the patient must talk to the person who prescribed the mediation.
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Prescribed medication does not begin to work from one minute to the next. The impacts of

prescribed medication for patients who struggle with their emotional health can take a few days

to half a month to help and it can take a while for the full impact of the medication to actually be

felt by the patient.

Before getting prescribed medication, patients are usually informed on what may occur

when taking the medication. A patient who chooses to take medicine to help cope with their

mental illness, is at risk for unwanted effects. “Any type of psychotropic drug treatment,

particularly after long-term use, may increase the risk of experiencing additional

psychopathological problems...”​ (​Tomba, et al.) To determine ​whether ​an individual should use

medication temporarily or lifelong, all depends on how severe their mental illness is. ​According

to research, after discontinuing the medication, depending on the type of mental illness an

individual experiences, the symptoms may come back later within 12 months.

Mental illness is common and the number of individuals who are developing a mental

disorder is rising. Not only are kids, teenagers, and adults are experiencing it, but so are the

elderly. Psychotherapy and medication is very effective for those who live and deal with mental

illness. With psychotherapy and or medication, many of these mentally ill people are able to

overcome the emotional disorder that they struggle with. With just a few talks and mental

exercises, or perhaps a dosage, what might be impossible to defeat, can and will be defeated.
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Works Cited

Lopez-Arias, Dr. Salvador. Google Forms. 28 March 2019.

“Mental Illness.” ​Mayo Clinic​, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 13 Oct.

2015,

www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/diagnosis-treatment/drc-2037497

4.

“My Parents' Support Shaped My Recovery.” ​NAMI​,

www.nami.org/learn-more/mental-health-conditions.

Tomba, Elena, et al. “What Psychologists Need to Know about Psychotropic Medications.”

Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy​, vol. 25, no. 2, Mar. 2018, pp. 181–187.

EBSCOhost​, doi:10.1002/cpp.2154.

Tsharp. “Medications Play a Key Role in Treatment | Behavioral Health Evolution.” ​Mental

Health Disorders,​ www.bhevolution.org/public/medications.page.

“What Is Psychotherapy and How Exactly Does It Help?” ​CareersinPsychology.org​,

careersinpsychology.org/psychotherapy-how-does-help/.