PSYCHOTHERAPY - Is this the route to go?

Definition

Psychotherapy can be defined as a means of treating psychological or emotional problems such as neurosis or personality disorder through verbal and nonverbal communication. It is the treatment of psychological distress through talking with a specially trained therapist and learning new ways to cope rather than merely using medication to alleviate the distress. It is done with the immediate goal of aiding the person in increasing self-knowledge and awareness of relationships with others. Psychotherapy is carried out to assist people in becoming more conscious of their unconscious thoughts, feelings, and motives.

Psychotherapy's longer-term goal is making it possible for people to exchange destructive patterns of behavior for healthier, more successful ones.

The generally accepted aims of psychotherapy are:

~Increased insight or improved understanding of one's own mental state. This can range from simply knowing one's strengths and weaknesses to understanding that symptoms are signs of a mental illness and to deep awareness and acceptance of inner feelings.

~The resolution of disabling conflicts, or working to create a peaceful and positive settlement of emotional struggles that stop a person from living a reasonably happy and productive life.

~Increasing acceptance of self by developing a more realistic and positive appraisal of the person's strengths and abilities.

~Development of improved and more efficient and successful means of dealing with problems so that the patient can find solutions or means of coping with them.

~An overall strengthening of ego structure, or sense of self, so that normal, healthy means of coping with life situations can be called upon and used as needed.

Though there are no definitive studies proving that all five of these goals are consistently realized, psychotherapy in one form or other is a component of nearly all of both in-patient and community based psychiatric treatment programs.
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As mentioned previously, my experience with psychotherapy proved detrimental to my entire well-being. It caused a multitude of misery for numerous years, chopping my life in half, and virtually destroying both sides. For me, entering therapy was the biggest mistake of my life. In retrospect, dredging up past hurts proved fruitless and pointless. "Let sleeping dogs lie".

But, that is MY opinion. Psychotherapy has done wonders for others. My aim is not to speak out against therapy, but as a caution, investigate before you begin.