Perhaps you have read my last post “Psychotherapy 101.” The post “Psychotherapy 101” is an introduction into fundamental aspects of psychotherapy. It also attempts to dispel common myths regarding psychotherapy. I am satisfied with the post’s information, but a bit unhappy with its tone. Perhaps in my rush to dispel the “fruit and nut” aspects of psychotherapy, I did not give an accurate description of its softer side.
Even though most people seek psychotherapy to solve particular problems, there are those whose mission is to grow as a person. It is easy to categorize these people under the “problem” label, since a desire to grow as a person assumes a certain degree of dissatisfaction with one’s life. Perceived in another way, one may regard these seekers of growth to be satisfied with their lives, yet eager to exceed the boundaries of their current existence. It is less improving a bad thing than making a good thing even better.
Personal growth through psychotherapy is not problem oriented or solution focused. There is no mountain of empirical literature to guide the psychologist’s movements. It is a free style exploration of one’s existence. Psychodynamic therapists have an interesting perspective on this form of exploration. They maintain psychotherapy is the construction of a story that both the patient and therapist agree upon. It is a simple sounding phrase, yet its meaning tends to enlarge as it is turned over in the mind.
However, there is a specific condition cialis on line continue reading for more info for a longer time. Every individual is valued and recognized at work and every achievement is rewarded. cialis online new.castillodeprincesas.com Join the generika viagra cialis revolution and find out how this medicine plays a role of savior for an impotent man. viagra shops Know More about Kamagra Jelly Kamagra jelly is an oral dosage similar to sidefacil citrate. The path of the growth oriented patient is less clear than the problem-oriented one. The explicit goals and techniques of traditional psychotherapies render the measurement of progress and success rather easy. The only goal of growth psychotherapy is to exceed one’s current psychological limitations. Neither the psychologist or patient knows how or when the process will end. The psychologist may perceive the patient as complete, but only the patient has the privilege of considering themselves complete. In traditional psychotherapy, the psychologist is largely the owner of this privilege. For example, once the patient stops smoking or their mood is brighter, the psychologist will pronounce success. Psychotherapy is considered complete with the resolution of the problem-oriented goal. In growth therapies, only the patient will truly know when they have reached their goal.
Many growth-oriented therapies eschew goals as an unnecessary stifling of personal exploration. Perhaps this is based upon the assumption that the goals of an incomplete person will be incomplete as well. It may be true that one has to reach a certain level of psychological sophistication to formulate reasonable goals. While this concept rings true for many high functioning people, it is not very applicable to those with more fundamental problems. Working with victims of head injury, the formulation of any goal may be a great victory for the patient. Lacking awareness into their deficits, the psychologist must maintain the privilege of controlling the nature and extent of the treatment. Growth-oriented psychotherapy assumes good cognitive functioning.
Growth-oriented psychotherapy is likely most beneficial to those whose work and home-life are generally satisfactory. Personal growth work is easily derailed by current emergencies and old traumas. Personal growth as a goal is certainly noble and worthwhile. The time and expense are considerable, and the commitment is extraordinary. The shared experience of building an autobiography is very powerful. One cannot help but be altered by the experience. The person emerging from this process has yet to be revealed. It is hoped that greater awareness will bring greater clarity, and the clarity will strength our purpose. Please leave comments regarding this post in the section below.
Tags: growth, growth psychotherapy, psychodynamic, psychotherapy, therapy
Angst, Anxiety, Bipolar (manic depression), Depression, Grief, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Panic, Psychology | orlandopsychcom | 
February 17, 2011 7:36 pm | 
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Panic is not a disorder unto itself, and neither is a panic attack. The modern conceptualization is that panic is a form of anxiety that may or may not include agoraphobia. This last term is taken from the Greek, and literary means “fear of the marketplace”. It is a fear of being unable to escape in a crowded situation, fear of bridges, and fear of travel in any kind of conveyance. Much of the fear is anticipation of having a panic attack in these sort of situations. The fear is heightened if the person believes the situation is such that no one will come to their assistance. The agoraphobia is rarely initiated by a specific trauma, as is a post-traumatic stress disorder. It is also not secondary to a fear of being socially embarrassed, as is a social phobia. All these anxiety disorders impel one to flee the situation, but for different reasons. Situations that involve travel or crowds are feared and consequently avoided. Many agoraphobics do not experience panic, but most suffer with the disorder.
Many agoraphobics develop anticipatory anxiety of being in public places, then avoid these situations for fear of having an attack. Phobic avoidance develops over time, which reinforces the avoidant behavior. The combined disorder of agoraphobia with panic tends to be more functionally debilitating than either disorder in isolation. Anticipation of a fearful situation reaches the point of panic, and the panic is so startling that a person would do anything to avoid another panic attack.
Many patients complain of panic, but rarely do they meet the criteria. Most people experience acute unpleasant anxiety and label that as panic. Several symptoms overlap with generalized anxiety, but a few are better indicators of true panic than the rest. The onset of panic and anxiety may be sudden, but panic tends to peak within ten minutes and then subside. Generalized anxiety has less intensity at the onset, and tends to take a long time to resolve-if ever. There are intense fears of dying or going insane while enduring a panic attack. It almost seems like a medical problem when the heart beats so strongly. A miasma of nausea, dizziness, palpitations, chest pains and shortness of breath overwhelm one to the point they fear dying. Sweat pours forth in buckets. Generalized anxiety often is accompanied by sweat, but typically not as intense or circumscribed.
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The good news is that most people who believe they are experiencing panic are actually experiencing acute anxiety. The onset of panic is so strong and unforgettable, that it creates a cycle of fear and avoidance. Generalized anxiety does not have specific fears that could be avoided. Many people have agoraphobic symptoms, but fortunately, few will fall prey to the disorder. It is commonplace for people to fear bridges, especially if they can see through a metal roadbed. It is also normal to have fear of being trapped while waiting in line, or have a fear of being immobilized in a crowded elevator. It is rare these mild anxieties develop into a Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia.
Treatment of all phobias is cognitive-behavioral in nature. The main thrust of the therapy is to gradually expose the patient to the feared object. The hope is to decouple the feared situation from the biological and psychological reaction. A psychologist will have the person imagine driving over a bridge, and discuss their emotional and cognitive apprehensions. As the therapy progresses, the psychologist will attempt increased contact with the feared situation until the person masters their reaction. Another method is to directly expose the patient to the feared situation in an aggressive fashion, which often alleviates the anticipatory anxiety of the next exposure. There is a greater risk of being overwhelmed or even traumatized by this second sort of treatment, such that it should only be attempted with professional assistance. Medication is not advised for long-term control of panic, but temporary usage can assist the therapy by lowering the overall level of anticipatory anxiety. Please leave your comments regarding this article in the space provided below.
