What Is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder, sometimes called manic-depressive disorder, is a well-recognized mental health condition characterized by abnormal shifts in mood and energy levels. The mood swings experienced by people that suffer from bipolar disorder can quickly shift from a depressive low to a manic high. Family and friends may have little warning before a shift occurs and Dr. Jekyll become Mr. (or Mrs.) Hyde.

Behavior therapists

Behavior therapists (or behavioral therapists) treat people with a wide range of psychological problems using a form of psychotherapy known as behavioral therapy. Behavioral therapy is a treatment that focuses on changing or eliminating negative and undesirable behaviors that may be damaging a person’s relationships and quality of life and encouraging new, more positive or productive forms of behavior.

What is art therapy?

Art therapy is an expressive form of therapy that is used by trained professionals to treat a wide range of emotional and psychological conditions. In art therapy, people are encouraged to express their thoughts and feelings through the medium of art, in order to improve physical and emotional well-being. Both children and adults can receive benefits from this form or therapeutic release.

What is anger management therapy?

Anger management is a type of therapy or counseling that helps people to cope with and manage feelings of anger. Anger management therapy teaches people to recognize symptoms of anger and the situations that make them feel angry. It also teaches people how to deal with anger in a positive way, so that anger issues do not begin to spiral out of control.

The goal of anger management treatment is not to repress anger; when expressed in an appropriate way, anger is a natural emotion experienced by all human beings. Anger management therapy provides people with the tools to express anger in a more positive, healthy way.

Assessing Treatment and Therapy Options in Speech and Language Pathology

Speech and language therapists assess, diagnose and treat patients who present a wide range of issues related to speech, language, voice, swallowing and verbal communication. Speech therapists work with people who cannot produce speech sounds clearly, or in some cases, at all. These therapists work with people who have speech rhythm and fluency issues, i.e., stuttering. They also work with people who have voice disorders or those who have problems understanding and producing normal language patterns. Speech therapists also help those who want to improve their communication skills or lack of attention, memory or problem-solving skills. These professional therapists also work with people who have swallowing difficulties.

Defining Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol Addiction, or alcholism, is defined by the American Medical Association (AMA) as "a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations." Addicts will use alcohol obsessively to the point where they have no other choice but to continue to use it to make it through the day. Alcohol addiction isn't necessarily defined by the quantity of drinks one has, but rather the loss of control from using alcohol; i.e., as it affects work, relationships.

What are the benefits of Group Therapy?

Group Therapy is a form of psychotherapy (personal counseling with a therapist through conversations and discussions). As opposed to individual counseling, the therapist may opt to treat a group of people together, if the issues of all members of the group are similar. Members in the group decide what they want to talk about and are highly encouraged by a moderator --- counselor --- to give feedback to one another once dialogue begins. The therapist is merely a mediator in the group and keeps the members on task with discussing the problems.

Benefits of Group Therapy

Instead of feeling trapped in a one-on-one setting between a patient and a therapist, group therapy often reveals a realm of new avenues about how a person might interact with others in a socially-acceptable manner. For instance, a person might open up about a specific problem he or she is having and find that another person who was listening to the “situation” is experiencing the same crisis or facing the same personal obstacle.