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"TALKING THERAPY"

The Human Response to Schizophrenia

By Amy Ford

"Shut up you voices". "They're going to get me, I know I'm doomed". "The people on TV are watching me". "I can't escape". "I feel so bad I want to die".

These are just some of the many frightening thoughts that can go through a person's mind when in the midst of a schizophrenic psychosis. Isn't that a trauma? I think so. However, it is still quite rare for a person to be offered "talking therapy" to come to terms with their experience after he/she stabilises on medication.

For decades, talking therapy for a person who had experienced schizophrenia was not recommended It was thought to be dangerous. However, now there is growing evidence that talking can be very useful in dealing with post-psychosis problems.

However, I'm NOT advocating traditional psychotherapy or analysis. There should be no rigid application of theories but a gradual common sense breaking down of the problems as identified in conjunction with a person. A person may want to talk about the present, his psychotic trauma and/or causal factors that may have precipitated his breakdown. Basically the aim is to build up a comprehensive picture of oneself in one's mind and for full recovery the experience needs to be considered and gradually incorporated into an acceptable account of oneself as a person. Once achieved this provides a base on which to plan for the future.

In summary, as well as the right medication, day centres, sheltered work and leisure etc. people need TIME to express themselves and share their problems, time that the psychiatric profession doesn't give very often. After all, episodes of schizophrenia are major life crises and the EFFECT they can have on a person needs to be considered as well as the actual psychotic episode itself.