Attention Deficit Hyperactivi... : Treatments

The American Academy of Pediatrics has guidelines for treating ADHD: Set specific, appropriate target goals to guide therapy; Medication and behavior therapy should be started; When treatment has not met the target goals, evaluate the original dia...

A 2003 survey showed that approximately 54% of parents reported using complementary or alternative medicine treatments for their children in the previous year. Some parents reported turning to these therapies because doctors don't always agree on ...

Despite similar behavioral characteristics, AD/HD must be treated individually by developing an approach combining various types of treatment. The use of medication in combination with behavioral interventions, classroom accommodations, and proact...

Psychosocial therapy, usually combined with medications, is the treatment approach of choice to alleviate ADHD symptoms. Psychostimulants, such as dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), pemoline (Cylert), and methylphenidate (Ritalin) are commonly prescri...

Therapy that addresses both psychological and social issues (called psychosocial therapy), usually combined with medications, is the treatment approach of choice to alleviate ADHD symptoms.

The treatment team involves behavioral and medical specialists. Concerning behavior, teachers play a very important role. Their daily observation of the child and the use of standard evaluation tests can help in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD...

Behavioral therapy, or behavioral modification, is a psychological technique based on the premise that specific, observable, maladaptive, badly adjusted, or self-destructing behaviors can be modified by learning new, more appropriate behaviors to replace them.

A treatment approach, based on the principles of operant conditioning, that replaces undesirable behaviors with more desirable ones through positive or negative reinforcement. Behavior modification is based on the principles of operant conditioning, which were developed by American behaviorist B.F. Skinner (1904-1990). In his research, he put a rat in a cage later known as the Skinner Box, in which the rat could receive a food pellet by pressing on a bar. The food reward acted as a reinforcement by strengthening the rat's bar-pressing behavior. Skinner studied how the rat's behavior changed in response to differing patterns of reinforcement. By studying the way the rats "operated on" their environment, Skinner formulated the concept of operant conditioning, through which behavior could be shaped by reinforcement or lack of it. Skinner considered his discovery applicable to a wide range of both human and animal behaviors and introduced operant conditioning to the general public in his 1938 book The Behavior of Organisms. DID SKINNER RAISE HIS OWN CHILD IN A SKINNER BOX? This famous urban legend was perpetuated by a photo that appeared in Life magazine of behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner's two-year-old daughter standing up in a glass-fronted box. The box was, in fact, a climate-controlled, babysized room that Skinner built, called the "aircrib." The aircrib was made of sound-absorbing wood, had a humidifier, an air filter, and was temperature-controlled by a thermostat. Dissatisfied with traditional cribs, Skinner built the box to keep his new daughter warm, safe, and quiet without having to wrap her in clothes and blankets. Skinner was quoted in New Yorker magazine as saying his daughter "...spent most of the next two years and several months there, naked and happy." Deborah was so happy in the box, Skinner reported, that she rarely cried or got sick and showed no signs of agoraphobia when removed from the aircrib or claustrophobia when placed inside. The box-like structure and people's misunderstandings about behavioral psychology contributed to the misconception that Skinner was experimenting on his daughter and also probably prevented the crib from becoming a commercial success. People got the impression that Skinner was raising his child in a box similar to the kind he used to study animal behavior—with levers for releasing food. Today, behavior modification is used to treat a variety of problems in both adults and children. Childhood disorders for which behavior modification has been successfully used include obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder B. F. Skinner (ADHD), phobias, enuresis (bedwetting), and separation anxiety disorder (SAD). One behavior modification technique widely used with children is positive reinforcement, which encourages certain behaviors through a system of rewards. Rewards can include items the child wants, such as toys or comic books, or privileges, such as half hours allotted to play video games or watch television. They can be earned in small increments through a system of tokens, such as stickers or stars, that can eventually be exchanged for a specific reward. For example, a child in treatment for social phobia may earn a star for each day he or she greets a certain number of people, or a child with separation anxiety may earn a sticker for not crying when left with a babysitter. In behavior therapy, it is common for the therapist to draw up a contract with the child setting out the terms of the reward system. This positive reinforcement technique has been used to treat a wide variety of disorders in children, ranging from minor adjustment or developmental problems to autism. In addition to rewarding desirable behavior, behavior modification can also discourage unwanted behavior, through either negative reinforcement, or punishment, such as removal of television privileges, or the removal of reinforcement altogether, called extinction. Extinction

Behavior modification is a treatment approach, based on the principles of operant conditioning, that replaces undesirable behaviors with more desirable ones through positive or negative reinforcement .

A goal-oriented, therapeutic approach that treats emotional and behavioral disorders as maladaptive learned responses that can be replaced by healthier ones with appropriate training. In contrast to the psychoanalytic method of Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), which focuses on unconscious mental processes and their roots in the past, behavior therapy focuses on observable behavior and its modification in the present. Behavior therapy was developed during the 1950s by researchers and therapists critical of the psychodynamic treatment methods that prevailed at the time. It drew on a variety of theoretical work, including the classical conditioning principles of the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), who became famous for experiments in which dogs were trained to salivate at the sound of a bell, and the work of American B.F. Skinner (1904-1990), who pioneered the concept of operant conditioning, in which behavior is modified by changing the response it elicits. By the 1970s, behavior therapy enjoyed widespread popularity as a treatment approach. Over the past two decades, the attention of behavior therapists has focused increasingly on their clients' cognitive processes, and many therapists have begun to use cognitive behavior therapy to change clients' unhealthy behavior by replacing negative or self-defeating thought patterns with more positive ones. Behavior therapy was used experimentally as early as 1924 to treat phobias in a three-year-old. In the 1960s it drew the attention of child psychiatrists and therapists after being used successfully with institutionalized children when all other treatment methods had failed. Behavior therapy is especially well suited for use with children whose activities are restricted in ways that make it relatively easy to achieve the environmental control necessary for its success. Also, it is generally completed within a shorter time frame than traditional psyehodynamic therapy.

Social skills training (SST) is a form of behavior therapy used by teachers, therapists, and trainers to help persons who have difficulties relating to other people.

The treatment of mental or emotional disorders and adjustment problems through the use of psychological techniques rather than through physical or biological means.

Psychotherapy can be defined as a means of treating such psychological or emotional problems 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.

Psychotherapy integration is defined as an approach to psychotherapy that includes a variety of attempts to look beyond the confines of single-school approaches in order to see what can be learned from other perspectives. It is characterized by an openness to various ways of integrating diverse theories and techniques. Psychotherapy integration can be differentiated from an eclectic approach in that an eclectic approach is one in which a therapist chooses interventions because they work (the therapist relies solely on supposed efficacy) without looking for a theoretical basis for using the technique. The rationale of efficacy is reasonable, but it often is based on imprecise memories of past experience without any reference to theory or research data. In contrast, psychotherapy integration attends to the relationship between theory and technique.

A therapeutic approach based on the principle that maladaptive moods and behavior can be changed by replacing distorted or inappropriate ways of thinking with thought patterns that are healthier and more realistic. Cognitive therapy is an approach to psychotherapy that uses thought patterns to change moods and behaviors. Pioneers in the development of cognitive behavior therapy include Albert Ellis (1929-), who developed rational-emotive therapy (RET) in the 1950s, and Aaron Beck (1921—), whose cognitive therapy has been widely used for depression and anxiety. Cognitive behavior therapy has become increasingly popular since the 1970s. Growing numbers of therapists have come to believe that their patients' cognitive processes play an important role in determining the effectiveness of treatment. Currently, almost 70% of the members of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy identify themselves as cognitive behaviorists. Like behavior therapy, cognitive behavior therapy tends to be short-term (often between 10 and 20 sessions), and it focuses on the client's present situation in contrast to the emphasis on past history that is a prominent feature of Freudian psychoanalysis and other psychodynamically oriented therapies. The therapeutic process begins with identification of distorted perceptions and thought patterns that are causing or contributing to the client's problems, often through detailed record keeping by the client. Some self-defeating ways of thinking identified by Aaron Beck include all-or-nothing thinking; magnifying or minimizing the importance of an event; overgeneralization (drawing extensive conclusions from a single event); personalization (taking things too personally); selective abstraction (giving disproportionate weight to negative events); arbitrary inference (drawing illogical conclusions from an event); and automatic thoughts (habitual negative, scolding thoughts such as "You can't do anything right"). Once negative ways of thinking have been identified, the therapist helps the client work on replacing them with more adaptive ones. This process involves a repertoire of techniques, including self-evaluation, positive self-talk, control of negative thoughts and feelings, and accurate assessment of both external situations and of the client's own emotional state. Clients practice these techniques alone, with the therapist, and also, wherever possible, in the actual settings in which stressful situations occur (in vivo), gradually building up confidence in their ability to cope with difficult situations successfully by breaking out of dysfunctional patterns of response. Today cognitive behavior therapy is widely used with children and adolescents, especially for disorders involving anxiety, depression, or problems with social skills. Like adult clients, children undergoing cognitive behavior therapy are made aware of distorted perceptions and errors in logic that are responsible for inaccurate or unrealistic views of the world around them. The therapist then works to change erroneous beliefs and perceptions by instruction, modeling, and giving the child a chance to rehearse new attitudes and responses and practice them in real-life situations. Cognitive behavior therapy has been effective in treating a variety of complaints, ranging from minor problems and developmental difficulties to severe disorders that are incurable but can be made somewhat more manageable. It is used either alone or together with other therapies and/or medication as part of an overall treatment plan. Cognitive behavioral therapy has worked especially well, often in combination with medication, for children and adolescents suffering from depression. It can help free depressed children from the pervasive feelings of helplessness and hopelessness that are supported by selfdefeating beliefs. Children in treatment are assigned to monitor their thoughts, and the therapist points out ways that these thoughts (such as "noth

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is an action-oriented form of psychosocial therapy that assumes that maladaptive, or faulty, thinking patterns cause maladaptive behavior and "negative" emotions. (Maladaptive behavior is behavior that is counter-productive or interferes with everyday living.) The treatment focuses on changing an individual's thoughts (cognitive patterns) in order to change his or her behavior and emotional state.

Cognitive therapy is a psychosocial (both psychological and social) therapy that assumes that faulty thought patterns (called cognitive patterns) cause maladaptive behavior and emotional responses. The treatment focuses on changing thoughts in order to solve psychological and personality problems. Behavior therapy is also a goal-oriented, therapeutic approach, and it treats emotional and behavioral disorders as maladaptive learned responses that can be replaced by healthier ones with appropriate training. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) integrates features of behavior modification into the traditional cognitive restructuring approach.

Behavioral therapy can help ease panic disorder, whether in conjunction with medication or alone.

What's the difference between a can-do and a won't-try person? It's usually a matter of bravery.

Talk therapy helps people gain insight into and resolve their problems through verbal exchanges with the therapist.

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.

Contrary to what many people believe, psychotherapy for anxiety, depression, phobias or stress doesn't have to be a long and costly process. Feeling better doesn't require a lifetime of intensive psychotherapy.

The treatment of mental or emotional disorders and adjustment problems through the use of psychological techniques rather than through physical or biological means. Psychoanalysis, the first modern form of psychotherapy, was called the "talking cure," and the many varieties of therapy practiced today are still characterized by their common dependence on a verbal exchange between the counselor or therapist and the person seeking help. The therapeutic interaction is characterized by mutual trust, with the goal of helping individuals change destructive or unhealthy behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. For a child, psychotherapy can bolster hope and self-esteem, improve mastery and coping abilities, change maladaptive behavior patterns, and facilitate normal developmental processes. Childhood emotional and behavioral problems that have been treated through psychotherapy include adjustment problems at school; attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder; anxiety and depression; conduct problems; obsessive-compulsive behavior; eating disorders; enuresis; autism; child abuse; and post-traumatic stress disorder. Severe problems that require immediate professional attention include severe, uncontrollable anxiety; hallucinations and other bizarre behavior; dangerous actions such as arson and other forms of violent aggression; and suicidal behavior. A major distinguishing feature of psychotherapy for children is the role played by the parents, who choose the therapist (in most cases), provide information that aids in the initial assessment, and may be asked to participate in therapy sessions. While therapists generally respect the privacy of children, as they respect that of adult clients, patient confidentiality may be breached if circumstances warrant notifying a parent about activities or feelings that pose a potential danger to the child. Most of the basic therapeutic approaches used with adults are also used with children, but they are adjusted for the child's age, mental and emotional development, and language skills. It is common for experienced therapists to combine several different approaches or techniques. The most effective therapy for a child may be either time-limited (generally six months or less) or long-term, depending on the severity of his or her problems.

Studies that explored the relationship between therapists and their patients suggest what makes psychotherapy successful.

Talk therapy is an alternate name for the various forms of psychotherapy that emphasize the importance of the client or patient speaking to the therapist as the main means of expressing and resolving issues.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a method of verbal communication used to help a person find relief from emotional pain. It is based on the theories and techniques of psychoanalysis . Psychodynamic psychotherapy is similar to psychoanalysis in that it attributes emotional problems to the patient's unconscious motives and conflicts. It differs from classical psychoanalysis, however, in that psychodynamic psychotherapists do not necessarily accept Freud's view that these unconscious motives and conflicts are ultimately sexual in nature.

Psychotherapy can interfere with a patient's social support system, according to one author.

Women experiencing changes in midlife may benefit greatly from psychotherapy.By midlife, you may have spent years perceiving yourself as a certain kind of person — outgoing or introverted, high-strung or easy-going, optimistic or pessimistic — and become accustomed to certain roles and communication styles in your relationships. Even if you’ve become dissatisfied and your usual patterns of coping aren’t working anymore, it may seem too late to rock the boat by questioning your perceptions or seeking changes in important relationships.

Studies are examining the effects of psychiatric treatment on the brain, with the goal of making treatment more targeted and specific to the individual's condition and needs.

An analysis of studies shows that treatment of childhood depression with psychotherapy is not necessarily more effective than other methods not involving therapy.

Researchers measured the biological responses of therapists and patients during therapy sessions, and found that when the patient felt the therapist was listening, their patterns of sweat production (an indicator of empathy) roughly matched.