What you don’t know about Online Treatment therapy;

We  probably all receive text messages from  family, friends and lovers but how would you feel about receiving therapy in the form of help via a text message, or an instant messaging service ?

Recent studies in the UK  have shown a decrease in depression symptoms when patients received an online instant message service.

Published in the “Lancet” a study which consisted of treating suffers online with a one hour weekly session, reported that 4 in 10 improved so much that they no longer felt anxious or depressed.

Apparently researchers stated that some prefer to write about their problem as apposed to talking about it and the added benefit to remaining anonomous. Again depicting that what suits some, does not necessarily suit others.

I suppose the ethical and confidential  aspect for me, would be there is an actual copy of the conversation and where would this be kept, or would it be deleted once received and read, illuminating the requirements for data protection.

Cognitive Therapy For Kids » Blog Archive » Online Therapy Proves …

A new study shows that online CBT using instant messaging is also effect. This study was published in the 8.22.09 edition of Lancet. In the study, 48% of the individuals who participated in online therapy for depression showed positive …

Therapy online: Good as face to face? – Article

Of the 113 people who did online therapy, 38 percent recovered from depression after four months, compared with 24 percent of people in the control group. The benefits were maintained at eight months, with 42 percent of the online … “We think that writing gives people time to pause and reflect, and that this may help the therapeutic process,” he said in an e-mail. Still, instant messaging has flaws — therapists miss out on visual cues, gestures and speech intonations. …

Systematic Review on Internet Support Groups (ISGs) and Depression …

The aim of this stage was to screen out clearly irrelevant abstracts and, in particular, to eliminate any reference that clearly did not satisfy the following inclusion criteria: Study discussed or investigated peer-to-peer interaction. ….. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication [serial online] 2005;10(4) [FREE Full text]; Andersson G, Bergström J, Holländare F, Carlbring P, Kaldo V, Ekselius L. Internet-based self-help for depression: randomised controlled trial. …

“I think as a clinician I would like to explore the aspect of utilising “Google Wave” when it becomes generally available. “Google wave”  is a instant messenger that exists in real time, now this could be useful in both private practice and general practice, in fact this has ubiquitous uses.”

Let me know your thoughts on this matter.

Dawn Pugh Therapy expert.

Can people who are too shy become more confident?

How To Overcome Shyness? » Self Help Zone

Self Help blog provides you tips and advice on many self improvement topics like goal setting, motivation, success, time management, leadership and communication skills. It also covers information on mental health, stress management, …

Overcoming shyness organization? | How To Get Rid of Shyness

Is there any group activities or organization out there that I could join for extra help on overcoming shyness or even on the internet? In Wisconsin.

Overcoming Shyness: One Person’s Experience of the Landmark Forum …

This video gives one young man’s experience of the Landmark Forum, particularly in how it helped him overcome shyness and develop into a person who was consistently making a difference for people in the developing world. …

Yes, you too can learn to be shy free…

Dawn Pugh Psychotherapist

The Truth that Drugs can Induce Psychological Disorders; Some every day legal stimulants can increase symptoms anxiety, resulting in a much worse mental disorder.

I have found this video which depicts some facts about drug induced anxiety disorder;

Thank you Natalie.

Every day stimulants like coffee, chocolate and energy drinks.

Let us know if this information has changed your life in any way?

Dawn Pugh Psychotherapist

Symptoms of Anxiety Phobia: Early recognition of anxiety symptoms is the key to a successful outcome; Feelings of apprehension, fear, worry, and, the feeling that something bad is going to happen. Signs of anxiety, can be, tension in the body, feeling on edge, and avoiding certain situations that evoke these feelings. Anxiety causes are a mixture of mental and emotional responses. Internal dialogue, irrational thought patterns, and, the natural anxiety, fight or flight syndrome.

One of the most important details to transpire from research into anxiety disorder is the benefit of early diagnosis and treatment. Patients often present for treatment when they have suffered other complications such as clinical depression or substance abuse disorders.

Research provided evidence that there are two forms of effective treatment available for anxiety phobia: certain medications and a specific form of short-term psychotherapy called Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), the central component being gradual exposure, either in reality or through guided imagery. (Desensitization).

For example performance phobia’s have been known to respond well to beta-blockers, which are usually prescribed to control high blood pressure. Evidence has shown that when taken in low doses, they can control the on set of anxiety if taken before a public performance.

Phobia’s which do benefit from Desensitization Therapy:

Agoraphobia- Fear of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places

Arachnophobia- Fear of spiders.

Claustrophobia- Fear of confined spaces.

A gentle exposure to these debilitating phobia’s and many more, with a combination of actuality and guided imagery can be very effective.

Dawn Pugh Psychotherapist