Why Is Personal Growth So Difficult?

We all know that the only person we can really change … is us!
And yet … and yet … when a problem arises, our thoughts just naturally drift towards what the other person ought to fix.
Why is this?
Personal growth is difficult, for several reasons:
• It’s impossible to have accurate perspective on yourself. We all go through the day observing other people. But, unless someone follows us around with a video camera for an extended period of time, we can’t ever see our own behaviors. We have to guess at them from other people’s reactions to us.
• We’re not psychologically separate from our loved ones. The people we love feel like extensions of ourselves. Therefore, working on changing them feels, to a great extent, like we are working on ourselves.
• Personal growth and change require restructuring your identity and the brain resists this for good reason! Once we construct an identity, we work hard to maintain it. Imagine how terrifying it would be to wake up each day without being clear on Who I am, What I do, What I like and don’t like, etc. Personal growth has to happen slowly in order for the brain to process it.
• Personal growth provokes cognitive dissonance, which is a painful emotional reaction to critical messages. The psyche automatically protects itself by rejecting criticism and inventing other explanations. It’s you who’s screwed up, not me! is an automatic, mostly unconscious psychological response to evidence that casts us in an unflattering light.
Changing yourself is so difficult, and personal growth is always a work-in-progress. Let’s keep in mind just how hard it is, and let’s be patient with one another and ourselves as we move forward, ever so slowly.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia- A group of disorders characterized by loss of contact with reality, marked disturbances of thought and perception, and bizarre behavior. At some phase delusions or hallucinations almost always occur.

Schizophrenia is among the most debilitating and and complex of the psychoses. Approximately 1% of the world population is afflicted with this mental illness.

Types of Schizophrenia:

There are two types of schizophrenia accordingly enumerated Type I (Reactive or Acute Schizophrenia) and Type II (Process Schizophrenia) :

Reactive or Acute Schizophrenia

Reactive schizophrenia is usually sudden and seems to be a reaction to some life crisis. Since the premorbid history is usually good, when the disease does manifest itself, it is in the early phases. Reactive schizophrenia is a more treatable form of the illness than process or chronic schizophrenia.

Process Schizophrenia

Also reffered to as poor premorbid schizophrenia, this type is characterized by lengthy periods of its development with a gradual deterioration and exclusively negative symptoms. It doesn't seem to be related to any major life change or negative event. Usually this type of schizophrenia is associated with "loners" who are rejected by society, tend not to develop social skills and don't excel out of high school.

Symptoms:

Positive versus negative

Paranoid versus nonparanoid

Content of thoug

Form of thought

Relationship to the external world

Perception


Treatments for Schizophrenia:

Though there is no cure for schizophrenia, a wide variety of treatment options are available to sufferers with the disorder.

Antipsychotics

Antidepressants

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy of some type is highly recommended for people suffering from schizophrenia. By adding behavioral treatments for schizophrenia to a medical treatment regimen, the rate of relapse is further reduced, to only 25%. A variety of types of psychotherapy are available to schizophrenics. Cognitive therapy, psychoeducation, and family therapy can all help schizophrenics deal with their symptoms and learn to operate in society. Social skills training is of great importance, in order to teach the patient specific ways to manage themselves in social situations.

All About Depression

What Is Depression?

Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad, but these feelings are usually fleeting and pass within a couple of days. When a person has a depressive disorder, it interferes with daily life, normal functioning, and causes pain for both the person with the disorder and those who care about him or her. Depression is a common but serious illness, and most who experience it need treatment to get better.

Many people with a depressive illness never seek treatment. But the vast majority, even those with the most severe depression, can get better with treatment. Intensive research into the illness has resulted in the development of medications, psychotherapies, and other methods to treat people with this disabling disorder.

What are the different forms of depression?

There are several forms of depressive disorders. The most common are major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder.

Major depressive disorder,

also called major depression, is characterized by a combination of symptoms that interfere with a person's ability to work, sleep, study, eat, and enjoy once–pleasurable activities. Major depression is disabling and prevents a person from functioning normally. An episode of major depression may occur only once in a person's lifetime, but more often, it recurs throughout a person's life.

Dysthymic disorder,

also called dysthymia, is characterized by long–term (two years or longer) but less severe symptoms that may not disable a person but can prevent one from functioning normally or feeling well. People with dysthymia may also experience one or more episodes of major depression during their lifetimes.

Some forms of depressive disorder exhibit slightly different characteristics than those described above, or they may develop under unique circumstances. However, not all scientists agree on how to characterize and define these forms of depression. They include:

Psychotic depression,

which occurs when a severe depressive illness is accompanied by some form of psychosis, such as a break with reality, hallucinations, and delusions.

Postpartum depression,

which is diagnosed if a new mother develops a major depressive episode within one month after delivery. It is estimated that 10 to 15 percent of women experience postpartum depression after giving birth.¹

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD),

which is characterized by the onset of a depressive illness during the winter months, when there is less natural sunlight. The depression generally lifts during spring and summer. SAD may be effectively treated with light therapy, but nearly half of those with SAD do not respond to light therapy alone. Antidepressant medication and psychotherapy can reduce SAD symptoms, either alone or in combination with light therapy.²

Bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive illness, is not as common as major depression or dysthymia. Bipolar disorder is characterized by cycling mood changes-from extreme highs (e.g., mania) to extreme lows (e.g., depression). Visit the NIMH website for more information about bipolar disorder.

What are the signs and symptoms of depression?

People with depressive illnesses do not all experience the same symptoms. The severity, frequency and duration of symptoms will vary depending on the individual and his or her particular illness.

Symptoms include:

• Persistent sad, anxious or "empty" feelings
• Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and/or helplessness
• Irritability, restlessness
• Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex
• Fatigue and decreased energy
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering details and making decisions
• Insomnia, early–morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
• Overeating, or appetite loss
• Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts
• Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment

How is depression treated?

• depression can be treated with a number of methods. The most common treatments are medication and psychotherapy.

How Does Psychotherapy Help Depression?

Psychotherapy helps people with depression:

• Understand the behaviors, emotions, and ideas that contribute to his or her depression.
• Understand and identify the life problems or events -- like a major illness, a death in the family, a loss of a job or a divorce -- that contribute to their depression and help them understand which aspects of those problems they may be able to solve or improve.
• Regain a sense of control and pleasure in life.
• Learn coping techniques and problem-solving skills.

Types of Therapy

• Individual
• Group
• Marital
• couple
• cognitive behavio

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy helps people with depression to identify and change inaccurate perceptions that they may have of themselves and the world around them. The therapist helps the patient establish new ways of thinking by directing attention to both the "wrong" and "right" assumptions they make about themselves and others.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is recommended for patients:

Who think and behave in ways that trigger and perpetuate depression.Who think and behave in ways that trigger and perpetuate depression. Of all ages who have depression that causes suffering, disability, or interpersonal problems.