Psychotherapy Versus Pharmacotherapy :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Psychotherapy Versus Pharmacotherapy: Is One Better than the other? One of the most startling things to me at the beginning of the Neurobiology and behavior course was learning about the existence of "reductionism." That is, those who do not believe there is a human soul or necessarily even a mind. Instead, as I understood it, reductionism says we are all a product of our neurons and the firings that take place in the brain and nervous system. Those scientists, from what we discussed, might claim that disorders that take place in human behavior (such as schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or even depression) are all functions of neurotransmitters and the firings of neurons in the brain. In order to cure ailments such as these, certain psychiatrists or doctors might rely heavily and solely on medication. This type of treatment is known as the pharmacotherapy approach, in which medication is the primary tool used for curing patients. However, this idea did not ring true as necessarily the best or only approach to human disorders, especially t o a psyche major such as myself. I decided to then delve into the Internet to see people's views as well as actual statistics on which treatment, psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy, was indeed better. What I found was that a combination of the two seems to be the best bet in treating patients, and I will show evidence to support this as I talk about each topic individually, and then discuss their merits when used together. Also, in the scope of a paper such as this, I will look at both sides of the two treatments specifically for depression, since that is the best way to discuss specific statistics and for recovery. (3) WHAT IS PSYCHOTHERAPY? Just for a brief overview, psychotherapy is seen as a method of treating symptoms of distress in patients to help them return to a normal level of functioning. It is used as a medical tool to help a person overcome difficulties. Typical therapy is the kind most of us are familiar with, 50 minute sessions that are once a week with a therapist. The main focuses is for a patient to better understand their circumstances, the best ways to deal with them, and who they are as a person. Usually, if patients have a behavior specific problem, the APA homepage says sessions last an average of 16 visits. (APA homepage reference). Technically, the therapist has an interview with an individual to find out who they are as a person, their background, and then works from there to help heal and discuss the problems that have been affecting their daily functioning.