About Me

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Personality Disorders are like tips of icebergs. They rest on a foundation of causes and effects, interactions and events, emotions and cognitions, functions and dysfunctions that together form the individual and make him or her what s/he is. I have always been interested in people, their ways of thinking and behaving. Studying psychology has partially satisfied my curiosity, however, I have also ended up more intrigued then ever! I have a great interest in neuropsychology or simply, the way our brains work. I have worked in various mental health environments and have seen the effects that absence of good mental health can have on people. However, I have also become much more aware of the ignorance and stigma, which is unfortunately, still attached to mental illnesses and mental instabilities. I have set up a web site as well as this blog to promote the awareness of mental health and the related issues, to help eliminate the prejudiced thinking prevalent in our societies. I hope both will develop into useful resources for different individuals and I look forward to all the interesting comments and posts from the readers, who are all welcome to sign up to the blog.

Wednesday 11 April 2012

New combat stress helpline announced | BPS

New combat stress helpline announced | BPS

Problem solving for personality disorder

Mary McMurran and Stephen Coupe describe a promising approach to a distressing disorder
 
What is problem-solving therapy?

Problem-solving therapy has a solid evidence base for alleviating distress and improving social functioning in people with a range of psychological and health problems. This approach has considerable appeal for both therapists and clients, in that its basic principles are easy to understand, it does not pathologise individuals, and it empowers people to solve those problems that they prioritise. Applications of problem-solving therapy for people who are diagnosable with personality disorders have been pioneered by researchers and clinicians in the UK.

Social problem solving is the process by which individuals attempt to discover and apply adaptive means of coping with the wide variety of stressful problems encountered in the course of everyday living (D’Zurilla & Nezu, 2007). There is abundant evidence of an association between social problem-solving deficits and psychological distress, physical ill health, substance misuse, hostility and aggression, and mental health problems. Problem-solving therapy can help people to cope better with everyday problems and can lead to better mental and physical health. Problem-solving therapy teaches the skills required for effective social problem solving. These are the ability to recognise problems when they arise, define the problem clearly and accurately, set realistic goals for change, produce a diversity of possible solutions, anticipate outcomes, devise effective actions plans that have stepwise stages, and carry out those action plans to solve problems effectively. 

Click on the following link to read more about: Problem Solving Therapy