Alternative Treatment For Schizophrenia and Manic Depression
By Robin Brain
Mental health problems are severe when the person becomes out of touch with reality. They may develop false beliefs about who they are or what is happening, feel persecuted by external forces, or believe they have been given special powers. They may hear voices, discussing their thoughts or behavior, or telling them what to do, or they may see things that are not there (hallucinations).
When someone is out of touch with reality in this way, they are called psychotic. Some people have only one episode of psychotic illness in their life, others have several with remission in between, and others have them most of the time. Alternative therapies can be useful for all these people but may not be appropriate in a crisis. Conventional drug medication can usually prevent psychotic episodes, but people who are very distressed or dangerous to themselves or others may need the shelter and protection of a hospital or specialized care unit.
