According to the Critical Thinking Company website (2005), “Critical thinking is the identification and evaluation of evidence to guide decision making. A critical thinker uses broad in-depth analysis of evidence to make decisions and communicate his/her beliefs clearly and accurately” (What, 2005).
Critical thinking involves looking objectively at a theory or a set of facts and, not only understanding the concept, but also being able to objectively evaluate the arguments.
Psychology PR News’ (2011) article, PCH Treatment Launches PTSD Program, discusses a new treatment program available for sufferers of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The program, run by the Psychological Care and Healing Centre, focuses purely on therapy and counselling, and not on the use of medications. The article lists some possible causes of PTSD, such as the death of a loved one, and abuse at the hands of a trusted adult. It then goes on to say about the illness:
“Even on calm days a person can experience flashbacks from trauma in his or her past, anxiety, panic or depression. Worse a malfunction in the brain can cause stress or other symptoms for no apparent reason. Any and all of these can hurt and hinder a healthy well balanced life, but fortunately this is a time of treatment, psychological care and healing” (PCH, 2011).
According to the article, PCH have four treatment centres, all located in California. The four centres are for Depression, Anxiety, Panic Disorder, and Holistic treatment (PCH, 2011).
Within the Depression Residential centre, patients, who are referred to as ‘clients’ are given a thorough assessment on admission. The article describes: “Each client receives a fresh start with the program. Earlier possibly incorrect diagnoses are set aside. Each client's medications and treatment routines are re-evaluated” (PCH, 2011). It also goes on to explain how clients are assessed by experienced professionals in order to devise the best treatment plan for them.
When discussing the Anxiety Treatment centre, the article maintains that medications are often the wrong treatment for people suffering with anxiety, and that such drugs can often do more harm than they do good. Instead, it says, other forms of treatment such as meditation can be very effective (PCH, 2011). Similarly, when speaking about sufferers of Panic Disorders, the PCH believe that medications are often problematic and that the professionals tend to try to week the clients off existing drugs and focus more on other types of treatment.
The Holistic Treatment is described as involving whole mind and body treatments, in order to change a client’s destructive lifestyle. The article lists therapies such as: “Expressive Arts, Somatic Experiencing, Life Skills, Acupuncture, Yoga, [and] Anger Management” (PCH, 2011).
Overall, the article introduces to readers the new treatment of PTSD, offered by the Psychological Care and Treatment Centre, and asserts that the centres focus on: “treating the patient so they can live as a healthy person and not suffer from mental disorder” (PCH, 2011).
The article, PCH Treatment Launches PTSD Program, describes how the Psychological Care and Healing Centre believes that cures for this disorder lay within therapies rather than in medications. However, there is overwhelming evidence to suggest that drug therapies can be very successful in treating symptoms of such disorders, while used in conjunction with other types of therapy.
The article frequently refers to the matter of reducing the client’s medications, or of weaning them off them altogether. For example, when talking about the organisation’s type of Anxiety Treatment, the article reads:
“The staff at PCH is well aware that many medications prescribed for these types of disorders actually harm, rather than help, the patient in the long term. When treating these clients often the first step is to gently wean them from the highly addictive and adverse drugs” (PCH, 2011).
The Psychological Care and Healing website also emphasises this idea, in the same way. The homepage of the website states: “We start with a thorough Psychiatric evaluation, with adjustment of their medication regimen, minimizing medications as much as possible” (Psychological, 2011). The website also summarises that the treatment centre prioritises the healing of patients in the most natural way possible.
While a natural approach to recovery can be effective, it seems that the PCH are condemning the use of medication as a treatment for mental illness, in almost all circumstances. However, this is a dangerous generalisation, as there are plenty of situations in which drug therapies are highly effective, and actually complement other therapies such as psychotherapy and counselling. For example, the Psychology Information Online website states that:
“Antidepressant medications can make psychotherapy more effective, for some people. Someone who is too depressed to talk, for instance, can't get much benefit from psychotherapy or counselling; but often, the right medication will improve symptoms so that the person can respond better” (Psychology, 2011).
As Psychology Information Online points out, medication can be an important, if not vital, part of the recovery process for some sufferers of depression. Therefore, the PCH view that sufferers should be taken off medication where possible is not necessarily a positive one. While medications, arguably, do not cure depression, they can make recovery easier for the sufferer by allowing them to access other treatments more easily and effectively.
Regarding Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, in particular, and the most effective methods of treating it, the same theories generally apply; while medication will not cure the disorder, a sufferer may find accessing the treatments that may cure it, more easily. According to the Help Guide website”
“Treatment for PTSD relieves symptoms by helping you deal with the trauma you’ve experienced. Rather than avoiding the trauma and any reminder of it, you’ll be encouraged in treatment to recall and process the emotions and sensations you felt during the original event” (Help, 2011).
The guide describes how important talking based therapies are in overcoming the disorder. However, it also stresses the role of medications and how they can be useful to the process. It suggests that drug therapy can often be prescribed to “relieve secondary symptoms of depression or anxiety” (Help, 2011). It seems clear that many experts in mental health advocate the use of medications in conjunction with other types of talking therapy.
However, there are recent movements towards alternative treatments for sufferers of PTSD. Charley Keys’ (2011) article, Alternative Treatment Promoted for Soldiers Suffering from PTSD, describes a new initiative in America. According to the article, a medical researcher is joining forces with a group of celebrities in encouraging the Defence Department that meditation could help soldiers suffering from the disorder (Keys, 2011).
The reason for the celebrity involvement is unclear, and appears to be a way of gaining publicity for the initiative. However, there is a serious note behind the supposed glamour.
In the piece, Keys explains how Dr Normal Rosenthal, a clinical professor, claims to have proof that “meditation can be a low-cost, low-risk alternative to strong narcotics often prescribed by government doctors” (Keys, 2011).
In his book, Transcendence-healing and Transformation through Transcendental Meditation, the professor quotes a Marine who spoke about his experience of PTSD after fighting in Iraq. The man reported problems with sleeping and family life when he returned home. However, he claimed that "TM (transcendental meditation) has helped with organizing, prioritizing and just being calmer overall. I just feel better" (Keys, 2011).
Rosenthal is quoted in the article as saying: "What do we have to lose? It is so cheap, and it is safe” (Keys, 2011).
Rosenthal’s theory is an interesting one. It is true that such meditation is both inexpensive, and not dangerous. However, one of two things would have to happen. The first option is that the meditation would have to be used alongside the drugs that many sufferers are currently on to control their PTSD, which would not prove that the meditation is a superior treatment to the drugs. The second option is that soldiers would come off their medication, and instead try the new alternative method of treatment. The latter is far more dangerous, as without firm evidence that the meditation will work in relieving them of their disorder, the sufferer’s symptoms could dramatically worsen.
Rosenthal’s ideas seem to align more with the Psychological Care and Treatment organisation than they do with the PTSD Online Help Guide. Both of the former believe in alternative therapies as opposed to drug therapies, in the treatment of PTSD, whereas the Help Guide employs the argument that talking therapies and drug therapies can be used together, in order to achieve a successful outcome.
Psychology PR News’ article explains the workings and the philosophies of the Psychological Care and Healing centres. It is clear, both from the article and from the organisation website, that the directors believe in a natural approach to curing mental health problems, and this involves using as few medications as possible.
There is overwhelming evidence for the usefulness of drug therapies, especially when used in conjunction with talking therapies. Medicated drugs can help a sufferer by relieving their symptoms on a short term basis, and enabling them to pursue other types of treatment more successfully.
The PCH centre’s philosophy of natural healing is, on principle a good one. It is arguably better than simply drugging PTSD sufferers out of personal existence. However, the fine therapies listed by the PCH, if used in conjunction with appropriate drug therapies, may work even more effectively.
References
Help Guide. (2011). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Retrieved from
http://helpguide.org/mental/post_traumatic_stress_disorder_symptoms_treatment.htm
Keys, C. (June, 2011). Alternative Treatment Promoted for Soldiers Suffering from PTSD.
CNN. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2011/US/06/08/ptsd.meditation/
PHC Treatment Launches PTSD Program. (June, 2011). Psychology PR News. Retrieved
from http://www.psychologyprnews.com/psychology_articles/2011/06/pch-treatment-
launches-ptsd-program-218077.htm
Psychology Information Online. (2011). Medication for Depression. Retrieved from
http://www.psychologyinfo.com/depression/medication.htm
What is Critical Thinking? (2011). The Critical Thinking Company. Retrieved from
http://www.criticalthinking.com/company/articles/critical-thinking-definition.jsp
