Treatments for Thought Disorders in Florida
Thought disorders negatively impact a person’s daily life by severely interfering with their view of reality. Secondly, those living with a form of this condition suffer from disorganized thought patterns, delusions, and paranoia which drastically impacts their health, behavior, and relationships.
Sadly, these complex disorders go untreated far too often. Fortunately, the Neuroscience Institute offers comprehensive treatments for thought disorders in South Florida, so that individuals can find the help they not only need but deserve.
Unfortunately, it’s challenging moving forward in one’s personal and professional life when living with an untreated thought disorder. Nevertheless, in order to improve their overall quality of life, it is vital that treatment be available for those with this condition. Thankfully, centers such as the Neuroscience Institute in South Florida offer extensive, effective, and personalized therapies for these individuals with thought disorders. This, in turn, allows them to reduce their symptoms and therefore, reclaim their lives.
Types of Thought Disorders
The complicated and debilitating nature of thought disorders such as schizophrenia results in a disconnect from a person’s true reality and how they perceive it. Additionally, these distorted thought patterns cause paranoia, self-destructive behaviors, severe periods of depression, jumbled or rambling speech, as well as social withdrawal.
When trying to identify if you or a loved one has a thought disorder, it is important to become educated on the different types of this condition. The following outlines the various forms of thought disorders:
Schizophrenia
Characterized by hallucinations, altered thinking patterns, chaotic or disorganized speech, and delusions, schizophrenia is a complex mental illness. This condition is likely if an individual’s daily functioning has been hampered by the aforementioned symptoms for over 6 months.
Delusional Disorder
Suffering from paranoid, grandiose, conspiratorial, and/or generally odd delusions, those with a delusional disorder manifest obviously false thoughts about the world around them as well as about themselves. This can cause social withdrawal and isolation as well as risky behavior and poor judgment.
Schizoaffective Disorder
A person living with a schizoaffective disorder experiences the symptoms of schizophrenia. However, they simultaneously feel the effects of a mood disorder such as depression. This mix of symptoms can be very dangerous as it drastically alters an individual’s sense of reality.
Schizophreniform Disorder
Though a schizophreniform disorder mirrors the symptoms of schizophrenia, it persists for less than 6 months. Unfortunately, schizophreniform disorder often leads to fully-developed schizophrenia. Therefore, it is important to seek treatments for thought disorders as soon as possible.
Signs and Symptoms of a Thought Disorder
Specifically, some common indicators and symptoms of a thought disorder include:
- Repetition of ideas/words (known as perseveration)
- Disordered movements
- Extreme delusions, paranoia, and dissociation
- Reckless behavior and poor judgment
- Lack of speech (known as alogia)
- Racing thoughts
- Change in sex drive
- Reduced social interactions
- Sudden stops in trains of thought (known as blocking)
- Restlessness and poor concentration
- Lack of energy
- Disconnected trains of thought (known as derailment)
- Distress and feelings of hopelessness
- Believing you are unique or better than others (known as grandiose thinking)
- Apathy, reduced emotions, and monotonous voice
- Co-occurring mental illness or substance misuse
- Speech that is incoherent (known as word salad)
- Feelings of euphoria
If you or a loved one is drastically detached from reality, not perceiving reality properly, suffering from feelings of paranoia, or having trouble communicating, a thought disorder may be present. Despite this, at the Neuroscience Institute in South Florida, our mental health experts are prepared to diagnose and treat these disorders, no matter the type or severity.
How a Thought Disorder is Treated
For the most successful outcomes, programs specializing in thought disorders provide intensive, comprehensive treatments through a combination of evidence-based modalities. Moreover, to reduce symptoms and encourage healing, these modalities typically include both medication as well as psychotherapy. Furthermore, it is essential that these programs are led by highly-trained mental health professionals who provide compassionate, high-quality care.
Treatments for Thought Disorders in South Florida
Treatment services we offer in South Florida include:
- Mental health residential treatment
- Intensive outpatient programming
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Psychiatry and psychiatric evaluations
- Therapy in individual, group, and family settings
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
- Neurofeedback therapy
- Holistic treatment options (such as yoga, meditation, and nutritional therapy)
Additionally, the administration of specific medications is an important component of our thought disorder treatment in South Florida. Therefore, when appropriate, our licensed mental health professionals will prescribe medications such as antipsychotics and/or anti-depressants for example. Medication is particularly effective when an individual also struggles with a dual diagnosis, such a co-occurring mood or substance use disorder. Furthermore, we ensure that each of our clients receives a personalized treatment plan that adheres to their unique needs and recovery goals.
Comprehensive Treatments for Thought Disorders in South Florida
Dr. Alam is an internationally renowned psychiatrist with academic affiliations with Northwestern University and University of Illinois, Chicago where he completed his residency training. He has been a principal investigator for over forty studies and has been involved in research leading to the approval of most psychiatric medications currently on the market. He is the founder of the Neuroscience Research Institute which continues to conduct research on cutting edge medication and interventional psychiatry. Dr. Alam is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and the American Society of Addiction Medicine. He has won several awards and has been featured extensively on radio and television.
