Question

Explain the alternative treatment possibilities to psychotherapy. How does rehabilitation of the mentally ill improve the quality of their life?

Answer 1

There are many alternative therapies such as yoga, meditation, acupuncture, herbal remedies and so on.

1. Yoga refers to only the asanas or body posture component or to breathing practices or pranayama, or a combination of the two.
2. Meditation refers to the practice of focusing attention on the breath or on an object or thought or a mantra.
3. In Vipassana meditation, also known as mindfulness-based meditation, passively observes the various bodily sensations and thoughts that are passing through in her or his awareness.
4. Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) is found to be beneficial for stress, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, stress-related medical illnesses, substance abuse etc. 
5. Kundalini Yoga is effective in the treatment of mental disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder. Kundalini Yoga combines pranayama or breathing techniques with chanting of mantras to help the patients to process emotional stimuli better.

Explanation of any two alternate treatments:

• The aim of rehabilitation is to empower the patient to become a productive member of society to the extent possible and be self-sufficient.
• Occupational therapy, vocational therapy and social skills training.