More and more we find ourselves with the need to explain, both in the clinical and forensic fields, what a long-term illness is, since Approximately 40% of mental illnesses are chronic.
(EMGD) are characterized because the symptoms last long term, impairing the ability to continue with significant activities and daily routines in people who suffer from it.
Many of the patients we treat ask us why they suffer from a disease of this type. The answer is not simple, since the causes are multiple ; That is, they are due to different biological, psychological and social factors. All of them involve alterations in normal functioning causing damage to the patient’s integrity.
The most common are bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders, schizophrenia disorder and personality disorders, although there are other diseases that are also considered long-term such as obsessive-compulsive disorder or fibromyalgia.
How to detect psychopathology of this type?
Generally, patients who come to our health center are aware of some of the symptoms they suffer from and know how to recognize mood changes, anxiety or other symptoms.
Nevertheless, diagnosis in these cases is essential so that the patient understands the cause of this symptomatology and begins psychological treatment to manage and work on his pathology. When we inform them of the diagnosis, they thank us, since they are aware at that moment of what they are facing and they stop feeling high anxiety due to the uncertainty it caused them.
During the evaluation process we must take into account that patients may be diagnosed with more than one disease. It may imply an interaction between the two and, therefore, a worsening of the two disorders. This is what is defined as comorbidity or associated morbidity.
Some diseases such as depression and personality disorder can be associated with dysthymia. Or, for example, the patient may suffer from an addiction associated with another mental illness. And you can even be diagnosed with bipolar disorder and hyperactivity disorder at the same time. In these situations the diagnosis is more complicated, but necessary to adjust the psychological and pharmacological treatment.
How are they treated in therapy?
We must not forget that the treatments recommended are various and complementary to each other.
Sometimes people think that only pharmacology is enough; nevertheless, psychological treatment is essential, since it helps us to work on awareness of the disease, how to identify and anticipate crises, how to eliminate or alleviate the symptoms, in short, or to be fully functional and autonomous as soon as possible. It is advisable to do so from a comprehensive health model, since each patient has a different personal development and will handle the disease in a different way.
What is effective is to work with the patient, the therapeutic method or the necessary practice that benefits them at that moment. These types of diseases not only affect patients, but also families ; It is vital to have them and dedicate the time they need to them.
The family must know the patient’s illness, with the aim of learning to interpret inappropriate responses or non-adaptive actions. To achieve the different achievements of the treatment, expectations must be adjusted and constant with the work. In some cases, legal advice is even necessary, since in schizophrenia or some personality disorders, financial help, institutionalization or simply protecting the patient with conservatorship is necessary.
Thanks to the two specialties that we work together at the center (healthcare and forensics) we can support these patients from different areas. This has allowed us to control and protect the affected people and their families.
It is important that there is follow-up, even if the therapy has ended, since the disease is chronic and support is needed to maintain the changes achieved. Furthermore, relapse (which is part of psychological treatment) is common in chronic diseases.
The patient must know how to act to minimize the symptoms and recover as soon as possible. I would like to point out that, from my experience, although sometimes the disease does not completely subside, stabilization can be achieved and a good quality of life can be achieved.
