485: Ask David: Schizophrenia; OCD--What REALLY Works?

Helping a Loved One with Schizophrenia

Treating OCD! My Hands Might Be Contaminated!

How To Mend an Angry, Broken Heart

The answers to today’s questions are brief and were written prior to the show. Listen to the podcast for a more in-depth discussion of each question.

Here are the questions for today’s podcast.

1. Joel asks: How can we use TEAM CBT to help a patient or loved one struggling with schizophrenia?
2. Jean asks: Since CBT won’t work with OCD, should we use exposure or the Hidden Emotion Technique instead?
3. Jim asks: When someone has objectively hurt you, like your partner has had an affair, how do you get over that pain? 

And here are the answers.

Question #1 

Dear Dr Burns,

I learned from you that the foundational principle of CBT is that our emotions, and ultimately our behaviors, are rooted in thoughts or beliefs. Are there emotional and/or behavioral disorders (perhaps like schizophrenia) that are rooted in abnormal neurobiological brain pathologies, rather than in distorted cognitions or self-defeating beliefs? And if so, is TEAM CBT relevant to helping those suffering from these “psychoses”? 

With much gratitude, respect, and affection,

Joel

Question #2

Dear Dr. Burns:

I’m curious if you have thoughts about the problem of talking back to the obsessive thoughts in OCD. 

Thank you,

Jean

Question #3

Dear Dr. Burns:

When someone has objectively hurt you, like your partner has had an affair, how do you get over that pain?  I am not having thoughts that I did anything wrong, or there is something the matter with me, I feel sad, hurt and confused and angry.

Jim

Thanks for listening today!

Matt, Rhonda, and David