ABSTRACT
Psychotherapy occupies a somewhat confusing position in the treatment of mental illness because there is a divergence of opinion as to its uses. For those whose model of mental illness denies the validity of any possibility of a physical component, it is the only valid method of treatment; those who adopt this view would consider psychotherapy to be useful in all cases of mental illness. Others regard it as the appropriate form of treatment for some types of mental illness, but as inappropriate for those which are physically based, though even in these cases its use may be encouraged as a ionll 01 suppOitive help for the mentally ill in addition to physical treatments. and indeed, for those suffering from some particularly unpleasant physical illnesses. Thus a common model of the employment of psychotherapeutic treatment regards physical treatment as the first approach to the treatment of mental illness, with psychotherapy employed in a supportive but secondary role. The argument advanced for this approach is that irrespective of the causes of mental illness, a certain level of ability to communicate is required before there is any point in engaging in psychotherapy; in some forms of mental illness this state may not be achieved without medication. Therefore, it is argued, common sense dictates that even though it may well be the case that a patient must acknowledge and be helped to sort out her problems, she first needs medication to help lift her depression or control a manic state ..
