What Is Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)?
Interpersonal psychotherapy is a type of talk therapy that improves one's connection with others, which can help ease mental health symptoms. The term interpersonal means how one connects with everyone.
During IPT, you will discuss it with a mental health specialist or therapist. They will help you understand your emotions or feelings and how it impacts your relationship with others. Also, during therapy, you will learn how to rely on help from friends and relatives.
IPT usually lasts for a certain number of sessions. Sometimes, you will be given medications along with this therapy to manage the condition much better.
What Are the Types of Interpersonal Therapy?
Do you know more than one type of interpersonal therapy is present? Yes, that’s right. Different types of IPT work on various aspects of mental health.
1. Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy:
Also known as psychodynamic interpersonal therapy or mentalization therapy. Think of this as a therapy that helps you better understand your emotions, thoughts, and desires. Not just yours, it will also help you understand others' emotions and thoughts. It also helps you to comprehend how these affect your behavior and your interaction with others.
2. Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy:
In this therapy, you will learn to overcome unhealthy social behaviors like withdrawal from the crowd, avoidance, and passive aggression through your thoughts, emotions, and behavior. This therapy is usually held in group settings.
3. Interpersonal And Social Rhythms Therapy:
This therapy is of great help if you are suffering from bipolar disorder. This therapy motivates you to follow a good sleeping pattern and eating schedule. It also helps you to manage the symptoms along with medications.
Though the therapy is structured well, the therapy experience you will receive may be different from the others. This is because it is customized to manage each individual's mental health condition. Also, the effectiveness of IPT therapy depends on how well you follow the instructions provided by your therapist.
How Does IPT Work?
The basic principle of IPT is that depressive symptoms experienced by an individual are responses to their challenges in everyday relationships with others.
IPT addresses four areas -
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Conflict in relationship.
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Life changes (for example - job loss or childbirth).
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Sorrow and loss.
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Challenges in initiating and maintaining relationships.
If you learn ways to handle these interpersonal challenges, you can see improvements in your symptoms.
If you are curious about how Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) works, here is a quick overview of what to expect:
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Beginning Sessions: The initial session (one to three sessions) of interpersonal therapy focuses on helping you gather information and identify the focus of therapy. In this stage, you will be asked to list your interpersonal relationship based on four issues that were discussed above.
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Middle Sessions: Now, it is time to handle the challenges. It includes sessions between 4 and 14. With the help of your therapist, you will try to solve the problem. You and your therapist will work together to develop a solution to address the issue. You will implement them in your daily life between the sessions.
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End Sessions: This includes sessions 15 and 16. During this session, you and your therapist will look at the progress you have made in handling interpersonal issues. Also, concentrates on any feeling of loss linked with completion of therapy.
What Conditions Can IPT Treat?
Interpersonal therapy is mainly used by therapists or psychiatrists to manage major depressive disorder. Several studies have reported the effectiveness of IPT in managing major depressive disorder.
Psychiatrists usually utilize IPT as an initial treatment for managing depression. Also, it is used as a maintenance treatment, which helps prevent the symptoms of depression from occurring again. It is used in people of all age groups, particularly teenagers and adults. The therapy lasts for 12 to 16 weeks, with one session weekly.
Psychotherapy includes many other types of therapies. No one therapy can benefit everyone. What works for you may not work for another person since everyone is unique. Do you know what the other types of therapies could be? Cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and psychodynamic therapy.
Does Interpersonal Therapy Treat Other Conditions?
What do you think? Interpersonal therapy not only helps with clinical depression but also treats various psychological disorders and conditions when combined with other interventions. For example, there are several illnesses that interpersonal therapy can help with.
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Substance use disorder.
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Bulimia nervosa or eating disorder.
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Borderline personality disorder.
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Panic disorder.
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Dysthymia- persistent depressive disorder.
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Depression as a result of diseases.
In addition, the therapy encourages yet strengthens the positive relationship, clearing the conflicts. Hence, the treatment is chosen to operate against marital disputes and prolonged grief disorder.
What Are the Benefits and Effectiveness of IPT?
Interpersonal psychotherapy assists you in comprehending your feelings, thoughts, and actions. Also, the way how these impact your mood and relationship with others. The more you are aware of your emotions, the easier it is to manage the depressive symptoms.
After IPT therapy, you will find healthier ways to relate or interact with others. This therapy will not do any magic that makes the stressors of your life disappear, but help you with strategies to handle or cope with the difficulties you face in a positive way.
Is Interpersonal Therapy Right for You?
Interpersonal therapy is one form of psychotherapy. The effectiveness of therapy depends on the challenges you face and their severity. So, it is always better to speak with your therapist to find out which works best for you. Your main aim is to control your depression, so whatever therapy you choose, you must feel some relief from your symptoms and improvement in your overall health.
Conclusion:
Interpersonal therapy techniques are effective for depression when utilized alone or in conjunction with antidepressant medications, and this fact is proven through research and clinical trials. One can benefit from interpersonal resolutions in therapy by addressing the reasons for mood ailments and relationship problems. So, it is the right therapy to receive during such concerns and is considered a short-term intervention for depression.
Key Takeaway/ Note from iCliniq:
Interpersonal therapy interventions help you understand the difficulties in your relationship and positively manage them. We at iCliniq have expert psychiatrists and mental health professionals who can help you determine the right form of therapy to manage your depressive symptoms.
