WHAT IS THE BEST TREATMENT FOR XYZ DISORDER?
Treatments do not vary all that greatly from disorder to disorder, with the exception of personality disorders. In general and for most people, a combination of appropriate medication and psychotherapy is the treatment of choice for most mental disorders. The exact medication will vary (naturally) according to the disorder, as will the specific psychotherapeutic techniques used. I often get asked this question and then asked to be more specific. Without knowing a whole lot more about the person who has the disorder, their background and history, etc., it would be impossible for me to say anything more about this. Appropriate psychotherapeutic treatments vary widely based upon the therapist, their therapeutic style, and the personality and style of the patient. So even if I were to say, “Cognitive-behavioral therapy has been shown effective for major depressive disorder,” the person asking still wouldn’t be much closer to an answer he or she could use than before asking.
