Traditional Diagnoses

We have identified some of the most common diagnostic categories below. Bear in mind that many people with psychiatric problems also deal with the challenges of alcohol/drug abuse. PT addresses this through specialized dual diagnosis services.

Depression

Many PT members wrestle with depression. It may be a central problem, yet it often coexists with other diagnoses. Depression saps motivation, energy, and initiative. Other effects are social isolation and an erosion of hope. We have found that cognitive-behavioral and relationship therapies are useful in relieving depressive symptoms. They also help the person to develop and practice effective coping strategies. We augment this with careful medication management, stress reduction practices, exercise, group therapy, skill development coaching, the support of the therapeutic community, and activities that promote socialization.

Bipolar Disorder

As with any psychiatric problem, the experience is different from person to person. Its classical expression consists of recurring thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are high and expansive in energy alternating with those that are low and reflective of depression. Dr. Crabtree, PT’s Medical Director, prefers the term “multipolar” since any combination of moods, thoughts, and behavior may be intense and extreme — not just highs and lows (click here to read Dr. Crabtree’s article, Many Faces of Bipolar Disorder). We have found that most people with bipolar symptoms can learn to identify emotional and behavioral events that precede acute episodes. Such patterns are unique to the individual - like a fingerprint - and they reoccur. We help PT members identify and explore one’s “psychiatric fingerprint”. This creates awareness about specific cues, or warning signs, that forecast bigger problems. Detecting these cues can mobilize the person to intervene early rather than to endure the disruptive consequences of a spiraling escalation or downward tailspin. At PT, the goals of self-management are to keep psychiatric symptoms in check, to reduce overall stress, and to get on with living.

Anxiety

Anxiety disorders include a number of related problems. We have worked with many individuals with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Others have been diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), phobias, and panic states. Many PT members with an anxiety disorder have found behavioral therapies to he helpful, augmented by effective medication management, the support of the PT community, and our focus on overall fitness and stress reduction practices (yoga, progressive relaxation, guided imagery, and others).

Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorders

These diagnostic terms describe disturbances of perception and thought that interfere with day-to-day relating and functioning. A person experiencing this may not feel psychologically safe or organized within his or her private world. PT’s therapeutic community provides important forms of personal validation through relationships, support, and acceptance. Our members learn a lot about recovery from each another. We maximize opportunities for socialization and learning through the structure of treatment, training, and leisure. This reflects our agenda of personal restoration and recovery, even in the presence of ongoing vulnerability.

Self-management: A Cornerstone of Project Transition

For some members of PT, acute episodes of emotional distress are characterized by relapse. While it’s natural to hope that it will not happen again, experience has shown us that a self-management approach helps the person develop confidence and self-direction, even in highly stressful situations. It also tends to reduce the frequency and severity of relapse.

The path toward self-management relies upon self-acceptance, which includes a practical understanding of ones’ vulnerabilities, as well as his or her coping strengths. This sets the stage for the learning and practice of skills, sustained relationships, and a sense of belonging. These elements are reinforced throughout Project Transition, where belief in self-management is “in the air”. It may be discussed in the flow of daily problem-solving, addressed in therapy, and talked about in community meetings. Self-management is a core theme in our relapse prevention training, which is taught in workshops and therapy. It’s also discussed a lot among staff, PT members, and family members.

Mastery in self-management includes:

  • Understanding the nature, symptoms, and pattern of one’s psychiatric disability
  • Identifying the stages and signs of relapse
  • Developing helpful, accessible supports such as peers and staff, friends, family members, mental health services, and preferred medications
  • Practicing ways to forecast, modify, and manage stressors and tension
  • Applying pro-active, adaptive coping responses to stress and emergent symptoms
  • Learning from relapses that do occur by identifying what new coping strategies and supports are needed, then practicing them.

To get a feel for what a typical week at Project Transition is like, visit our Program page.