Martin's blog

Why must there be a distinction between truth and falsity, reality and fantasy, or as Harry Frankfurt puts it, between truth and bullshit? I do not argue that one must accept the notion of a single external reality that everyone participates in order to discuss mental health, I argue that one must accept that notion to discuss anything at all. Correspondence theory of truth, where terms and their definitions are attempts at pointing to things that exist outside of us (facts) in an external reality, is the only way we can speak to one another with a shared vocabulary. The term corresponds to the objective reality. What form the term/sign takes is

Aaron T. Beck, the founder of modern cognitive therapy, in his book Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders, provides a clear and concise portrait of what cognitive therapy is, where and when it can be useful, and its relationship to other forms of psychotherapy. Devotion to common sense is the common vein that runs throughout the book. This lends credibility and coherenceto Beck's argument in support of cognitive therapy as the most appropriate form of psychotherapy in dealing with pure emotional disorders.

Three central methods for dealing with mental health problems dominate the therapeutic scene: pharmacological, cognitive behavioral, and psychodynamic/analytic therapy. Each method attempts to restore a state of well-being or health characterized by the patient's ability to interact with the world in a productive and coherent manner. CBT and Psychodynamic therapy attempt to solve the problems without necessarily using drugs and can therefore be grouped together as Psychotherapies, as distinct from Pharmacotherapy.