What is imagery rehearsal therapy? New data from research has experts believe that creativity can also bring a significantly positive impact on mental health. Think about when you’re all alone, painting for fun, rearranging your room, or even just daydreaming. In all those moments, you are exercising your creativity in a restorative way with the help of pleasant imagery exercises. And while it’s not as productive as creating a logo or branding for your company, it still brings a sense of fulfillment.
Nowadays, productivity and success have become measures of how useful your creativity can be. Everything from branding to marketing strategies has been linked to thinking outside the box. It seems as if you always need to make something unique and valuable to validate your creativity. And so, in the midst of this fast-paced world, creativity has started to come with pressure and stress. It’s a nightmare to be a creative in this era.
All About Imagery Rehearsal Therapy
Treatment Benefits
Aside from the rush of accomplishment, one benefits of creative thoughts and being creative on your own terms is giving you inspiration for life. Additionally, unleashing your creativity through the arts or creative thinking in writing can also be a great medium for expressing hidden thoughts and emotions just like most artistic people. Some mental health professionals thus use art to bring clients out of their shells. Imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) can also help its recipients feel content and relieve anxiety, while also potentially mitigating post traumatic stress disorder. Some randomized controlled trials have that evidence also points to it being able to mitigate severe mental health concerns.
But the use of a creative mind doesn’t end with simply realizing your mind through art. Recently, experts have come across the benefits of a new type of therapy called imagery rehearsal therapy IRT.
There is still a growing number of studies on image rehearsal therapy, but some researchers have already found significant results. Specifically, one research has shown the effectiveness of imagery rehearsal therapy in addressing the intensity of frequent nightmares associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
How Does Our Creative Mind Take Action With Imagery Rehearsal Therapy?
What Can You Do With Creativity?
Well, just as the name suggests, imagery rehearsal therapy IRT treatment is a type of treatment where you practice your creative mind. You’ll begin to discuss and run through background information on your chronic nightmares with your therapist. Then, according to what you can think of, you’ll make a new ending or an alternate scene to manage them.
Often, our nightmares or terrifying and disturbing dreams leave us traumatized and scared more than ever. But with IRT treatment, you can fantasize and rehearse about an entirely different ending.
If you want to learn more about imagery therapy, you should read through the next sections. We’ve compiled a few of the frequently asked questions about imagery rehearsal therapy and its role in the field of effective mental health campaigns or diverse psychiatric diagnoses.
How Does Imagery Rehearsal Treatment Work?
Imagery therapy works by re-visiting nightmares. It interprets these nightmares into different, non-threatening memories. This type of remedy focuses on reformulating your understanding of bad dreams. It helps create a conclusion for the narrative that is less traumatizing.
What Exactly Is A Good Nightmare Treatment?
Alongside a healthy and consistent pre-bedtime routine, provide positive reassurances to yourself. You can also take sleep medicine if recommended by a doctor. Therapy has been at the forefront of minimizing, if not eliminating, nightmares’ adverse effects.
What Helps With PTSD Nightmares?
Often, medication and cognitive behavioral therapy are the two best options to defeat post-traumatic stress disorder nightmares. Certain medications target particular symptoms or effects of nightmares caused by PTSD. While others generally treat anxiety, panic disorder, and depression. Cognitive behavior therapy is an umbrella concept. It covers different kinds and other forms of therapy programs. When used alongside cognitive behavioral therapy, IRT can have increased benefits.
What Is CPT For PTSD?
CPT for PTSD is a method utilized to help cope with negative feelings. These emotional responses include but are not limited to anger, fear, grief, and guilt. Professionals can help those who have PTSD symptoms to establish an anchor. They are focused on developing a mindset that reduces bad dreams that contribute to self-blame for traumatic content experiences.
What Exactly Is CPT?
CPT is a cognitive processing therapy. It is a form of remedy that falls under the umbrella of cognitive-behavioral therapy. CPT is a randomized controlled trial test and is a proven method of learned behaviors helpful to those who have PTSD following traumatic events.
In counseling, CPT refers to a therapy program based on evidence-based treatment. It involves diagnosis, remedy, and prioritizing certain aspects of the recovery process—the therapist functions as your aid in processing terrifying ordeals. The assistance of a therapist can also alleviate other symptoms of depression and anxiety. If successful, it can push toward building back confidence and trust.
Conclusion
We hope our list of FAQs has helped you truly understand the importance of creativity and IRT. If you’re suffering from nightmare disorder, even without the underlying mental health conditions, then you may also benefit from this treatment. Having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with graphic triggers may also be another reason for trying out imagery rehearsal therapy IRT alone or with group counseling. It can be a good idea to combine IRT with other forms of therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and cognitive processing therapy (CPT). Behavioral therapy in general can help a person improve how they approach their mental health conditions.
Remember, your nightmares are nothing but an example of scenarios your subconscious can think of. And so, as long as you can dream and believe in a happy ending, you can change your nighttime dreams to a new dream.
Not everyone can consider switching the entirety of their nightmares as the better option. Thus, they create entirely new scenarios and train their brain to dream of such. There isn’t a technique fitting all people, so discuss your situation with your therapist.
How Can It Affects Your Overall Wellness
Considering their key role, you should be very meticulous when it comes to choosing an IRT professional. The first thing to look for is a therapist’s credentials. Ensure you’re visiting a mental health professional with the appropriate licenses and specific training in image rehearsal therapy IRT.
Your chosen therapist should also have a positive ending track record when it comes to PTSD patients. Each PTSD patient has a different trigger to avoid. So, to prevent yourself from losing all your progress, find a compassionate and understanding therapist.
You should also consider a potential therapist’s communication skills. Some people find it uncomfortable to share their scariest nightmares for fear of being reduced to what their subconscious thinks. So, you’d want to talk to someone who won’t judge your frightening nightmares, no matter how petty or dark they can be.
Since creativity plays a big factor in your mental health healing, you also have to make this a priority. Find a therapist who can match your thoughts and help you bring out your most creative self. Once you check all these criteria, you’ll be good to go. Soon, you’ll learn to improve your sleep quality, control your mind, reduce nightmares, and boost your mental health.
IRT can also be used alongside
Final Thoughts And Takeaway
Truly, creativity can take you places. It can improve your mental health, social interactions with your family and peers, and even your career. So if you have doubts about what your mind can create, you should try to improve your daytime energy and creative thinking and get a better understanding of your trauma experience.
With a creative mind, you can change your situation, dream what you can think, and be what you can dream.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is IRT evidence-based?
- What is imagery rehearsal therapy?
- How effective is IRT?
- When do we use IRT?
- How do you perform IRT?
- How do you conduct IRT?
- How do you treat nightmares?
- What helps with PTSD nightmares?
- Can therapists help treat nightmares?
- How do you get rid of PTSD nightmares?