Publisher's Synopsis
From a carer's point of view, a major problem with delusions is their behavioural and affective consequences - for example, a person who believes he or she is being persecuted may behave aggressively, or be petrified, or refuse to eat food prepared by others. The premise behind cognitive therapy is that the most effective way to weaken these consequences is to weaken the beliefs that support them.;This book provides a description of cognitive therapy and its application to delusions and voices. The opening chapters describe the subject matter in detail and establish the theoretical reasons for extending cognitive therapy to these symptoms. This includes a justification for looking at symptoms rather than syndromes, first person accounts of delusions and voices, and analyses of why the cognitive approach is ideally suited to the study and treatment of these two most disabling symptoms.;The subsequent chapters detail step-by-step guidelines for the implementation of the approach, and draw heavily on actual cases seen by the authors. The authors cover how to make a cognitive assessment of both voices and delusions and which measures to use.
