Psychoorthopedics

PSYCHOORTHOPEDICS, one of the forms of psychotherapy (see). Psychoorthopedics includes all those measures which have as their purpose the elimination of psychological anomalies by regulating the patient's lifestyle and behavior. It is conducted on hospitalized patients and includes, in addition to a strictly observed regimen, therapeutic rhythmic gymnastics, intellectual exercises aimed at strengthening attention and memory, as well as at eliminating obsessions, exercises for developing willpower, and individual conversations between the physician and the patient, aimed at explaining to the latter the causes of the pathological phenomena from which he suffers and the measures to eliminate them. There is no single system of psychoorthopedics, and each psychotherapist uses various techniques to achieve a psychoorthopedic effect. The application of psychoorthopedics is indicated exclusively in cases where the physician can rely on at least a weakened but preserved goal-directedness and the patient's desire for recovery. It gives the best effect in mild depressive states, mild schizophrenia occurring as if framed by various neurotic formations, and especially in patients with obsessions. Psychoorthopedic measures are also very appropriate with respect to certain groups of psychopathic personalities (for example, excitable, unstable, asthenics, etc.). Properly conducted psychoorthopedics helps correct defects in motor skills, eliminates delays, inhibitions, obsessions, and other pathological habits, improves the general functioning of the organism, and restores weakened nervous-psychic activity.