Psychomotor refers to the connections made between mental and muscle functions. Psychomotor impairment occurs when there’s a disruption with these connections. It affects the way you move, talk, and other regular activities.
Mental tension and other psychological disorders can be a cause of psychomotor impairment. Depression or anxiety may also lead to psychomotor impairment. It may involve the dysfunctioning of muscles and speech problem that affects the daily functioning of life. Studies show that impairment can be prevalent in adults and teenagers as well. There are 15 ways to manage impairment and associated depression.
Assessing Psychomotor Impairment
1. Identify triggering source
When a body and mind are not getting proper attention, it will be difficult for us to identify the proper cause of psychomotor impairment issues. The stable connection between the mind and muscles is important for the normal functioning of life. When any change is found, it’s time to manage that without hesitation.
Listen to your mind and body. A simple step that you can take is to pay attention when any triggering situation is prevailing. Notice small changes that are altering the functionality of the mind and body. Be optimistic and look for possible solutions and treatments to manage impairment and depression.
2. Demonstrating skills to improve
Suppose you are suffering from any muscle dysfunctioning like brushing teeth. The daily functioning is impaired because of psychomotor impairment. Don’t get rush over embarrassment or any depression.
To manage impairment, it is suggested for you to involve in demonstrating that skill by some professional. Demonstration of skills improves the psychomotor development by breaking down steps into sub-units and do practice before proceeding into the next sub-units. It helps a lot to overcome psychomotor impairment and reduce depression or anxiety.
3. Practice physical performance
Distributed practice is more effective in the development of psychomotor skills than massed practice. You are required to do frequent practice sessions over a long time are most effective. Limb practice helps in managing psychomotor impairment in teenagers and adults.
4. Enhancing mental functions
The mental practice may be defined as a covert rehearsal of skill by imaging you performing the skill step by step and feeling one’s way through the movements. For example, if you cannot throw a ball, then there is a need to focus on that specific muscle in carrying and throwing. You are instructed to think and imagine a ball and steps that are required to complete a task. You can feel the movement by thinking about it.
It also enhances mental functioning and mental muscle coordination for managing psychomotor impairment.
5. Provide motivation
Without motivation, you can’t achieve anything. It can crush you, literally cripple you from taking action.
Motivation reflects something unique about each one of us and allows us to gain valued outcomes like improved performance, enhanced well-being, personal growth, or a sense of purpose. Motivation is a pathway to change our way of thinking, feeling, and behaving.
When you have been motivated to perform a task, whether mental or physical, you can put more effort into achieving it. Keep repeating in your mind, “You can do it.” It helps in overcoming psychomotor impairment and associated depression.
Practicing adequate goals
6. Make cognitive goals
You need to look for psychomotor issue and muscle that is not responding. After diagnosis, you are required to set cognitive goals. Professionals explain the skill that needs to be focused on you. Create a scenario, and skills are taught to the one who is suffering from impairment
7. Affective goals
The effective goals in the treatment of psychomotor impairment involve:
- Acknowledge the need to teach the mechanics of skill before applying higher-level thinking about the process.
- Value the need for others to practice until they attain mastery level
- Model excellence in skill performance.
8. Articulation
Articulation is important to produce sounds, words, and sentences that are clear and can be easily understood and interpreted by others to be able to express basic needs and wants, right through to being able to engage in complex conversations.
It helps in managing impairment to treat psychomotor impairment issues.
9. Provide feedbacks
Before giving feedback, remind yourself why you are doing it. The purpose of providing feedback is to improve the situation or the person’s performance. You won’t accomplish that by being harsh, critical, or offensive. You’ll likely get much more from people when your approach is positive and focused on improvement.
Medications
10. Anti-psychotic
If psychomotor impairment is related to manic or depressive episodes, your doctor may prescribe mood stabilizers or antipsychotic drugs. A 2013 study found that the anti-anxiety drug benzodiazepine can help treat types of psychosis-induced impairment.
11. Anti-depressants
Psychomotor retardation is most-commonly seen in people with major depression and the depressed phase of bipolar disorder. Types of antidepressants are SSRIs include fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa), and Lexapro.
Rehabilitative therapies
12. Physical therapy to treat psychomotor impairment
Physical therapy for muscle movement and overall strength. Physical therapists are movement experts who improve quality of life through prescribed exercise and hands-on care for patients. Physical therapy is going along with medication and other safety measures to deal with psychomotor impairment.
13. Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy (OT) is a branch of health care that helps people of all ages who have physical, sensory, or cognitive problems. OT can help them regain independence in all areas of their lives. Occupational therapists help with barriers that affect a person’s emotional, social, and physical needs. A few of the occupational therapist functions are here:
- Self-care routines like getting dressed (fine motor skills and motor planning)
- Writing and copying notes (fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination)
- Holding and controlling a pencil, using scissors (fine motor skills, motor planning)
14. Speech therapy
Speech therapy exercises for adults can help you with speech, language, and cognitive-communication. Therapy may also include retraining of swallowing function if an injury or medical condition, such as Parkinson’s disease or oral cancer, has caused swallowing difficulties.
Speech pathologists study, diagnose, and treat communication disorders, including speaking, listening, understanding language, reading, writing, social skills, stuttering, and using voice.
15. Electroconvulsive therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is most commonly used in patients with severe major depression or bipolar disorder and leads to psychomotor impairment. The person has not received any benefit from other treatments; then this technique will be helpful. ECT involves a brief electrical stimulation of the brain while the patient is under anesthesia.
Summary
Psychomotor retardation involves a slowing-down of thought and a reduction of physical movements in an individual. Psychomotor retardation can cause a visible slowing of physical and emotional reactions, including speech and affect. The above-suggested ways are useful in managing impairment and associated depression. A psychological expert and professional can help you to treat in a better way.
Moving forward with Psychotherapy
Fortunately, Ahealo.com offers a global ePsychotherapy platform that allows clients to book an online anonymous private appointment with a broad skill range of psychotherapists at an affordable cost and desired schedule.
Alternatively, if you need to seek psychotherapy, be sure to check out web.ahealo.com. Ahealo is an online psychotherapy platform with a diverse range of psychotherapists for many different fields of mental challenges. Ahealo provides ePsychotherapy at an affordable price, confidential, convenient (through a web page 1-1 private video call), and at your comfortable schedule.
With these options, we believe your psychomotor impairment can be resolved soon.
Stay well.
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