There is evidence that people with congenital blindness or deafness present quite different patterns of schizophrenia and ocd. There are implications for relationship of language with schizophrenia also in this context.
However, no substantial work has been done to see if sensory inhibition or control would in some way work to improve symptoms of schizophrenia or ocd. This is not referring to sensory deprivation, where a person is deprived of a sensory modality completely. But here reference is to controlled effects of temporary restrictions to different senses (preventing sensory stimulation) in order to bring ameliorating effects on symptoms. For example, asking a client to close the eyes for some seconds and shut the senses from any further stimulation. Much of thought disorder in everyday situation is triggered by incoming stimulation through vision or hearing. The misinterpretation at the cognitive level takes place later.
However, if clients are educated about the fact that disturbance occurs after the senses are stimulated, this can help to bring insight and cognitive restructuring at the level of how the illness is getting severe through mere senses alone. Such that strategies are developed to manage symptoms by shifting attention.
This can be helpful with mindfulness, metacognitive training and can be better alternative to distraction techniques.
What are your views?
http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00940/abstract
I am not familiar with the term sensory stimulation. However, blindness, deafness and sensory brain problems may need neurological analysis. I have a great book "Frontal Lobe Function and Dysfunction" by Harvey S. Levin, Howard M. Eisenberg, and Arthur L. Benton-- Ch. 8 on "Neuropsychiatric and Developmental Effects of Frontal Lobe Damage." These problems can happen very early in childhood, and even in embryo.
The state of mind of a person experiencing psychosis is most likely different for each person. However the experience most often described is that of sensory overload due to heightened awareness and sensitivities. A bombardment of ahhh moments like pennies falling into a slot in the top of your head. When your normal protective barriers of conditioned thinking, ego boundaries and life routine has fallen away leaving you raw, exposed and facing anxieties we normally avoid/deny such as self love, self acceptance, meaning, purpose, mortality, spirituality, guilt, blame, shame, identity, belonging etc then having someone expose you to their idea of sensory stimulation could be demeaning and abusive.
For one person shutting their eyes and being given a guided meditation of peaceful and safe visualizations where healing takes place could be hugely beneficial. But to another person it may be cutting them off from what anchors them in some sort of reality and they are then subjected to the often cruel reality of hearing voices. Let alone asking them to trust not only their own inner reality but asking huge trust of the therapist and space they are in.
However being shut in a padded cell,or its modern equivalent, the stark white room with minimalist furniture with nothing to do is equivalent to sensory deprivation. The balance could be a natural, elegant space, balanced light, comfortable furniture, tactile fabric such as faux fur throws, wordless art that doesn't imply subtle pressure to be happy or remind one of the 'dark night of the soul', music without words, writing and art materials, cooking facilities and recipe books, house plants, pets, veggie and pretty gardens, places to sit in the sun, gym equipment to burn off excessive adrenaline, moving water and all the things that make most people relax, feel safe, normal and at home.
Heather, the treatment devised for the betterment of the sufferer are never demeaning and abusive, though it may sound so from the first impression for few people. Exposure therapy holds similar status when it comes to exposing someone to the source of fear. However, here I have not referred to sensory deprivation or induction of a form of helplessness in face of forced restraints on stimulation.
Just like sensory integration therapies for autism, similar therapies for OCD and schizophrenia would also work as the mechanisms of action of different symptoms involve poor sensory integration and processing deficits. Too much cognitive overload indicates that sensory information is bombarded and associated with irrelevant cues which makes the symptoms worse. Many of the mechanisms in ERP for OCD actually prevent ongoing sensory inputs from too much faulty processing which enables the individual to develop a sense of control over symptoms.
In simple terms, what does distraction involve? Doesn't it imply regulation of sensory information and generating outputs to relevant cues in the environment? Major cognitive techniques used in CBT also aim at sensory regulation of inputs. A normal, healthy individual does this on a daily basis, while such information processing is disrupted in OCD and schizophrenics.
i can imagine the benefits of the cognitive restructuring for the client's understanding and regulation of distress but as Heather suggested the individualized raw experience of sensations and disturbed cognition would likely be different for each individual. From a relational psychoanalytic perspective I would also emphasize an effort for empathic appreciation of the client's experience as I suspect that each person might intellectually appreciate the function of the process but would remain ashamed of their condition and its exposure. It is that right, emotional brain and its underdevelopment that when addressed empathically might facilitate ,with needed timing, the optimal benefits of the sensory regulation.
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