| Depression
Depression is a very common problem
and has been referred to as the "common cold of psychiatry."
At some point in their lives one in three of us will suffer a period of
depression. Sometimes this will follow a stressful life event but
sometimes the onset is less obvious. The outlook is however very good
with both medication and psychological interventions such as cognitive
behavioural psychotherapy both being effective.
Cognitive behavioural psychotherapy
has been found in controlled studies to be an effective form of
treatment for depression - in fact, it appears to be as effective as
antidepressant medications. cognitive behavioural psychotherapy for
depression focuses on the clinical observation that depressed mood often
seems to result from or be maintained by negative patterns of thinking
and behaving.
For example, depressed people often
have thoughts like, "I'm a failure," "I can't do anything
right," "I'll never succeed with anything I do," "No
one cares about me," "I'll be alone forever," or similar
thinking. These thoughts are automatic can feel powerful and
compelling, but usually do not tell a balanced, reasonable story and
people who are depressed do not readily think to question their validity.
These thoughts then effect how the person feels e.g. more depressed or
anxious with a further effects on behaviour such as difficulty getting
going or completing daily activities and the achievement of personal
goals at home or at work. Lack of achievement then often lead to the
person feeling even worse and more depressed.
In cognitive behavioural psychotherapy,
client and therapist work together to determine what types of negative
thinking are problematic for the depressed client, and what types of
coping or balanced thoughts can be used to provide a better perspective,
to lift the depressed person's mood, and help him or her function
better. The therapy also often focuses on helping the depressed
person increase his or her activity level or find more gratifying,
pleasurable activities and setting new and realistic goals as well as
establishing acceptable self standards.
In therapy sessions, the therapist
takes an active approach to teaching here-and-now coping strategies to
help clients understand and change cognitions and behaviors that
contribute to depressed mood. This is an active, problem-solving approach
to therapy. Practicing new skills outside of sessions is a central
part of treatment. A key goal of cognitive behavioural psychotherapy
is to provide the client with tools that he or she can use to work on
his or her depressive symptoms and to prevent future episodes.
Treatment can be done in individual or group or couples format.
Cognitive behavioural therapists, being both practical
and collaborative, can discuss the advantages and disadvantages of
medication with you. Many patients are treated without medication at
all. Some disorders, however, respond much better to a combination of
medication and cognitive behavioural therapy. If you are taking
medication, or would like to be on medication, you might want to discuss
with your General practitioner or Psychiatrist. If you are not on
medication and do not want to be on medication, you and your therapist
might commence therapy but reassess, after four to six weeks, how much
you've progressed and determine whether you might need medication to
help with your recovery.
11 November 2002 13:41:12
© Michael Townend
Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist
|
