Therapy

Therapy is a something that a lot of people are reticent about. Because mental illnesses have a biological basis, I have a different perspective about therapy.  If you had a stroke (which is also a brain-based illness), you would receive physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Let’s discuss different types of therapy that may help with depression. Therapy is not just talking about all the bad things that have happened to you. Therapy takes hard work (just like physical therapy) and it involves learning coping skills that can take you forward into life.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT is based on Cognitive Therapy and Behavioral Therapy. Cognitive Therapy says that our thoughts impact our emotions. In other words, if our thoughts are negative, our emotions will follow and conversely, if our thoughts are positive, our emotions will follow. Behavioral Therapy purports that our thoughts impact our behavior.  If we have positive thoughts, we will behave in a positive way. Aaron Beck is the father of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which combines these ideas.  Our thoughts impact our emotions which impacts our behaviors. People have patterns of negative thought that keep them trapped in negative emotions.  For example, if a person believes they are not worthy of love, they will have emotions that are negative and their behavior may be that they will not seek out healthy relationships.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

Also known as DBT, this type of therapy helps people to accept the emotions they are feeling and helps them to manage them when they become dysregulated (emotionally upset). This type of therapy helps people to learn to regulate emotions associated with suicidal thoughts, anger, and stress. Part of this therapy is related to mindfulness which is being in the present moment and not judging what is happening. We will talk more about this later in other posts.  DBT is based off of CBT and was originally designed for those with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).  That said, it has been studied in many, many different diagnoses and conditions beside BPD. Depression is one of those. This is just a very brief summary of DBT so I will try to address it more completely in another post.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic Therapy is based on the premise that depression is a result of unresolved childhood conflicts. Psychodynamic therapy can be very useful in that it helps to make connections about past events and how you may respond to current circumstances as a result.  This can be helpful in that past events can become more resolved, strengthening awareness of your responses and strengthening emotional abilities.

Interpersonal Therapy

Interpersonal Therapy (IP) focus on conflict between yourself and others which contribute to depression. IP looks at past and current interactions and works on one or two problem areas in order to resolve the issue. Current social relationships are used in role playing and the client practices a new way of communication.

Methods of Therapy

We think about individual therapy when we think about going to see a therapist. Beside individual therapy there is Group Therapy, Family Therapy, and Couples Therapy.  These all have benefits and one may or may not not be right for you.  Dr. Yalom is a famous psychiatrist who is an expert in the field of group therapy. He gives many advantages of group therapy.

• Group therapy can be very useful for learning new ways to communicate with others and learn how others may have dealt with a similar issue or troubles. Getting support and feedback can be of immeasurable value. Others can also relate to and learn from you.
• You may get a new perspective about a certain problem.
• Group therapy is a way of finding out that you are not alone and you have people who understand you.
• It is a way of getting socialization especially when you are depressed and isolating from others.

More Thoughts…

In depression, there are many different options for therapy. Therapy is the first recommendation for those who have mild to moderate depression and/or anxiety. In the next blog post, I will write about who the different types of mental health providers who provide therapy as well as their similarities and differences.

We will also be exploring medications and complementary and alternative therapies for depression in future posts.