Depression: How To Overcome It

How Can Psychotherapy Help Depression?

Psychotherapy is the treatment of mental and emotional disorders by psychologic techniques and counseling. Psychotherapists can include:

• Psychiatrists
• Licensed psychologists
• Psychiatric nurses or nurse practitioners
• Psychiatric social workers
• Individuals trained in counseling

Various methods of psychotherapy can help depression, including:

• Cognitive therapy
• Interpersonal therapy
• Situational counseling
• Group therapy

Cognitive Therapy

The word “cognitive ” pertains to the mental processes of comprehension, judgment, memory, and reasoning. Cognitive therapy (also known as cognitive behavioral therapy) is based on the premise that people become or remain depressed because they are drawing distorted, negative conclusions about situations and people with whom they interact.

Cognitive therapy helps a person become aware of how distorted thinking is self-defeating and can lead to depression. The person learns to recognize thought patterns and change attitudes and behavior accordingly.

Common types of distorted thinking among depressed people include:

• Over generalizing (“all men are ignorant”)
• All-or-nothing thinking (perceiving something as happening “always” or “never”)
• Seeing only the negatives (the glass half-empty instead of half-full)
• Jumping to conclusions (without knowing all the facts or giving the other person a chance to explain)
• Overanalyzing (brooding, thinking too much about something)
• Blaming oneself for things beyond one’s control (“If I’d been a better child, my parents wouldn’t have gotten divorced.”)

The first step in cognitive therapy is to identify how and when one leaps to the wrong conclusions and to catch oneself in the act. The person is often encouraged to keep a diary of how he or she is thinking and feeling throughout the day, and of what is going on in his/her life. A chart divided into columns can be helpful. Under each column, the person typically lists:

• The situation
• Negative thoughts (about the situation)
• Feelings (resulting from the negative thoughts)
• Rational thoughts (upon considering all sides of the situation)
• Feelings now (that one has realized it isn’t that bad, that there are alternatives)

The second step is to discuss with the therapist alternative ways of drawing conclusions. An example is the situation of the man who feels shunned when his greeting is not returned:

The person must take a very proactive role in cognitive therapy and be willing to work at it. A person who does so may feel empowered with the knowledge that in many everyday situations, we can choose how we react and how we feel. This empowerment can help dispel feelings of depression.

Interpersonal Therapy

Interpersonal therapy examines one’s relationships and interactions with others. This form of therapy helps a person recognize how the quality of his or her relationships can play a part in depression.

Among the goals are to:

• Honestly identify one’s needs in a relationship
• Examine healthy and unhealthy behaviors that one practices to get those needs met
• Improve communication and behavior in relationships
• Learn new ways to cope with stress and other problems

Situational Counseling

Situational counseling involves seeing a professional who specializes in the area that is linked to the depression. For example:

• If the depression is associated with a death, it can be helpful to seek a counselor who specializes in bereavement.
• If the depression is associated with alcohol or drug abuse, it can be helpful to seek a counselor who specializes in addiction.
• If the person is suffering from a chronic illness or has a loved one with a chronic illness, there are counselors and support groups for many such situations (cancer and AIDS support groups, for instance). A local hospital or clinic may be able to provide a referral.

Group Therapy

A psychologist or trained counselor guides a small group of people in discussions of problems and how they are handled. Group counseling can be effective because:

• It shows the person that he or she is not alone
• It helps the person realize that many people share similar problems
• Learning from one’s peers can be a powerful step on the road to recovery