Depression

What do you understand by the term Depression?

feeling sad, feeling suicidal, Brain nonstop thinking negative thoughts, not finding solutions for things, loss of hope and faith, feeling lows for longer time. Right?

Yes, this is right but these are the extremes of depressive stage, it starts with a seed of ‘thought’ which keeps on growing unresolved for a longer time and gets converted into overthinking and hence, you reach at the higher level of depression stage which makes you good for nothing, thus your mind gets trapped in the bundle of negative thoughts which makes you feel that you are and you will be unable to solve it..

Depression is so underrated among people and they hesitate discussing about the same why?

Depression is the main concern but still a taboo.

Everyone who’s continuously fighting and battling with their inner demons, fears, phobias and other day to day problems, talking about it and sharing can create an awareness and can spare millions of lives thriving with some or the other kind of depression.

Depression is an extremely complex disease. No one knows exactly what causes it, but it can occur for a variety of reasons. Some people experience depression during a serious medical illness. Others may have depression with life changes such as a move or the death of a loved one. Still others have a family history of depression. Those who do may experience depression and feel overwhelmed with sadness and loneliness for no known reason.

What Are the Main Causes of Depression?

There are a number of factors that may increase the chance of depression, including the following:

· Abuse. Past physical, sexual, or emotional abuse can increase the vulnerability to clinical depression later in life.

· Conflict. Depression in someone who has the biological vulnerability to develop depression may result from personal conflicts or disputes with family members or friends.

· Death or a loss. Sadness or grief from the death or loss of a loved one, though natural, may increase the risk of depression.

· Genetics. A family history of depression may increase the risk. It's thought that depression is a complex trait, meaning that there are probably many different genes that each exert small effects, rather than a single gene that contributes to disease risk. The genetics of depression, like most psychiatric disorders, are not as simple or straightforward as in purely genetic diseases such as Huntington's chorea or cystic fibrosis.

· Major events. Even good events such as starting a new job, graduating, or getting married can lead to depression. So can moving, losing a job or income, getting divorced, or retiring. However, the syndrome of clinical depression is never just a "normal" response to stressful life events.

· Other personal problems. Problems such as social isolation due to other mental illnesses or being cast out of a family or social group can contribute to the risk of developing clinical depression.

· Serious illnesses. Sometimes depression co-exists with a major illness or may be triggered by another medical condition.

· Substance abuse. Nearly 30% of people with substance abuse problems also have major or clinical depression. Even if drugs or alcohol temporarily make you feel better, they ultimately will aggravate depression.

Depression is not a Zombie word, neither an alien instead of getting terrified,face it and fight for yourselves.

CBT treatment for depression is a blend of cognitive and behavioral therapy whereby the therapist helps you to identify particular negative thought patterns as well as your behavioral responses to stressful and challenging situations. How your actions affect your feelings and thoughts.

The course of treatment usually lasts for between 5 and 20 sessions, with each session lasting 30 to 60 minutes. During the sessions, you'll work with your therapist to break down your problems into their separate parts, such as your thoughts, physical feelings and actions.

Depression has been with people for as long as I can remember, although I no one admit nor seek help for a long time. They managed to carry on, functioning and hiding the times when all they wanted to do was curl up and cry. They have many periods but always managed to somehow work through them without seeking help.

Well, depression is driven from intense self-criticism and self-perfectionism. I didn’t understand my own head, so why would anyone else?

CBT therapist can help you explaining the inner mysteries of your head to you.

(Keeping patients in mind with depressive thoughts and their behavior, which actually happen during sessions)

Here are highlights that may help you with therapy

* Prepare beforehand. I spent my first session just rambling, about what was in my head right there and then. I forgot to say things, mentioned things that weren’t relevant and went off on tangents. I found making a short list of points to cover in each session really helped me focus. Keeping a daily journal helped too.

* Make notes. It really helps to make a few notes within the session, of things you think of or the therapist suggests. I found this helped me to reflect back on the session afterwards and also a record of things to do in-between the sessions

* It’s not just about the session. Talking therapy is a misleading title I think. Yes, you sit down and you talk. But you also need to work outside of the sessions on the points and exercises your therapist suggests.

* Be honest. You have to be honest, both about how you are feeling, even when that is painful and the last thing you want to say. I found once I had said out loud some of the thoughts I had, it seemed to help lessen the strength of their grip upon me. Also be honest about the work you do in-between sessions. Don’t say you have done the exercises when you haven’t.

Now depression doesn’t like therapy. It involves too many things that start to change the relationship you have with it. Depression likes being silent, keeping things to yourself while trying to solve things on your own and not being worthy of getting help. Don’t listen to it, it’s the ultimate liar.

The key is to be gentle with yourself as you go through therapy. No one can tell you how long it will take. It will be hard, I have sat in the car after a session crying and wondering why I was doing it. But as you work through that pain you start to see the way forward.

Did CBT help overcoming depression?

Simple answer – Yes. That is just one approach can CBT help you. To be honest it doesn’t really matter what the name of the approach or if it’s a blend of approaches, your therapist should create an individual approach for you, to help you and your specific circumstances. That is why you need to be as open and honest as possible, it will help them to determine the best way to help. The technical term for this is a formulation.

CBT gives you tools and techniques that you will help in the long term.

Learning to be gentler with yourself, to change the inner critic to an inner supporter, who rather than judging me, encouraged me. It involved establishing a regular practice of meditation (just ten minutes per day is great) and an ongoing improved awareness, of both myself and what was happening around me, to really help with the feeling depression brings.

Managing depression means recovery. The difference you will feel more aware of those periods coming up and can find the coping strategies when they arrive.

Depression is not a one day symptom, it’s the result which grows with time, if things are left unresolved.

I don’t know who needs this, but try CBT and you will say this to yourself:

“I am not perfect, old habits die hard. But I understand myself and my depression much more deeply and it no longer controls my life as it used to”.

Hence, I feel safe and happier than before.

And this is what CBT can give you.

Good luck and be gentle with yourself.

Take care