Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression

While generic, supportive therapy can ease depression, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a quicker, more specialized approach.  Unlike traditional therapy which may require years, CBT for depression usually only takes 3 to 4 months.  CBT holds that although depression may stem from many causes such as childhood trauma, relationship difficulties/losses, or job failures; people who suffer from depression generally share unrealistically negative patterns of thinking that make it far harder for them to bounce back from whatever initially caused their depression. The therapist near New York City offers help in this regard.

These negative patterns, which also prevent people from liking themselves or feeling secure, often include:

• Basing one’s self-worth on one’s achievement, looks, or status
• Needing everyone’s approval to feel worthwhile
• Exaggerated feelings of rejection, often perceiving rejection where none is intended
• Fearing that others will abandon them if they make mistakes or if they don’t put others’ desires ahead of their own
• Negatively biased ways of viewing successes and failures.  Depressed people view failures as due to their own personal inadequacies that they are powerless to change, while dismissing their successes as merely due to random good luck that they can’t duplicate.

CBT utilizes a variety of tools which help people challenge these thoughts by:

• Viewing their success and failures in a more balanced way, so that they start to see themselves and their quality of life more favorably.
• Uncovering previously overlooked past successes, and to realize how some of their past failures have taught them important lessons that they can harness to improve their lives.  By acknowledging these silver linings, their failures become easier to bear as they’re now viewed in a broader, more balanced context.
• Reducing their dependence on achievement or outside approval. This helps them start to feel inherently valuable and worthy as people rather than basing their self-worth on their current career or relationship status.
• Reducing their exaggerated fears of rejection

By building self-esteem and reducing exaggerated fears of rejection, CBT enables people to find the courage to reach out to others and break free from the isolation that usually plagues them.  And when actual rejection occurs, CBT helps people view the rejection as simply a sign of mutual incompatibility rather than as evidence that they’re fundamentally flawed – making it less likely to worsen depression.

CBT also improves the ability to solve pressing life problems. Those that are depressed often adopt an overly passive approach because of dashed past hopes and self-doubt. Combined with low motivation, this usually leaves people feeling overwhelmed and stuck. CBT techniques teach people to break complex problems that feel overwhelming into more manageable step by step actions. Thus, people find the strength to stop procrastinating and learn the ability to effectively advocate for themselves or make major life changes.

Finally, CBT strategies such as behavioral activation help people overcome depression by engaging, in spite of their low motivation, in more frequent pleasurable activities, such as exercise, socialization, and hobbies that naturally boost their mood. After regularly engaging in such activities for a while, mood gradually improves, self-defeating thoughts decrease, and the upward mood cycle builds momentum.

Through CBT people can challenge their unrealistic negative thoughts about themselves and find self-esteem, motivation, and productivity in their lives – leading to a sustained happiness. Connect to the Therapist near New York City for best advice.