TREATING DEPRESSION WITH COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY 

Depression is so prevalent in today’s society that it has been called the common cold of psychiatry (Goodwin 2008).

Many people live with depression, an intensely debilitating condition, for many years before they seek treatment. The good news is that there is a way through it and CBT can help you with this journey.

CBT for Depression – What can I Expect From Treatment?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy  works on the premise that negative thoughts regarding yourself, others and the world cause low mood. Often when we feel low we lose the desire to engage in activities that we previously found pleasure in. When depression is severe, getting out of bed in the morning can seem like an impossible task.

When you get treatment a therapist will work with you to question your negative thoughts and look at the evidence for them. You will then work with your therapist to rationalise and replace the thoughts with more accurate and helpful ones.

Keeping a Journal Can Help

It is likely that you will be asked to keep a journal of your activities. Together you will look at whether these activities are helping your mood or making things worse. You may be asked to re-engage with things you have been avoiding because you do not feel able to enjoy them, or  because your negative thoughts regarding the activity are preventing you from doing it.

During each session you will talk with your CBT therapist about how you have put new strategies in place and whether they have helped your depression. Each week can be treated as an experiment whereby you and your therapist try out new ways for you to think and behave.

Depending on the severity of your depression will depend of the sessions needed to treat it. However, between 12 and 20 sessions can often result in improvement.

Contact southyorkshire cbt today to book a free 30 minute consultation. Help is just a phone call away. Get help today!