The word “depression” is thrown around quite a bit these days.
We all know people who are depressed or have been diagnosed with depression, but what does that mean? Does it just refer to feeling down in the dumps for a few hours at a time?
Not exactly. Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States and it can lead to serious complications if left untreated.
Luckily, there are many treatments available today-including medication and psychotherapy-that can help you break free from an episode of depression.
You can also consider Basepoint Psychiatry Depression Treatment to get immediate professional assistance for beating depression.
But in the opposite case, this article will explore some of the co-operative options you can consider as an alternative to medications so you’ll be well equipped to manage your symptoms to inhibit them from again arising.
What is depression and what are the symptoms of it?
Depression is a mental health disorder that many people experience in their lifetime, but it can be challenging to show symptoms.
You might feel like nothing matters, lose your appetite, sleep too much, or have trouble concentrating on your day-to-day life.
All of these symptoms are signs of depression and they need to be addressed by working with a therapist.
Fortunately, many people find relief after undergoing cognitive therapy which teaches coping strategies for depression before it becomes worse.
What is Cognitive Therapy?
Cognitive Therapy is a type of Psychotherapy that deals with the cognitive distortions and schemas in people’s thinking.
The goal is to help people recognize negative thoughts and problem-solve them before they have a chance to negatively impact their life.
Cognitive therapy can also help people learn how to avoid problematic situations before they arise.
Cognitive therapy can help people through the steps, which are as follows.
- Identify the negative thoughts to be changed.
- Develop alternative thoughts to replace negative thoughts.
- Pretend the thought is someone else’s and reply to it with a different thought.
- Work on related issues that have not been addressed.
How does Cognitive Therapy help individuals with depression?
Cognitive therapy can help individuals with depression by teaching them how to control their thoughts and feelings.
They learn to identify negative thoughts and change them before they become worse.
For instance, if you think, “I’ll never be successful,” the goal is to make a new thought like, “It’s not up to me whether I’m successful or not.”
Working on these thoughts can also help people feel better about themselves.
Cognitive therapy also teaches people skills that have been shown to decrease unpleasant feelings, such as learning how to avoid problematic situations before they arise.
The skills learned in cognitive therapy can be used every day, making it easier for people with depression to manage their symptoms when they occur-even without medication!
How often do sessions occur?
Cognitive therapy can be done once a week for 6-10 weeks.
After the sessions, the therapist will provide homework so you can practice what you learned in therapy.
The more often you do the homework, the more likely your depression will improve!
How to recognize negative thoughts and solve them before they become a problem?
When we focus on a thought, it just becomes stronger and more believable.
One of the goals of cognitive therapy is to use this knowledge and identify negative thoughts before they become a problem.
If you notice that you’re thinking about something that’s not productive, then it’s time to change your thoughts. The next time that negative idea comes up, try one of the following:
- Re-writing the negative thought so it feels less believable.
-“I’m feeling sleepy.” → “Maybe I’m tired?”
-“I’ll never be successful” → “It’s not up to me whether I’m successful or not.”
-“I can’t stop worrying” → “What would happen if I stopped worrying?”
- Pretend someone else is telling you the negative thought and reply with a different one.
-“I’m feeling sleepy.” → “You’re right, I should get some sleep!”
-“I’ll never be successful” → “It sounds like you’ve had that goal for awhile, what will happen if you don’t achieve it?”
Cognitive therapy as an alternative to medication
One of the main benefits of cognitive therapy is that it can be used as an alternative to medication.
Cognitive therapy has been shown to be more effective than medication in many cases.
This type of therapy focuses on teaching patients coping strategies to use when they are feeling down so their situation doesn’t get worse.
Cognitive therapy can teach you how to recognize negative thoughts and problem-solve them before they have the chance to negatively impact your life and if you do go this route, there is a much lower risk for side effects.
Tips on how to cope if you’re feeling depressed or having suicidal thoughts
It is not difficult to convince yourself not to blame yourself.
In depression, people usually stand themselves with enduring faults they are not responsible for.
This situation can be only depressing, without withstanding logic and proves.
So make a tip’s plan and adopt all of them mentioned below:
Tip 1) Remember, it’s temporary.
Tip 2) It’s not really you that wants to die.
Tip 3) You deserve a better life.
Tip 4) Others care about you and your life.
Tip 5) Ask for help.
These tips can surely help you cope with depressing thoughts and suicidal webs.
Conclusion
Cognitive therapy is a form of psychotherapy that has been shown to be more effective than medication in many cases.
This type of therapy focuses on teaching patients coping strategies to use when they are feeling down so their situation doesn’t get worse.
Cognitive therapy can teach you how to recognize negative thoughts and problem-solve them before they have the chance to negatively impact your life.
The skills learned in cognitive therapy can be used every day, making it easier for people with depression or suicidal ideations to manage their symptoms without having resorting medications.