Posted by SLS on December 17, 2008, at 5:52:24
In reply to Interesting article about non-med maintenance tx, posted by Racer on December 14, 2008, at 13:43:45
Hi.
I like the concept of "depressive pressure". It is something I came up with in a post I submitted a few years ago. As I see it, depressive pressure can be the presence of a chronic psychosocial stress for which psychotherapy and/or environmental change are the best alternatives to reduce. Depressive pressure can take a toll on the brain such that it causes it to malfunction in biologically vulnerable individuals. For some people whom respond adequately to antidepressants, future relapses despite continued treatment (known as medication break-through) becomes likely if the depressive pressure created by psychosocial stress remains unmitigated. Psychotherapy here would go a long way to help prevent this from happening, although it is no guarantee. However, the removal of the depressive pressure through psychotherapy is often a well-designed strategy. Unfortunately, the more depressive episodes one experiences, the deeper the biological illness digs into the brain. Subsequent recurrences often occur even in the absence of psychosocial stress. For these people, medical treatment might be both necessary and sufficient.
Another good use of psychotherapy is to clean up the mess left in the wake of an extended depressive episode. Biological depression warps thoughts and feelings. It changes the way people think and behave. It can lead to erroneous perceptions and conclusions about the self and the outside world that psychotherapy can often address.
A proactive use of psychotherapy is to help prevent too much of a mess from developing in the first place and allowing the depressed individual to function as well as the biological illness permits. However, when appropriate, it is most helpful that the psychotherapist acknowledge and actually *believe* that the depression is biological. To proceed otherwise can sabotage the efforts of the sufferer to work with the depression as the therapist may convey upon them unreasonable expectations and neglect insights targeted at the reality of the illness. When used properly, psychotherapy can help the sufferer of a biological depression better understand the dynamics of the illness, accept their temporary limitations, reduce anxiety and stress, and prevent suicide.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:868747
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20081214/msgs/869208.html