Posted by mattdds on November 7, 2003, at 15:37:35
In reply to Barlow - new depression treatment?, posted by badhaircut on November 6, 2003, at 18:02:22
Hey Badhaircut,
This treatment is very interesting to me, because I feel like I sort of reinvented his wheel.
When I used to feel depressed, I would fight the feelings so hard, doing nearly anything to feel better. But this is basically "escape" behavior, and it sends the message to your brain that these feelings are dangerous and deserve further attention - thus magnifying them in importance. But we all know that pathological feelings are of really no particular relevance, and trying to "figure them out" is pointless.
Only once I completely accepted the horrible feelings and dealt with the prospect of having to live with them did I start to recover.
I think this is the way CBT will evolve...away from traditional cognitive restructuring and journaling, and toward acceptance and desensitization.
Great post. Thanks!
Matt
poster:mattdds
thread:277260
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20031030/msgs/277532.html