Posted by pegasus on May 27, 2005, at 10:44:39
In reply to Re: conflictedness » badhaircut, posted by fires on May 26, 2005, at 22:51:49
You know, I think this a very interesting issue. It's definitely true for at least some people that when put on appropriate meds, depression can really lift without any therapy, or more than with therapy. So, obviously, there is something physiological to that depression.
But I wonder whether this is a chicken and egg argument. There's a fair amount of research done on how traumas, for example, end up changing brain chemistry (see, for example, the work of Bruce Perry and colleagues). If it works for trauma, it might also be true that certain experiences can lead to depression. So, then, it follows that certain other experiences (like CBT) might also be able to change brain chemistry in a positive way, to alleviate the symptoms of trauma and depression. And medications could, of course, change the brain chemistry in similar ways.
So, I guess what I'm saying is that maybe the physical disease of depression arises at times because of negative experiences (say, bad parenting). And then meds can fix it, because it does have a physical expression. And then maybe sometimes it's a purely physical disease, perhaps inherited.
Just throwing out some other possibilities out there. I've suffered from depression for many years, and I received significant benefit from CBT, and many years later also significant benefit from meds. I can see how my upbringing could have taught me many of the negative thoughts that I turn to during depression. But then, there is also depression in my family. So I'm trying to make sense of my own experience.
pegasus
poster:pegasus
thread:501224
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20050521/msgs/503634.html