Posted by psychobot5000 on September 24, 2006, at 16:39:44 [reposted on September 25, 2006, at 0:52:27 | original URL]
In reply to Re: How well does CBT work for depression, posted by SLS on September 24, 2006, at 13:49:05
SLS's note describes much the way I see it, too. I suffer from major depression that I believe has a biological source, and CBT does not (cannot) strike at the root of it.
However, it has helped me see how damaging and irrational my thoughts were--studies show depressive people make more pessimistic assumptions than others, without good reason for it. Such negative thinking can clearly worsen depression, as well as probably cause it in many people.
Studies also show that medication combined with CBT is more effective than medication alone. For me, CBT helps me see how my distorted thought patterns are unhelpful, and keep them from making me worse. It was worth my time, though it is not a solution. For some, it might be a solution, however.
Dr. David Burns book 'Feeling Good' is a frequently recommended CBT book for patients. It is highly readable, and explains many of the principles quite well, and in a usable way. You could use it alone, or as a companion to CBT with a therapist.
Hope this helps,
P-bot
> I can only speak for myself. I suffer from bipolar disorder. I am stuck in the depressive phase of the illness. My depression is not at all responsive to cognitive therapies, despite my concerted efforts. It is 100% biological and hard. CBT helps me live with depression. It helps me to reinterpret the automatic thoughts and feelings that the depression tends to produce. When I finally get well, I will use cognitive therapies to help clean up the mess that depression has made of my psyche.
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> - Scott
poster:psychobot5000
thread:688984
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20060911/msgs/688989.html