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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 2 of 2. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by gardenergirl on December 5, 2005, at 13:32:10
In reply to Re: Best med for atypical depression???, posted by Meri-Tuuli on December 5, 2005, at 6:33:41
> Hey there GG!
>
> Thanks for your post. I would really really like to try therapy - I emailed a CBT person a few days ago, but I haven't heard back. Your therapy sounds interesting -- what exactly is it?
Hi Meri,
I replied here since I'm posting about therapy. I hope you hear back from the person you contacted soon.My therapy is more focused on talking about my feelings and internal thoughts. We often link them back to things that happened (or didn't happen but should have) in my childhood. So a lot of my neurotic "stuff" is due to old feelings, wishes, needs, etc. that I am still trying to work out in present day.
This often means that something going on in a relationship, either with my hubby, with my supervisor, with my therapist, my mom, etc. is something that I attribute way more meaning or "power" to than is necessary due to my emotional baggage. For example, I seem to form this attachment to male authority figures which leads me into a pattern of trying hard to please them while at the same time, fearing rejection and sometimes getting angry with them if I don't get positive reinforcement. This causes me a great deal of anxiety, worrying about what the person is thinking or how they'll react. And then sometimes I sort of freeze up or totally avoid the situation, and my depression gets worse.
So in therapy, my T helps me to identify and express the feelings and needs associated with whatever I am projecting or transferring into that relationship from the past that isn't really true or reality-based today. Once I start to identify that this is happening and start to see the relationship for what it really is and what it really isn't (i.e. they're not my father or like my father), it makes all the interpersonal transactions with the person in question much "cleaner" and simpler, and causes much less anxiety.
Hope this isn't too much information. Hmmm, now y'all know about my neurosis. :)
My therapist encourages me to talk about whatever's on my mind, even if it doesn't make sense or seems random. He somehow often manages to tie it all together into some theme at the end of sessions. He's also very supportive, non-judgemental, and very very non-directive.
A CBT therapist might be more likely to directly challenge a thought or belief they think is irrational, and they are more likely to be more directive with giving advice or suggestions for behavior. They are also less likely to delve into childhood or other past issues, except maybe to search for ways to solve problems that worked in the past in order to apply them to current issues. CBT therapy is all about the here and now, while pscychodynamic tends to focus on the past, and how it applies to what's going on in the present.
This is a tough question, actually. I suppose if I had to write a short paragraph or two on the differences between the two types of therapy, I could, but when it's my own, it gets more muddles. :)
Feel free to ask questions, though. Hope this helped.
gg
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on December 5, 2005, at 15:27:36
In reply to Therapy for atypical depression??? » Meri-Tuuli, posted by gardenergirl on December 5, 2005, at 13:32:10
Hi there!
Thanks for the long response. It was very useful. I would definatly like to try your therapy out. I think I could really benefit from it. From what you describe, it makes perfect sense. I had a traumatic childhood and I know for sure it is affecting me in the present, and the cause of most of my troubles now. But, i think for the time being I would be best off focusing on challenging my negative thought patterns. I often find childhood stuff too painful to think about let alone talk to someone about. Well in time I hope to be able to do that, but I realise that it will take a long time. I hoping CBT 'will patch me over' (I start grad school in the fall and I don't want to mess that up!) until I have the time, money to take on pyschodynamic therapy.
The CBT lady emailed back today - I replied and said that I would be very interested in becoming a new patient. She's taking on new ones in Febuary 06. So fingers crossed.....
Thanks again for your post!
Meri
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