One relatively new technique for this is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy which looks at negative patterns of thinking and attempts to disarm them before they attack the psyche by replacing them with more positive ways of looking at life.
It has been hailed as a success for the treatment of mental disorders from anxiety to depression by some, while others see it as a quick fix which costs governments a lot less money than prescriptions for antidepressants and years of psychotherapy.
Malignant Sadness
Lewis Wolpert in his book about depression, Malignant Sadness, says “In essence the patient learns new skills to deal with the response (to difficult memories) and this leads to a change in the patient's beliefs and assumptions about their life.”
Techniques
Typically the intervention from therapists is for a short period of time -- up to 20 sessions.
A number of techniques are used including;
- Direct questioning
- Mental imagery
- Keeping a diary
- Using moments of strong emotional reaction to gain access to negative thoughts
Addiction Field
CBT is also being used in the addiction field. Smart Recovery, an organisation which focuses on helping people to overcome their addictions, bases much of its work on turning around negative thought processes to help people get clean and sober.
This tends to be face to face groups as well as online meetings and workshops to train the mind into a more positive, less catastrophic, way of thinking to help anyone with an addiction from drugs to smoking to food.
Some would argue that Alcoholics Anonymous, with their 12-step approach, is also a form of CBT which focuses on changing lifestyles and thought patterns to overcome addiction.
Preventative Measure
Focusing on changing thinking patterns can be a preventative measure for those who suffer from depression, anxiety or addiction problems, preventing the negative thinking from taking a hold and dragging people into their own pit of despair.
John McManamy author of Living Well with Depression and Bipolar Disorder - What your Doctor Doesn’t Tell you…That you Need to Know, says one of the greatest benefits of CBT is that sufferers are actively taking part in their therapy, they are not “helpless bystanders.”
There are many online resources which can be used to embark upon CBT or to get information on the subject but the best way to practice the therapy is through a trained professional familiar with the techniques.
To find out more about CBT contact your doctor, a psychologist or counsellor.
References: Lewis Wolpert, Malignant Sadness, third edition, Faber and Faber, 1999.
John McManamy, Living Well with Depression and Bipolar Disorder - What Your Doctor Doesn’t Tell You…That You Need to Know, Collins, 2006
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