Posted by Lindenblüte on September 25, 2006, at 19:42:31
In reply to Re: How well does CBT work for depression, posted by alexandra_k on September 25, 2006, at 10:03:44
> sometimes when depression lifts people find they have other problems...
For me, therapy was helpful in my depression. I didn't do very much, if any, CBT. By the time I went to see the therapist, I was losing weight because I had lost the pleasure of eating, and I had no sense of wanting to do anything. Just lifting a pencil to write down my appt. time was a struggle. No memory skills, no attention, very foggy brain. Trouble speaking and understanding speech. Lots of thoughts of dying and suicide. (I was not such a good candidate for CBT).
I started therapy a month before I started medication. Both helped. As the medications were starting to kick in, T helped me realize that my life was not falling apart around me, as I feared. T helped me realize that I had a lot of distorted thoughts. Helped me recognize the voice of "The Big D" and learn to ignore its powerful cry.
And generally listened to me and provided support so that I wouldn't feel lonely, paranoid and deserted in my misery.
As the depression lifted, T helped me get my life more organized, helped me figure out what my priorities were, and what I was doing to hinder my own goals. Helped me realize that there were a few essential conflicts in my life, all clouded in this fog of paralysing anxiety. I started asking myself questions about why I had these conflicts, and trying to put the pieces together about when they started and what they mean, and how they influence my behavior today.
Just like Alex_k says, above, sometimes new problems come up when the depression lifts.
For some of us, depression is just an extreme form of coping mechanism- a shut down of the system for times when anxiety gets out of hand and we are truly backed into a corner with no escape.
Well, what is going on in my life that is so extreme that I feel backed into a corner? How can I avoid this in the future? Therapy helps me realize where my reason ends and my craziness begins!
-Li
poster:Lindenblüte
thread:688984
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20060911/msgs/689185.html