Behavior therapy: how it can help your depression
For those who have suffered from depression know how serious it can be. Depression is defined as a state of low moods and an abnormally high aversion to activity. It can cause debilitating feelings of sadness, helplessness and hopelessness. It is often considered a defense mechanism, used by people who are feeling depressed, against common triggers of stress such as a loss of job, divorce, or death in the family. Depression may, in these cases, be used as an adaptive response defending against the potential hurt and damage caused by these events. The withdrawal of an individual from society, and the anger direct inward associated with the damaging events are typical symptoms of depression.
There are many reasons to try your best to cure depression. It can cause a significant rift between relationships, quality of life, and production as a member of society. Methods of depression treatment range from medical approaches to musical therapy.
One of the most effective treatments for depression is psychotherapy, or more specifically, behavior therapy. Behavior therapy is defined as a type of psychotherapy that is typically used to treat forms of psychopathology such as depression, anxiety, and phobias. Hopefully, understanding behavior therapy will help you understand how it can help you overcome your depression.
Stemming from the overarching beliefs of the school of behaviorism, behavior therapy focuses on the different psychological matters that can be studied empirically through the observing of outward behavior. It is important to understand that the distinction between behavior therapy and other forms of psychotherapy is that behavior therapy focuses not on the internal mental state of a client, but the outward behavior that affects their life.
Behavior therapy bases its theories around the principles of behaviorism, developed by Ivan Pavlov and B.F. Skinner. Included in these principles are the principles of classical conditioning and operant conditioning, both of which focus on the conditioning of the mental state and, therefore, behaviors. They focus on the idea of rewarding or punishing for good or bad behavior, respectively.
So how can behavior therapy help you overcome your depression? Which techniques are used? The rest of this article lists typical techniques used by behavior therapy to treat depression:
- Decreasing and/or managing the avoiding of events that may contain a damaging stimulus.
- Increasing levels of behavioral productivity through different social and pleasurable activities
- The teaching of relaxation techniques including mental imagery and stress management techniques through positive coping images.
- Developing healthy patterns of self-reinforcement
- Developing cognitive skills to modify self-statements and improving cognitive self-control, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
- Training assertiveness, communication skills, and the use of role play to develop social skills and interpersonal effectiveness.
- Self-monitoring and evaluation of mood and activity levels
Behavior therapy has proven itself to be an effective treatment for depression. If used in conjunction with other forms of psychotherapy such as cognitive therapy, it can quickly reduce levels of depression, allowing you to live your life to the fullest potential.
Will Lee
The Have I Got A Problem website is a free online resource to help people better understand any issues or concerns they may have about mental health or addiction. The website includes resources specifically focused to; general Mental Health, Depression, Stress, Anxiety, Insecurities, Self-harm Schizophrenia, Bipolar, Anger Management, Eating Disorders, Coping, general Addiction, Alcohol, Smoking, Gambling, Drugs, Cocaine, Heroin, Marijuana (Cannabis) Ecstasy, PCP, Mephedrone, Ketamine & Crystal Meth.
The site was created to give the public information to help them understand mental health and addiction issues and to assist people in making better informed decisions about their life and personal choices.
www.haveigotaproblem.com was created and is run by 'Advising Communities’, which is a UK registered charity (Charity No. 1061055)
Downloads
Quotes
"I started playing rugby and the combination of exercise and feeling like I was part of a team really helped."
Phil
MoreSend us your QuotesTips & Hints
Getting support from people
Together we are stronger. Receiving the support you need is crucial to lifting you from the fog of depression and keeping it at bay. Ma...MoreHealthy food, healthy mind
You are what you eat! What you eat has a direct impact on the way you feel. Aim for a balanced diet of protein, complex carbohydrates, ...MoreDoing exercise
Exercise is a powerful tool for dealing with depression. It may be the last think you feel like doing when you’re depressed. But, stu...MoreSleep tight
A good nights sleep is essential for any improvement in well-being. Aim for 8 hours of sleep if possible. Depression typically involves...MorePositive Thinking
Those with a more positive outlook tend to deal more easily with daily challenges, even minor ones such as not being able to find a par...More More Tips & Hints
