How Cognitive Therapy Can Help Treat Depression In Adults
People with depression often look for evidence that confirms their negative perceptions of themselves. These perceptions are often learned earlier in life from their family members, friends and school. People may develop beliefs such as the environment is dysfunctional or unsafe or receiving criticism means one is not worthy of love. Those beliefs can be triggered when encountering a stressful situation. Cognitive therapy seeks to identify and alter negative schemas that have undue influence in how one feels and behaves in a situation.
What Can I Do If I Have Depression
If you have symptoms of depression, see your healthcare provider. They can give you an accurate diagnosis, refer you to a specialist or suggest treatment options.
If you or someone you know is thinking of hurting themselves or taking their own life:
- Go to the emergency department of your hospital.
- Contact a healthcare provider.
- Speak to a trusted friend, family member or spiritual leader.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Depression is a common condition that affects millions of Americans every year. Anyone can experience depression even if there doesnt seem to be a reason for it. Causes of depression include difficulties in life, brain chemistry abnormalities, some medications and physical conditions. The good news is that depression is treatable. If you have symptoms of depression, talk to your healthcare provider. The sooner you get help, the sooner you can feel better
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 12/31/2020.
References
What Are The Treatments For Depression
Page last updated: June 2005
Whatever the severity of a person’s depression, treatment should include learning new skills like problem solving and changes to lifestyle, like cutting down on stress, increasing exercise and physical fitness and not using alcohol or other drugs.If the depression is moderate to severe, then two main treatments can be considered, antidepressant medication and psychological therapy.
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What’s The Best Way To Help Someone Who Has Depression
The very best way to help someone who is depressed is to get them to a therapist for treatment. There are many other ways to help. One is to silently pitch in on the chores of daily living that usually seem overwhelming to someone with depression.
Because depression can be thought of as behavioral shutdown, behavioral activation is important, even though the disorder destroys motivation. To support regular activity, better than reminding someone to get exercise is handing them a jacket and taking them out for a walk the exercise, the sunlight, and the companionship all have antidepressant effects. So does the change of scenery. Establishing routines such as a regular sleep time is helpful. Also important is maintaining regular social contact with someone who is depressed.
What To Expect In Ipt Therapy Sessions
IPT treatment is normally provided in 12-16 individual therapy sessions, which may occur in an office, facility, or online via telehealth. Because IPT therapists believe that depression is linked to specific life events and relationships, these often become the main focus of treatment .
In an IPT session, a therapist may help a depressed client by:1,5
- Conducting a review or evaluation of current stressors, relationships, and their support system
- Assessing barriers to solving problems, processing difficult emotions, or improving communication skills
- Helping the client learn interpersonal skills that equip them to better communicate, connect, and solve problems in their lives and relationships
- Acting as a coach, cheerleader, and support person while the client works to make active changes in their life and relationships
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When Are Other Medicines Used
Your doctor may also put you on other medications, such as stimulants and anti-anxiety drugs. Thatâs especially likely if you have another mental or physical condition. But anti-anxiety medications or stimulants donât treat depression by themselves.
Combining antidepressants with other meds, such as those used to treat schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, can also help.
Do Psychedelics Help Depression
Given the large percentage of people for whom standard antidepressants do not workmore than 50 percent, in some studiesthere is renewed scientific interest in psychedelic agents as treatments for depression, especially depression accompanied by suicide ideation. Ongoing clinical trials show that in carefully monitored settings, the substances, which broaden and deepen consciousness, can dramatically boost the effectiveness of psychotherapy for major depression, facilitating self-awareness and speeding behavior change. Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy actually seems to motivate people to change, and brain imaging studies of treated patients show durable changes in brain connectivity patterns.
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When Should I Contact My Healthcare Provider
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience thoughts about suicide, hurting yourself, or hurting others. Remember, you should always follow your healthcare providers instructions. Never stop taking your medications or start an alternative therapy without approval and supervision.
How Cbt Can Help Treat Depression In Adults
CBT can teach people how to differentiate between their thoughts and feelings and regulate their feelings by questioning their assumptions and beliefs. This is done through identifying and labeling the types of negative thinking patterns described in sessions and in the various exercises the individual completes . CBT might also address behavior patterns that contribute to withdrawal and lack of enjoyment with strategies such as helping people identify activities they have enjoyed in the past and planning to engage in them regularly.
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Tips For Depression Treatment
- Learn as much as you can for depression treatment. This way, you can understand your illness better. You can also feel less stressed about the treatment process. If you ever need to talk to someone in confidence, dont be afraid to call a suicide hotline number such as 800-SUICIDE or 800-273-TALK. Remember that people who care will always listen and not judge you for speaking up.
- It takes time to find the right treatment. If you need help, make sure to speak up and dont wait. Reach out for support from your doctor or therapist. You can also find a friend who will listen when you call the suicide hotline number. Keeping yourself busy with fun activities is always helpful in treating depression symptoms such as taking a yoga class or going on a hike.
- Do not rely on medication. Doctors recommend that you try alternative treatments such as supplements, going to a yoga class or meditation group once a week, and breathing deeply every day.
- Get social support. If you can, find a friend who will listen when you call the suicide hotline number. Do not wait to ask for help with depression treatment if needed! Reach out now and dont be afraid of speaking up. You are never alone through this journey so stay strong!
- Treatment takes commitment. Remember that it takes time to find the right treatment. It is always helpful if you practice meditation, take medicine every day, and reach out for support from your doctor or therapist.
What Is The Prognosis For People Who Use Alternative Therapies For Depression
Scientists have yet to agree about the effectiveness of the alternative therapies listed here. It is difficult to predict a prognosis. Part of the journey of using alternative therapies is that you will have to do some experimentation to figure out what works and what doesnt work for you. Some people who have used alternative therapies have had success, and others havent. Stay in contact with your healthcare provider while you use these therapies.
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What Does Psychotherapy Do
Drugs can relieve the symptoms of depression, but they do not cure depression. Major depression is caused by a number of factors, including ways of responding to stress and reacting to negative experiences and thoughts. Psychotherapy is aimed at the roots of depression, the ways people process their thoughts and feelings. Psychotherapy helps people understand the beliefs, feelings, and thoughts that contribute to their depression. It helps people identify the problems that trigger their depression or contribute to its continuation.
Therapy directs people to reestablishing sources of pleasure in life and helps them regain a sense of control. And it helps people develop effective coping strategies, important not only in relieving a current episode of depression but in preventing future ones. In cognitive behavioral therapy , the therapist actively helps patients identify and challenge negative thought patterns that contribute to their depressed mood.
The therapist also helps patients dissect what happens to them when they begin to feel emotionally overwhelmed by external events or their own thoughts, and jointly explores strategiesfrom meditation to reframing their thoughtsthat help in such situations. Studies show that the benefits of CBT can be seen in 12 to 16 weeks of weekly sessions in a therapists office. CBT is especially good at preventing relapse of depression.
When Is Therapy Used In Conjunction With Medication
Because psychotherapy can take many weeks to months to have an effect, psychotherapy is frequently prescribed along with medication for people needing relief from severe depression, although less than a third of patients respond to the first drug theyre given. A new crop of medications for depressionall related to psychedelic drugsappears to open new neural pathways to recovery and is proving especially powerful when used in conjunction with intensive psychotherapy. One such drug, ketamine, is fast-acting and has been shown to reduce suicidal ideation administered intravenously, it is increasingly used for suicidal patients.
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Breakthrough Treatments Work In Novel Ways
Researchers continue to make progress in developing new kinds of antidepressant treatments, such as psychedelic-assisted treatments.
In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration approved two first-of-their-kind medications:
- Spravato , a nasal spray, may help people who arent responding to other antidepressants. It is derived from ketamine, a widely used anesthetic , and it is only administered at certified treatment centers because of the possibility of abuse and addiction. While traditional antidepressants can take weeks to take effect, esketamine acts quickly, usually within hours.
- Zulresso , a hormone thought to be associated with postpartum depression, is the first medication specifically approved for new mothers with postpartum depression. Its administered as an intravenous infusion in a healthcare setting for two and a half days continuously, and it usually works within a few days. It is chemically similar to a hormone thought to be associated with postpartum depression.
Some mental health providers offer ketamine-assisted psychotherapy in which ketamine treatment is administered in conjunction with a psychotherapy session says Sarah Norring, PhD, director and program manager at PsyBio Therapeutics in Coconut Creek, Florida.
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy can be beneficial for treatment-resistant depression and acute or severe suicidal thoughts or behaviors, she adds.
Psychotherapy Focuses On Thoughts And Behaviors
Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is designed to help people identify and effectively deal with the psychological, behavioral, interpersonal, and situational aspects of their depression.
Each type of psychotherapy has different goals. According to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, these goals include helping people in these ways:
- Adjust to a crisis or other current situational difficulty.
- Identify negative or distorted beliefs and behaviors, and replace them with positive, healthy ones. Or create a list of more realistic beliefs to balance out the distorted ones when they occur.
- Identify life problems that contribute to depression and change behaviors that worsen it.
- Address relationships and experiences to improve interactions with other people.
- Develop skills to better cope with stress and solve problems.
- Identify issues in life that feed into depression and learn how to avoid behaviors that make these problems worse.
- Regain a sense of control and satisfaction in life to counter symptoms of depression such as anger and hopelessness.
- Learn how to set realistic life goals.
- Develop healthier behaviors that enhance the ability to tolerate and accept stress.
There are four common types of psychotherapy used to treat depression:
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Address Early Signs Of Relapse
Many patients with depression experience relapse. Accordingly, patients as well as their families if appropriate may be educated about the risk of relapse. They can be educated to identify early signs and symptoms of new episodes. Patients can also be asked to seek adequate treatment as early in the course of a new episode as possible to decrease the likelihood of a full-blown relapse or complication.
What Is Psychotherapy’s Role
Itâs also called talk therapy. You meet with a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, or other trained mental health professional. You will learn new ways to handle the challenges and mindset that depression can bring on.
If your depression is mild to moderate, psychotherapy may work as well as an antidepressant.
You can get talk therapy on your own, with your family, or in a group. Your doctor will help you find the best type for you.
Exercise is another good treatment for mild depression. In one review of studies on the topic, experts concluded that it works as well as drugs or psychotherapy in easing depression symptoms and keeping them at bay.
Different âdosesâ of exercise may work for different people. You may want to start working out for 45-60 minutes, 3-5 times a week. If that sounds like too much, remember that some is better than none. And you may still need medicine or psychotherapy to feel better.
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Finding The Best Depression Treatment For Yourself
If you have a friend or family member with depression, take them to their therapist. It is important that people understand how serious this illness is and it takes time to find the right treatment.
Dont wait to tell someone if you feel like you need help. Some people might be scared or worried that they will not get the help they need. If you have a mental illness, speak up with a therapist who will listen to what you have to say. There are also other things that can help ones mental health such as supplements, exercise, going to yoga once a week, and taking deep breaths every day.
It is important to get social support. People who have depression may need time, commitment, and strong willpower. It can take time to find the right treatment for yourself or someone you love with depression. But dont wait! Reach out now if needed! Be brave through this journey but dont rely on medication alone because there may be alternative treatments such as yoga classes, supplements, exercise daily, meditation groups once a week. Get social support from family members/friends along the way if possible.
This illness does not control you. It is important to take time when looking for the right treatment for yourself or someone with depression. Remember that alternative treatments are also helpful! You can try yoga, therapy, meditation groups once a week, and supplements daily. Sometimes its good to have social support from family members or friends.
How To Find Treatment Near You
The first step in getting treatment for depression is making an appointment with your general practitioner. They can recommend doctors in your area.
If youre religious, ask your religious leader if they have counselors to recommend. Some people prefer faith-based counseling, which incorporates their religion into a treatment plan.
You can also check healthcare databases for therapists, psychiatrists, and counselors. These databases can provide you with information such as certifications, accepted insurance providers, and reviews left by other people. You can start with these databases:
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Psychological Treatments For Depression
Psychological treatments have been found to be an effective way to treat depression. They can help you change your thinking patterns and improve your coping skills so you’re better equipped to deal with life’s stresses and conflicts.
As well as supporting your recovery, psychological therapies can help you stay well by identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviour.
There are several different types of psychological treatments including:
- cognitive behaviour therapy
- behaviour therapy
- mindfulness-based cognitive therapy .
CBT is one of the most commonly used psychological therapies. It helps people with depression to monitor and change negative patterns of thinking and improve their coping skills so they are better equipped to deal with lifes stresses and conflicts.
How Is Progress Evaluated In Therapy
While unstructured interactions with patients under their care can provide a window into patient functioning, therapists providing good care make regular assessments of a patients clinical status using criteria that have been validated in many studies. To know whether and how much depression is improving, they regularly monitor treatment progress by measuring the severity of multiple symptoms of depression on standardized scales. The most widely used assessment instrument is the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, or Ham-D, which gauges progress in 21 constellations of symptoms, from level of sadness to degree of guilty feelings to lack of energy to sleep problems. Severity is rated for each cluster of symptoms. Comparison of results over several sessions provides an accurate picture of treatment effectiveness and indicates areas where more intensive work may be needed.
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How Mbct Can Help Treat Depression In Adults
Several theories suggest how depression develops and recurs in adults. People with depression often hold rigidly negative views of themselves, the larger world , and their futures. They may also form comparisons about how things should be, versus how things are. People are also likely to confirm their negative perceptions by focusing on negative aspects instead of viewing events from a more positive perspective. Mindfulness training teaches people how to pay attention to and refocus their thoughts despite the inevitable ways their minds will wander. Through practice, people can develop the ability to alter thoughts, keep themselves in the present moment, and not become stuck in negative thoughts.