Does CBT Work For Depression

CBT or also known as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, is a very common kind of talking therapy. The therapy is a significant one in treating depression. For a lot of us, talking is a much effective therapy than any other medication to treat stress, anxiety and depression. In some cases, CBT is commonly practiced along with other drugs and antidepressants, as both together can be very effective.

The central idea behind CBT is rather a grass root idea; that if you can alter the way you think, you can alter the way you feel. However, we must note that anxiety and depression are beyond that and if altering the way we think was indeed an easy task, we probably won’t hear the n-number of depression and psychological cases. CBT certainly cannot “cure” any negativity or anxiety. Rather, it can help eliminate the fatigue. It can also help slow down the accelerating negative thoughts that is heading to consume your headspace.

How does CBT work?

One of the most proven form of talk therapy, CBT is also referred to as psychotherapy. You and your therapist typically agree on patterns of behaviour that needs a change. The end goal is to calibrate your brain, specifically that one part, that hinders the positive thought from entering. Researchers in the field have also made observation that these people who are down with negative thinking, do not lack the positive thoughts. They just do not allow themselves to feel the positive thoughts in them.

Remember that CBT is a stress buster for a lot many. A therapist therefore hogs on to your thoughts, identifies them as positive or negative and tries to substitute those with more healthier ones. This may seem like replacing an old bulb with a new one. However, that is exactly what takes place, except that, in the case of bulb, here it is thoughts. Thoughts need your awareness. In CBT, the therapist makes you realize or makes you aware of your feelings; that your life will not be as horrible as you have in your head. CBT sheds awareness on your own thoughts. It urges you to change your attitude, and therefore your associated behaviour. All of this takes place through talking and you will not realize the change you are inducing in yourself. The entire process is time taking and you may need months to realize or see the change in you.

 So the general question is ‘why do people who have depression think in a negative way?’. The negative voice that tells you ‘there is no point of life’, is the defensive pessimism. This mechanism is only a shield against your hopes getting dashed. You are simply trying to protect yourselves from a potential disappointment and thus dampen your positive thoughts.

Techniques to tackle Negative thinking using CBT

Remember that CBT takes time and therefore allow it a good one to one and a half month to see the change. Talking to a therapist will be helpful to tame your negativity. Here is a look into some of the common CBT techniques your therapist may try with you.

1. Identifying the problem: Roots of depression is effectively understood when you write them down. Talking to friends or people who you are comfortable with, can also help. One of the characteristic feature of depression is the idea of hopelessness- that things can never get better with you. Therefore, journaling the exact cause of worry and penning it down exactly the same way, can help you in improving your state of mind. Together with this, you can also list down the solutions to what you think can improve your situation.
2. Visualize the best side of your day: The best way to lighten the situation is to write down the best part of your day. Think about those things which you are thankful for. You can also think of recording your thoughts and sharing it on a platform. This way, you will be pumped up and motivated to keep the thoughts going. Recall that CBT is all about replacing your negative thoughts with positive ones. These small steps are significant factors that can determine your end goal.
3. Find your opportunities: As soon as you enter a hotel, try not to complain about the ambience. Rather, try to think five reasons why you like that hotel. Find your own ways to direct your thoughts positively oriented. You can also set an alarm every four or five hours to reframe the positive thoughts better. Find someone who would be excited to hear you out.

4. Journal self-statements to tackle negativity: Once you know what is causing the worry, try to jot down the negative thoughts that dampen your positivity. Immediately write down a self-written statement to tackle the negative thought and remember to recall them whenever the little voice in your head pops up to say ‘your life will not improve’. Try to substitute your inner voice with statements like ‘life has ups and downs and this too shall pass’. It is absolutely okay even if you feel you are trying hard to keep yourself healthy.

Taming your thoughts may definitely not be an easy task at first. You will notice that you are putting in a lot of effort into the whole process. But, perseverance is the key. Thinking from within that your situation should improve is a good way to begin. Try not to give up and do the little things to keep you going. Once you have partially counteracted 40% of your negative thoughts, continuing the process of inducing positivity, may not seem like an ordeal. Set a goal and push yourself to get there. While we agree that this comes with a lot of effort and you may not be motivated because you do not see immediate results, we firmly believe that self-love and accepting that is okay is the first step to get there. Once this falls in place, the rest will follow and fall in place.