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CBT & Depression: Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a psychotherapy technique that is used to teach people how to challenge and change their thinking, as well as their behaviors as a result of their thinking, to improve their overall wellbeing.
This type of therapy is used to treat a variety of ailments and problems including substance abuse, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and depression.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy & Depression
While this therapy technique has been used with people with a variety of mental health problems, at Banyan Mental Health, we also use this therapy program in our depression treatment program in South Florida.
Many people with depression are stuck in a pattern of negative thinking. They may have negative thoughts about their appearance, their abilities, or their life in general that can lead to poor self-worth. These negative thoughts can perpetuate feelings of hopelessness and also lead to behaviors that can make depression worse. Instead of going out and socializing with others, negative thoughts like “no one likes me” might lead a person with depression to stay inside. This type of behavior and negative thinking can create a cycle that is hard to break and makes depression worse.
Cognitive behavioral therapy activities for depression can help people examine these negative thoughts and learn to recognize their toxic, harmful, and unproductive manner. Over time, people in these therapy programs will discover how to break down their negative thinking into more realistic and useful thoughts. Eventually, with regular practice, CBT for depression alters behaviors in helpful ways and leads to more positive thinking that can decrease symptoms.
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How Effective Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression?
Because mental health is not as easily measured as physical ailments, determining the effectiveness of mental health therapy programs can sometimes be more challenging.
Research on using cognitive behavioral therapy for depression is promising. When implemented correctly, it suggests that this technique can be as effective as the use of antidepressants for people with severe cases of depression. It can also help reduce relapse depression symptoms to the point that the relapse rate is comparable to patients staying on these medications.1 Because medications can have long-term side effects as well as the fact that many people want to avoid these medications to begin with, cognitive behavioral therapy for depression could be a better long-term solution for people struggling with this mental health disorder.
If you or a loved one is battling a mental illness like depression, it is time to get help.
At Banyan Mental Health, we use a series of evidence-based practices, therapies, and programs as well as medication when necessary to give our patients their best chance of finding lasting relief from their symptoms. To learn more, call 888-280-4763.
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