Depression can feel like a heavy weight. This mood disorder can inhibit the way you live, preventing you from forming relationships, working, or even engaging in hobbies.
Depression can affect anyone, and it is a common mental issue.
It’s also a treatable issue, with various therapy options offering a chance to cope with, and eventually leave behind, symptoms of depression.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at some of the most popular treatment plans, and how therapy helps in the treatment of depression.
What Types Of Therapy Are Used To Treat Depression?
Various therapies are used in the treatment of depression, but two of the most popular options with scientific backing are Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal Therapy (IPT).
Another popular method is psychodynamic therapy.
Let’s take a closer look at what these terms mean.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Cognitive behavior therapy is a short-term, goal-orientated approach to therapy.
Many therapists consider CBT the first treatment to explore when treating depression, because it’s frequently effective, and can reduce the risk of relapse.
The patient learns to identify disordered thinking that exacerbates depression symptoms, before challenging these thought patterns. The skills learned during CBT can prevent relapses, as the patient learns to confront old conceptions.
There’s a practical side to CBT, and patients are often asked to keep journals and practice techniques outside of sessions.
CBT is most effective in those with mild to moderate depression.
Interpersonal Therapy
Interpersonal therapy puts the focus on relationships. Patients are encouraged to reflect on how they interact with others. Interpersonal conflict and a lack of social support can be a cause of depression.
IPT is a short-term treatment that has been shown to be effective.
With IPT, the patient learns to understand their relationships, and the positive or negative effect these interactions can have. Patients learn new methods of communicating, and how to build better support systems.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy is a long-term approach to treating depression.
During psychodynamic therapy, the focus is turned inward. The patient is encouraged to reflect on their personal history, and consider the deeper issues that might be impacting depression.
These behaviors and patterns are often subconscious, and it can take a lot of work to break through the barriers and access these deeper issues. Often, psychodynamic therapy returns to childhood as a source of depression.
Psychodynamic therapy is seen as the more traditional route, and is often used for severe cases of depression.
As well as past traumas, psychodynamic therapy focuses on immediate problems, and coping with behaviors and thoughts that might be impacting the patient’s life.
How Does Therapy Help In The Treatment Of Depression?
Depression can happen to anyone, and it presents itself in many ways.
It can affect mood and behavior, and can harm physical wellbeing.
There is no single treatment for depression, but therapists will typically take a similar approach when dealing with the mood disorder.
Exploring Feelings
The thoughts and feelings associated with depression can be overwhelming, and when you aren’t seeking treatment, you might try and push them to one side and ignore them.
In therapy, you’re given a safe space to explore these feelings, and bring them to light.
This can seem intimidating at first, but shining a light on these emotions is often the best way to deal with them. Instead of feeling bad, and feeling guilty for feeling bad, in therapy, you’re offered a space to actually assess these feelings.
Identifying Disordered Thought Processes
When struggling with depression, it’s easy to fall into negative thought and behavior patterns. Once you’re in this cycle, it’s hard to see that these thought processes are problematic.
When trapped in a negative thought pattern, you can be made to feel helpless.
Working with a therapist can help you find the disordered thought processes that are often causing and exacerbating depression.
Having identified disordered thought processes, you begin to create new, healthier patterns.
Setting Goals For The Future
Depression can prevent us from living and enjoying our lives the way we want to. nMany people feel held back by their depression, but can’t see how to make a change.
Therapy encourages realistic goal setting. The client and therapist work together to make these goals a reality.
Setting goals is about more than just planning for the future. By setting goals, you begin to think clearly about what is holding you back.
And when you have a goal to work toward, you can feel motivated to practice the coping methods you’ve developed.
Developing Coping Skills
Treatment for depression helps you to develop coping skills to tackle negative thought patterns and actions.
These coping skills will work directly with your goal setting.
As you advance through therapy, you’ll work towards your goals, turning to your new coping skills when things get hard.
Encouraging Lifestyle Changes
Our lifestyle has a big effect on our mood, and seemingly innocuous habits can increase feelings of depression. A therapist will encourage you to reflect on your lifestyle, and find behaviors that might be contributing to your depression.
Having identified negative habits, a therapist can help you build new ones.
This might be changing your diet, exercising daily, or even making time to see the sun.
Medication
Therapy is typically the first choice for treating depression, with medication considered when therapy alone isn’t effective.
For severe cases of depression, medication and therapy will often be provided together.
By working with a therapist, you can learn more about medication options for depression, and whether this is the right treatment course.
Final Thoughts
Therapy, sometimes used in conjunction with medication, has been shown to be an effective treatment for depression.
But there is no single way that therapy works to treat depression. Instead, it’s important to find a method that works for you
Therapy helps people identify problems and find solutions, allowing them to live life without the overwhelming weight of depression.
