trachemys

Depression: A change of mind : Nature News & Comment

biminiblue

That's what I'm saying.

That amygdala is a problem child. Meditation and CBT work far better for me than pharmaceuticals - and no side effects

Nonsensical

I have used CBT, and I found it helpful.

awuh1

The person with depression repeatedly tells themselves things like "I'm a worthless piece of $hit" or "my life sucks" or any of a host of other negative statements. They constantly subject themselves to "I can't do it, I can't change it" sorts of statements. If this becomes a pattern in a persons thinking, they develop a form of "learned helplessness" (a la Seligmans classic 1967 experiment). 'Learned' helplessness is essentially depression. The negative thinking eventually alters brain chemistry, and leads to more "can't change, can't do" thinking which leads to more bad brain chemistry... etc.

CBT works on depression by directly altering how people think. This is how it breaks the vicious cycle. It helps stop this "can't do it, can't change it" thinking, which frees up a person to take positive steps to better their life. This in turn reinforces the more positive thinking, which improves the brain chemistry, etc.

Antidepressant medications are just a different point of intervention in this vicious cycle. They change the chemistry, which then helps change the helpless thinking etc.

The article make it seem like this is all so difficult to understand. It's really not. At least, this is one way of understanding it.

Speaking of learned helplessness, here's an example of someone who must face it daily. I saw this the other day. It might help. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPV3D7f3bHY

freshstart57

These same CBT techniques and NLP ideas are very powerful tools in treating addiction too. Learned helplessness and hopelessness are classic clinical aspects of addiction and are directly amenable to CBT and NLP. In fact, they are the primary evidence based treatments for addiction. If you point your googler at 'cbt addiction', you find over 15 million references!

Changing our thinking patterns can be empowering, and can most definitely lead to changing behaviour patterns. We most certainly can think our way out of the morass. That first realization that we actually can quit drinking is a lightning bolt - the curtains of learned powerlessness fall away, and our true potential is there in front of us.

Hawks

Essentially the program of AA is CBT.

List up old behaviours and learn to get rid of them by taking opposite actions.

Practice these principles in all our affairs

Love
Tolerance
Patience
Kindness
Honesty

Quite the opposite of what most of us practice as problem drinkers.

trachemys

Neuro-linguistic programming. A fascinating subject. Can the right words literally change your mind?

freshstart57

Hawks, your statement is not generally accepted as true, but any discussion on this needs to happen in another forum. If you would like to discuss, please repeat that statement in a more appropriate context.

I'd hate to see a great thread closed because forum rules were broken here.

freshstart57

Absolutely, trachemys. Consider the two statements: 'I can't drink any more', and, 'I choose not to drink anymore'. The first statement is limiting and defeatist because it is invariably followed by 'But I wanna!'. The second one, however, is empowering, and leads to identification with success.