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High emotional arousal inhibits the higher cortex, the rational part of the brain, and blocks rational thought. To the emotional brain, everything is either black or white, good or bad, right or wrong, safe or dangerous. This is because high arousal locks us into a trance state, a confined viewpoint. It is only the higher cortex that can inject the shades of grey and see the bigger picture.
People who are not habitual black and white thinkers can snap out of this emotional trance state fairly quickly. But those who have a tendency towards endlessly analysing the negative aspects of their lives, catastrophising every little setback and conjuring up more, are more likely to stay locked in their depressive trance. With a clearer picture of what depression is and what causes it, we can set about lifting it more rapidly.
The main task in any counselling for depression , which is very commonly accompanied by anxiety , is to lower emotional arousal and help patients stop their negative introspection as quickly as possible. This can be done by drawing on the human givens in realistic, practical ways. We routinely find that, using a variety of appropriate approaches that are attuned to the human givens, we can make, in one session, much faster progress, even with severe depression, than if we slavishly follow one particular model of therapy.
The approach has been demonstrated publicly and filmed for training purposes many times also see "I went away with so many ideas". Therapists working from the human givens will integrate behavioural, cognitive and interpersonal approaches with relaxation and visualisation techniques, to motivate people to widen their life view, raise their self esteem and solve problems.
We can work alongside patients giving practical guidance for breaking problems down into manageable chunks focusing outwards on resolution rather than inwards on nonproductive worrying. We can use humour to jerk them out of their black and white thinking; we can reframe their negative comments in a novel, positive way; we can inform, set tasks, get patients to exercise, engage again in fun activities or involve themselves in helping others again, to direct their attention outwards , rouse their curiosity, and so on.
Above all, we use their imagination in guided imagery to help them vividly see themselves making the changes they need to make in order to overcome their difficulties. This works on the time honoured principle that the human brain tries to bring about what it focuses on. Only then can we be sure of getting commitment from a patient to take the action they need to take to bring themselves out of their exhausted state. Spread the word — each issue of the Journal is jam-packed with thought-provoking articles, interviews, case histories, news, research findings, book reviews and more.
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That's why it's important to break down the stigma around mental illness and to reinforce the fact that depression and other mental illnesses aren't the result of a lack of willpower. In fact, the opposite is true, as living with and recovering from depression takes a lot of personal strength. This can help if: Depression is more than feeling sad. Depression can affect anyone, at any time. Getting help can be really hard. There are many options to treat depression.
Depression is not a sign of weakness. What can I do now?
Read more about depression. Find out about treatments. Try some self-help strategies. I feel my thoughts start to race ahead to the worst-case scenario, and a panicked feeling grows in my chest.
This is a critical moment for me. This is a moment when I do have a choice. I have to stop and take a very deep breath.
And then 10 more. I talk to myself, sometimes out loud, and tap into my own strength and past experience. The conversation goes something like this: You are a survivor.
Remember how much you have learned. Whatever happens next, know that you can handle it. I have found it necessary to understand what my thoughts and behaviors are like when I start to spiral downward.
This helps me catch myself before I hit the bottom. My first red flag is catastrophic thinking: Everyone else has it easier than me. I will never get over this. Once I start thinking or saying things like this, I know that my depression is flaring up. Another clue is if my energy is low for several days and I find it hard to complete daily tasks, like cleaning, showering, or cooking dinner.
When I notice these warning signs, I try to pause and reflect on what might be triggering the thoughts or behaviors. I talk to someone, like my family or my therapist. For me, avoiding or denying them only makes depression worse further on down the line. It felt more like a personal defect that I needed to try to get over.
Looking back, I can see that this perspective made the symptoms of my depression feel even more overwhelming. Sadness, guilt, and isolation loomed large, and my panicked reaction magnified their effects. Through a lot of reading and conversation, I have come to accept that depression is, in fact, an illness.
And for me, one that needs to be treated with both medication and therapy. Shifting my perspective has helped me to react with less fear when my symptoms present themselves. They make more sense within the context of depression as a legitimate medical condition. I still feel sad, afraid, and lonely, but I am able to recognize those feelings as connected to my illness and as symptoms that I can respond to with self-care. One of the hardest features of depression is that it makes you think it will never end. Which is what makes the onset so scary. A difficult piece of my work in therapy has been accepting that I have a mental illness and building my ability to tolerate it when it flares up.