Posted by Adam on September 20, 1999, at 14:05:12
In reply to Re: Books to heal by ..., posted by Elizabeth on September 19, 1999, at 6:36:48
> To each his own.
True. But does major depression respond better, to, say, Freudian or Jungian psychoanalysis?
CBT for major depression without other modalities of treatment (esp. antidepressant medications)
might not be expected to always work well, and the authors of both books embrace an integrative
approach. I would say that a therapist who blames a patient for not working hard enough in the
case where therapy fails is a poor excuse for a therapist. However, a good therapist might point
out (and rightly so), that if a patient did not do the exercises routinely presecribed in CBT,
they certainly couldn't expect to see any benefit. If a patient is doing their homework and not
seeing any results, then it's time to shift gears or try a different approach.There is a lot of reputable literature out there, though, that claims CBT is very effective for major depression.
The references are not hard to find. Of course, all scientific papers must be viewed with reasonable skepticism.
I find the claims that CBT works as well as drugs in many instances, and works rapidly to be very encouraging.
compared to other forms of psychotherapy to be encouraging.It was especially for refractory patients that "Lifetrap Therapy" was developed. The authors don't make lofty
claims about the miraculous power of their treatment (like Burns is wont to do), and they make it amply clear
that change can be slow and hard. That has been my experience, but it can and does happen. The authors put forth
a theory of depression that I think is very realistic: there are many etiological factors, some you're born with,
and some that were learned. Biology might be predisposing (PTSD, for instance, strikes some and not others-few would
argue, in any case, that the PTSD sufferer would have been just as bad off in the absense of horrific experiences),
but it needn't be the sole cause. Learned behaviors that are repetitious and self-destructive (and contribute greatly
to state of being depressed), can be unlearned. In the process of retraining, the patient can experience real
growth and healing. I think this is immensely important, and gives the patient something that will outlast the
effect of any drug.
poster:Adam
thread:11573
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990914/msgs/11825.html