Published 2nd September, 2023, Anxiety, Depression and CBT

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Anxiety & Depression, What is it? 

And how can you treat it?

Something we seem to be dealing with more and more is Anxiety and Depression; more and more people are suffering from these two things topics. They can be hard to cope with, especially without any professional help. In this blog post, we will talk mainly about depression but also touch on anxiety. I will do a full anxiety blog post soon so you can read it and hopefully learn some new aspects of controlling anxious thoughts and behavior. The more you know about the condition and its reasoning, the better prepared you will be to choose the right therapy approach to help yourself and the people around you.
There are many types of depression, and while the reason, severity, and trigger may vary, the result within the brain is similar for all of them. The brain imbalance, which is at the center of depression, is thought to be based on the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. This is another reason scrolling through one phone has become an addictive solution, which does more harm than good, as the individual using it will be searching for a dopamine fix, a feel-good post to make them feel better. Still, the only way to improve is to deal with the solution.
The idea is that a serotonin imbalance affects mood, while a dopamine imbalance affects motivation. Interestingly, the two imbalances make you feel miserable and unable to motivate yourself to do anything that will stimulate serotonin production; this is depression.
Genetic research indicates that vulnerability to depression results from the influence of multiple genes acting together with environmental factors. Studies of brain chemistry and mechanisms of action of antidepressant medications continue to inform the development of new and better medical and psychotherapy treatments.

In addition to the chemical imbalance in the brain, many negative emotions exist within the condition, including guilt, despair, and suicidal thoughts. Mental health and ill health is a problem that can't be seen. There are no physical symptoms, and people tend to feel guilty for being unable to escape the condition. Many people who have never suffered from depression do not understand how obstructive the condition can be, so they form opinions of the sufferer, which can exacerbate their condition.
Depression in the Western world today is vast, though. That said, medical experts are increasingly working towards treating the condition naturally with a mixture of diet, lifestyle, therapy, and Medication if needed. This will equip the client to maintain an even state of mind in the long term.
Traditional depression treatment includes medications, therapy, and sometimes electroconvulsive therapy, which I don't like. However, it might sound prominent that treatment with no medication is the best form, although Medication can be a short-term fix while you have therapy. In my eyes, any doctor giving out Medication longer than three months should be shot; it's not the answer; it's simply a plaster, so when you remove it, it will bleed again.
Treatment has advanced a lot for mental illness over the last few generations. Previously, depression was misunderstood and, in many cases, even led to damaging electric shocks and brain surgery.
Electroconvulsive therapy is different now; thankfully, it is far less invasive. It is carried out rarely and only in significant cases of depression that have not responded to traditional treatments. There are a few variations of the practice.

We will speak about medications used for people suffering from depression in later blog posts, but you can also book a call with us if you would like clarity on the subject. However, we can't subscribe; we can give you your options, but as I said earlier, a more holistic approach is better for the body long term. Let us look into some of these holistic approaches that treat a client suffering from depression.

CBT for Depression

CBT would work with depression in three stages

Stage One would tackle the depression head-on through breathing exercises, activity scheduling, and exercise to bring the depression rating in line with the normal range.
Stage Two would tackle negative thought patterns, including concentrating on self-esteem and self-criticising automatic thoughts. This is based around five sessions or as many as the client may need.
Stage Three would then be a set amount of sessions that will explore opinions formed during the first 15 years of a client's life if needed for the individual client, which should prevent relapse and make lasting changes in the client's life. Stage three could also consist of long-term coping strategies to enable ongoing recovery.
The stages discussed here would be created after the initial formulation questioning has taken place on a strategy call. However, this process will be ongoing without the therapy; the client will always be included in all aspects of the planning process. This is the nature of CBT and why it empowers the client.
Mindfulness and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
This is one of my favorite ways to help clients, as the percentage rates of success are so high, averaging around 90%! (Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy practiced in Eastern Buddhist meditation) with cognitive behavioral therapy to provide a new avenue for CBT treatment. Mindfulness and meditation have been shown to provide peace of mind, and these practices can be used regularly alongside the practical method of CBT in an individual therapy program. Therapy catered to the client's needs can help the client deal with anxiety, depression, stress, and other conditions.
An initial CBT assessment appointment is offered to identify and confirm the Takeover Strategies 15-minute free complimentary call; this will guarantee that CBT is the correct therapy for the client and ensure that the client will benefit from this course of treatment. If so, the assessment appointment can also determine the affecting factors of the presenting issue and how many CBT sessions will be needed. A treatment plan will be created with treatment goals, including the client's consent to attend each session and actively participate in all aspects of the therapy, both during and between sessions.
The amount of sessions that will be required is always based on the individual client and their needs, and a generic basis is 15 sessions: 5 exploratory and clarification, five working on thought pattern therapy, and 5 to prepare for the future and ensure the therapy process has made a lifelong change for the better. In addition, the client must be working on the CBT practices in their everyday life.
CBT Group work can be helpful for groups of clients suffering from the same problem, so it can bring awareness to some who don't know what they are suffering from. We have done this many times within a business arena, and many people step forward and realize what they need to do; it's all about educating people. But in a group setting, people can benefit a lot from sharing their worries with people who have the understanding of having the same experiences in a personal way, but this also goes for the therapist you are working with, working with a therapist that has experienced this first hand is incredibly empowering, as they know first hand what it takes to go through it.
Within the NHS, some counselors and psychologists offer CBT therapy. Also, some nurses, doctors, clinical psychologists, and occupational therapists provide CBT in specific circumstances while working in community mental health teams.
The type of client that would most benefit from CBT is a client with a specific presenting issue who is prepared to put in the effort both within sessions and in between times to learn how to deal with the problem.
CBT varies from the other therapies due to providing a structured course of treatment and structured therapy sessions, which encourage the client to be active in a plan of action for healing. It will teach the client new thinking processes that should last forever, leading the client to be their therapist.
Because it is so tough to become the master of a mind that has run wild, often for many years, CBT and mindfulness are combined to aid the individual in learning how to regain control over their thoughts and understand their mind and perception of their place in the world.
Mindfulness is a huge part of CBT because it teaches clients to recognize and monitor their emotions and thoughts.

I suggest booking a call if you are looking for therapy on this. It's a free and confidential call for 15 minutes; you don't have to book with us after this call; it's totally up to you. We map out a strategy for you, and you can then go away and have a think, as this isn't a sprint to the finish line. This is a journey that you need to be prepared for.

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