Types of depression, CBT, me in general
I had my first CBT group session today, looking at depression. It takes a very practical look at life, and rather than looking at why we got depressed in the first place, it aims to make you feel better right now. As such it‘s a short term therapy, which has long term benefits.
Personally, I think that almost everyone could benefit from a knowledge and understanding of the CBT techniques. Everyone has days when they feel low, or when they criticise themselves unfairly. If you don’t have those days, then I envy you immensely! CBT helps you to challenge self critical thoughts, and feelings of depression. It shows you that you‘re allowed to have bad days. You are allowed to get upset. It just equips you with the tools to stop downward spirals, and change things which are causing you problems.
Through everything I’ve been doing at The Priory, it has struck me how little people know about depression, and I‘ve been meaning to write kind of mini-essays on here to educate anyone who comes to read this. So far I’ve only really written about me, but here‘s a bit of information that I think it’s important everyone knows.
There are two types of depression, and these are very distinct. The first is Clinical depression, and this is what I suffer from. It can have many triggers, including high stress levels, grief, low self esteem, financial/other worries etc. It does have a genetic component, with depression seeming to run in families. The gene(s) give a person a susceptibility to developing a clinical depressive illness.
Clinical depression is treated using a mixture of talking based therapys, Cognative therapys and anti depressants. (I‘ll spare you the lecture about different AD’s. For the moment…)
Treated well, and with a significant level of aftercare, clinical depression can be cured in nearly 3/4 of young sufferers, with others going on to have a relapse. I am considered to have had such a relapse after my first set of treatment, but that is mainly my own fault for stubbornly insisting on stopping the drugs too early.
The other type of depression is Bipolar depression (previously known as Manic-depression.) This is an entirely hereditary condition, and if an individual has the genes, they will develop Bipolar before they reach 20. This illness also has the same triggers as clinical depression, but the sensitivity of individuals to these triggers is enhanced.
As it‘s former name suggests, Bipolar depression is characterised by violent mood swings. Some of the time, Bipolar sufferers feel as depressed as anyone with clinical depression. But they also experience the opposite. These so called manic periods are times when the sufferer is in an excessively good mood, and also has a hugely excessive amount of energy.
Now, this kind of depression may seem easier for the patient to deal with than clinical depression. Unfortunately, once a patient has experienced their first manic or depressive episode, there is no cure. The symptoms can be controlled using drugs; anti-depressants for the depressed periods and depressants for the manic periods, but a sufferer will never recover. Also, the manic periods are not as fun as they sound. Sufferers often become violent, or take very little care of their own safety. A patient with badly controlled manic depression is a nightmare to live with, and disrupts the lives of others around them. On the otherhand, a patient taking 6 or 7 drugs to remain at a constant mood is unlikely to be loving, caring and helpful around the house, or able to hold down a job.
I think I’ve written too much already, so I‘ll try to stop soon. I just want to tell you all a little about what’s happening to me at the moment.
Well, it‘s good news. I’ve been having a few very good days recently, and getting a lot done. I know I‘m going to have bad days again, but it is such a relief to feel good, even for just an hour. It proves that I can still feel happy, and that I’m not fighting a hopeless battle.
Thank you to those people who have e-mailed me about past entries. You probably don‘t understand how much it means to me. Please keep in contact, and if there’s any aspect of depression (or my life in general) that you would like me to write about here, please let me know. Or if you have any questions about depression or CBT, I‘d be happy to answer them, if I can.
Now just a quick final note to anyone reading this who is suffering from depression without the support of this wonderful group of people. I am praying for you. Please, go and get some help. Your doctor, a close friend, me… No one deserves to live with this alone.
I’m living proof that things can get better.