Essay Example on CBT: An Effective Treatment for Depression & Its Related Conditions

Cognitive-behavioural therapy CBT is an effective psychotherapeutic treatment method to use in the case of depression. Depression is a mental disorder that may trigger and result in hypertension and other chronic or neuro-related diseases. During the treatment, CBT main focus is usually on determining the specific negative thoughts or rather patterns, and the associated behaviours that may potentially cause depression (Hawley et al., 2017). As a result, a therapist might need to have obtained the patient's medical records, particularly the activities carried out while suffering from the illness, and behavioral response to those practices. Determination of habitual negative responses can also form part of the CBT approach (Hawley et al., 2017).

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Aside from CBT, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and psychodynamic therapy, and possible alternatives. While using DBT, the therapist intends to teach patient(s) on the skills to manage stress, neutralize the habitual behavior responses on particular activities, and leverage the level of their relationship with others (Keefe et al., 2020). With psychodynamic therapy, a therapist assumes that the instance of depression is as a result of unconscious minds resulting from unresolved conflicts, especially during childhood (Keefe et al., 2020). Therefore, the treatment plan aims at making patients rediscover themselves and bear the challenges or feelings so that they feel happier and motivated.

Research done to investigate the effectiveness of CBT suggested that the treatment plan could work more effectively while addressing depression, and most importantly, that probable chances of relapse for the depressive symptoms can hardly be experienced (Hawley et al., 2017).

Conclusion

The closest alternative treatment method is DBT. It differs with CBT in a way that, CBT evaluates the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and how they cause depression; whereas, DBT focuses on mindfulness and ways to let the patient learn and accept the pain (Keefe et al., 2020). However, the two methods coincide in that they both aim at making patients recognize their challenges. CBT does it by allowing a patient to gauge the exact time when he/she might become troublesome and offers approaches that such patients should use to redirect their negative thought (Keefe et al., 2020). DBT does the same, but through finding ways to make patients accept themselves, get motivated and hence regulate their possible negative thoughts that could lead to harmful behaviors.

References

Hawley, L. L., Padesky, C. A., Hollon, S. D., Mancuso, E., Laposa, J. M., Brozina, K., & Segal, Z. V. (2017). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression using mind over mood: CBT skill use and differential symptom alleviation. Behavior therapy, 48(1), 29-44. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0005789416300788

Keefe, J. R., Kim, T. T., DeRubeis, R. J., Streiner, D. L., Links, P. S., & McMain, S. F. (2020). Treatment selection in borderline personality disorder between dialectical behavior therapy and psychodynamic psychiatric management. Psychological Medicine, 1-9. http://jack-keefe.com/Papers/treatmentselectborderline.pdf