DEPRESSION & CBT

Today got an email from my cousin... who has depression...
since I learned about it and its treatment at UCLA... so I might as well collect my thoughts and help her... and it might also benefit others who need help!



While I was in college, my school was emphasizing on CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy). And I did some research on that.. It might take time, but the good thing is you dont have to RELY on medicine!!

CBT is based on the idea that how we think (cognition), how we feel (emotion), and how we act (behavior) all interact together. Specifically, our thoughts influence our feelings and our behavior. Therefore, negative and unrealistic thoughts can cause us distress and result in problems.

I think what you can do are..........

1. Think about your what REAL problems are, what really confuses and upsets you, just anything that brings you down.

2. WRITE them down... in a journal... Make a list of your problems...
Write down your THOUGHTS and FEELINGS!!

3. THINK POSITIVELY!! THINKING is the Cognitive part...
It's very important to think postivively... even though it's easy to think negatively, but whenever there are negative or depressing thoughts that come aross your mind, just do anything you can do get rid of that BAD thoughts!! Yes Negative is BAD!! Think about something that makes you HAPPY & SMILE & LAUGH!! It's very very important !!

Distract yourself from THINKING NEGATIVELY!! But DO NOT avoid the problems!! Just Avoid the negative thoughts!!

4. After you are done with the Postive thinking, you DO IT!! "DO" is part of Behavior... DO things that are POSITIVE or GOOD!!
You do something that make you HAPPY. What are your interests? What are your hobbies?
If you like indoors (like seeing movies, cooking, ...), or outdoors (hanging out with your friends, exercise...). You should know what your insterests are ...

5. It's important to do it Gradually... meaning Do NOT rush it... just start from begining and do it SLOWLY... you cant expect it to work in 1 day!

6. My suggestion is, do not hang out with NEGATIVE people, people that think negatively or is depressed... they tend to think things would go bad, and worry Excessively... They even try to influence others with their bad mood and thoughts!! Like my Mom... she's quite typical! I always told her that she thought tooo negative, she worries about this and that... yeh you might say well moms are always like that... BUT Not everyone!! And everytime she does this to me, I'd get upset and depressed!! I dont like that kind of feeling...

7. Also, Exercise can do some miracle too... dont stay at home, online all day... just do some walking and jogging, ask your mom or brother to walk or run with you... during late afternoon when it's not too hot...

8. Remember the list of your problems and thoughts?
FACE THEM!! Yes, Face each and every of them BRAVELY!!

Challenge your negative thoughts!! To re-interpret it in a more realistic way .This helps you to develop more RAITONAL beliefs and healthy coping strategies.
(e.g. a person got fired, and he doesnt have any money, he feels that he must have a good career and make lots of money, or else he'd feel worthless,
and now he feels depressed because he lost his job and has no money!!

(1) What Activated or triggered his depression? He lost his job and has no money.

(2) What are the negative thoughts and Belief? He feels worthless cuz he has no jobs and money, and he sees other people has good jobs and lots of money!

(3) What are the Consequences? He's depressed!!

How do we help this person? First like I just did, we Identify the problems. We Face the problems. Ask himself, does losing a job making him the most worthless person in the world? Yeh having a good job is good, losing a job is not that bad! He can pick himself up and find a job again! Ask himself, what can be done to find a better job? Maybe more school? more degree? Know what he really is interested in... Not what other people are expecting him to be!


***Do not try to compare yourself with others!! It's very important! cuz comparing and competing only make you feel anxious and leads to depression if you THINK that you are no better than other people!!

Do not try to avoid them!! Next to each of your problems, you think of what can be done to Solve this perticular problem.

I think ONLY YOU know what your real problems are, and probably Only you know what the solutions are... If you cant think of a solution, you can ask for help from your friends, family, or even doctors!!

9. RELAX... Maybe get a Massage? A total body massage can make you feel relax... and after the massage, get a bath... just listen to some light music or songs, just do not think of anything else, just relax in the bathtub... and drink water...

Or you can eat... just not too much, eat healthy... do not eat bad foods..

10. I support CBT combined with Anti-depressant drugs. When I was in college, I wrote a BIG paper about this topic... because it's so far the MOST effective way of treating depression!
Also has the lowest Replaspe rate!!

11. So do NOT discontinue the medication that you are taking, take them everyday, and do what I just told you everyday... write down the date that you start doing them, and then see how long it will take you to WALK OUT of your depression!!