Posted by dj on February 19, 2001, at 21:59:30
In reply to Re: Apologies to Dick » Cam W., posted by dj on February 19, 2001, at 16:02:44
In the intro. to his latest book, which is focused toward mental health practitioners and helping them broaden their perspective on effectively treating depression, Richard O'Connor mentioned some core concepts he discusses with the depressed folks he helps treat. These were not posted on the site and I was curious about them and asked Robin to share them with me, as the book is not yet available here in Vancouver.
Robin aka Niborr kindly provided me with the first two pages of Chapter 13 which contains that information and I am sharing an exerpt of it here for people to ponder and do with as they may or may not...
"Just as we do not recognize that the skills of depression are acquired behavior, we have trouble recognizing that we can learn new, more adaptive skills. These will seem awkward at first, like trying anything new, but eventually they become integrated into the self... We owe it to our patients to provide direction and to give them a cognitive map of how they will be expected to recover. One of the best ways we can help them is by reminding them to go to the psychic gym: that they are developing new muscles, new coordination, and the way to do that is through practice.
To help my patients understand how they can best help themselves, I often provide them with a list of aphorisms about depression, which can serve as a stimulus for thought and discussion. These ideas are discussed in more depth in the remainder of the chapter. I find that the following flat assertions, presented as statements of fact, have a way of getting around defensiveness.
The patient learns that these observations are manifestations of his condition, not weakness or lack of character on his part. He can become involved in the task of identifying how these phenomena are manifested in his case, rather than feeling he is being assaulted piecemeal by the therapist who keeps unpleasantly surprising him with new interpretations of his own behavior that he thought he understood.
Aphorisms of Depression
Problems and symptoms are not the same
Depression is a disease
If I change what I do, I can change how I feel
I need to reconnect with my emotional life
I need to identify and correct self-destructive thinking and behavior patterns
I need to let my guard down
I need to learn to take care of myself
I need to practice detachment
Change can come from anywhere
There is a part of me that doesn't want to get well
I am more than my depression
Depression is a social problem"
So there you have them, make of them what you shall.
Sante!
dj
poster:dj
thread:4748
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010209/msgs/4771.html