Does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Treat Depression?

Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions in the world. Therapy is often the best way to manage symptoms and eventually overcome depression, but because of how common it is, it can sometimes be difficult to decide which type of therapy is right for you.

One of the most popular modalities for treating depression is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

CBT is often very helpful for people dealing with mild or moderate depression, but it can even help with severe cases, especially if you know what to expect and you have a willingness to be open with your therapist.

Let’s take a closer look at cognitive behavioral therapy and why it’s effective for depression treatment.

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

CBT is a type of talk therapy designed to help you acknowledge negative thoughts and the patterns they might create. Once you recognize those thoughts, you can challenge them and replace them with more positive ones.

Unhelpful, negative thoughts are often the cornerstone of depression. When you allow those thoughts to take over, it’s easy to feel helpless and hopeless or assume that nothing will ever get better. CBT gives you the opportunity to change your perspective on those thoughts, even if it’s a little bit at a time, to keep you from feeling overwhelmed with sadness.

A Goal-Oriented Approach

Depression can often feel overwhelming. Almost every thought can feel negative and sad when you’re in a state of hopelessness.

CBT takes a goal-oriented approach when it comes to treating depression. You’ll focus on specific problems and work with your therapist on strategies that will help you overcome those issues. A great thing about this approach is that when you hit a small goal or milestone, it can boost your mood and motivation.

Brain Processing

Research has shown that CBT can actually change the way your brain processes information. You’ll start to process thoughts more efficiently before negativity has a chance to completely take over. When you improve your problem-solving skills, you’re less likely to let those negative thoughts consume you or allow them to feel so heavy that you can’t fight back against them.

What to Expect

CBT is a type of talk therapy. So, you need to be prepared to open up about your feelings and struggles with your therapist. But don’t necessarily assume you’ll be spending a lot of time dwelling on the past.

While some background information is good, especially if something from the past is the source of your depression, your therapist will likely help you focus on your feelings and thought patterns now. If those patterns are contributing to your depression, they’ll work with you to break the cycle and help you shift your way of thinking.

One of the biggest reasons CBT is so popular is that it isn’t just a quick fix. It’s meant to be a skill-building therapy. It equips you with the tools necessary to step out of the cycle of depression.

Life will always have challenges, and you’ll likely be faced with triggers and things that can bring you down. Being able to have the skills necessary to overcome negative thoughts without having to go to therapy for the rest of your life is important. CBT can help with that, no matter how long you’ve been dealing with depression.

Depression isn’t something you have to live with or simply “manage” for the rest of your life. If you’re interested in learning more about cognitive behavioral therapy and how it helps to treat depression, feel free to contact me for information. I’m happy to answer any questions you might have or set up a consultation.