April 2018

By Ian Goldsmith, Psychologist Depression is one of the more commonly diagnosed ailments in todays community. Longitudinal research indicates that more people identify it now as a regular or common experience compared to earlier times. One writer refers to the experience of ‘depression’ as an epidemic. Estimates are that, at any one time, one in five Australians are feeling down with one in ten showing more significant signs of ‘depression’. The experience of depression is reported more frequently by women. There continues to be debate over the contribution of biological and psycho behavioural factors to both the etiology of depression and it’s treatment. In recent years Psychologists have focused on the role of thought processes with improved treatment results. Researchers and clinicians have observed that people experiencing depression have similar patterns of thinking. These are different from those used by the same people when they are not depressed and are different from those who have never experienced depression. When these thought patterns, sometimes referred to as ‘distortions’, are altered, significant change can occur. All types of depression can respond to therapy which focuses on such distortions, with those experiencing a reactive depression likely to respond most readily. With more severe depressions, a combination of therapy and medication has been reported as most effective. In working with a persons experiencing depression, I pay close attention to their language as a way of isolating and gently challenging their thought patterns. My fondness for being pedantic, (an ability not always cherished by others!) can be a decided asset in this work. Typically a person experiencing depression will use the following:  Global or universal descriptions such as “ I can not do anything right”, “Everyone is against me”. A dominance of “Should” statements either about themselves – “I should be able to cope”, or about others “He/She should….” or both. Describe their depressive experience as irreversible and permanent – “I am always moody”, “I can’t cope alone”. Regard all unpleasant experiences as completely their own fault. – “I must have done something wrong”. Think of events and experiences in black and white terms and overgeneralise – “I am a failure”, “He doesn’t love me, I am unlovable”. The interpretation of life events through this sort of thinking schema, can lead to a sense of despair or hopelessness about the future and consequent withdrawal from normal activities. Thus relationships and previously enjoyable activities become anticipated with dread, and are experienced as unrewarding, thus perpetuating a self fulfilling cycle of pessimism and lack of confidence. Working assiduously with people’s thought patterns, helping them to correct the ‘distortions’ and getting some glimpse of their own influence can, bit by bit, help restore their faith in themselves and in their world and help them escape their depressive cycle. Sometimes one of the most important beginning steps is to help them redefine their view of their difficulty. Often people can make themselves more miserable by getting depressed about ‘having depression’! I prefer to talk of people experiencing depression or having a depressive episode.