Many of us deal with mental health issues of some sort. Depression is an often-overlooked problem caused by mood, genetics, and high-stress levels.
If our depression goes untreated, it can lead to behavioral issues that affect our relationships, careers, and personal health. Here are the most common types of therapy for treating depression.
Behavioral Therapy
Behavioral therapy focuses on the adaptive behaviors that people have learned through life experiences. Learned behaviors can significantly influence our habits and frame of mind, making them a considerable part of our mental well-being.
Behavioral therapists working with individuals with depression often focus on how they deal with the symptoms. Identifying unhealthy response mechanisms allows them to be more constructive when dealing with stress. Using positive reinforcement to change behaviors can significantly impact an individual’s mental health.
Cognitive Therapy
Unlike behavioral therapy, cognitive therapy focuses on the internal thought processes and patterns we use to cope with problems. Cognitive therapy is about setting goals and creating a structured environment that we can use to work through our issues.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy can reduce anxiety and depression by giving patients the tools to deal with negative thoughts. We usually tie our sense of self, belonging, and well-being to our cognitive processes. By challenging our assumptions and allowing us to see things in a new light, therapists can get to the root of our depression.
Interpersonal Therapy
Interpersonal therapy focuses on the patient’s relationships with others and how they influence their mood and behavior. This type of therapy focuses on fact-based evidence to put our assumptions into perspective.
Interpersonal dialogues usually focus on attachments and interactions with other people. The ultimate goal of interpersonal therapy is to help us communicate our thoughts and feelings to others so that we can improve our mental health.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy is a specialized process that delves into our past trauma and childhood experiences to glean insight into our current state of mind. By discussing our feelings and behavioral patterns, we can learn what drives us and heal our depressive symptoms at the source.
Psychodynamic therapy attempts to address the factors that create our personality. Childhood experiences, such as injuries and dreams, often play an essential role in assessing problems and developing solutions.
Pay Attention to Your Mental Health and Well-Being
There are many different approaches to therapy today. For those with depression, finding a solution that offers actionable results will ensure your symptoms don’t get out of control.
Common types of therapy for treating depression focus on the individual and how they’ve learned to process trauma. Knowing which is best for us and our situation will enable us to seek help and begin healing.
