Depression Anxiety: The Feel Good Handbook by Dr. David Burns
August 23, 2006 by Arvind
The reasons for suicide can be complex depending on the person. From personal experience, I can say that it has to do with someone feeling a lot of pain coupled with the desire to escape that pain.
Of course, your thinking, as Dr. David Burns points out in his “Feel Good Handbook” (which I highly recommend to anyone suffering from depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts or plans) is often distorted at those moments. Your thoughts of hopelessness, sadness, guilt, etc. can overwhelm you. Still, Dr. Burns through a cognitive therapy approach makes clear that our thoughts and attitudes create our feelings.
The good news is that we can control our thoughts and by them our feelings through an inventory of our thinking. Once you reexamine the cognitive distortions, then we have a chance of overcoming depression or anxiety. At times, medication, anti-depressants, is needed, particularly when you are likely to harm yourself and you have clear intentions to do so.
The National Institute of Mental Health reports 16% of the American population suffers from depression severe enough to warrant treatment i.e. not just occasionally feeling “blue,” and 13% suffer from anxiety disorders. Many people who suffer from depression also suffer from anxiety. The cognitive distortions are similar for both of them according to Dr. Burns. Of course, this is unreported cases. The actual numbers could be significantly higher.
If anyone has more information on this important topic, your thoughts would be appreciated.
Depression is a serious topic and thank you for having the courage to discuss it. A lot of places offer clinical information on it. But it’s nice to read that shares the opportunity to help themselves. The book by Dr. Burns sounds good.
Hope this is helpful and no imposition.
I have a new site that could be calming, comforting to you.
Please take a look.
dave
http://waterfallsuplift.blogspot.com
What will you advise for treatment of depression? In fact it is very dangerous, when depression passes in the chronic form. WBR LeoP
Marina,
Chronic depression is a serious condition, especially with risk of suicide or harm to others. It requires proper medical attention.
Treatment by a trained psychiatrist is essential to allow the depression to be managed. Dr. David Burns in “The Feel Good Handbook” suggests drug therapy to stabilize the depression along with cognitive therapy to learn essential coping skills.
Talk to your Doctor, who can refer you to professional help in your area, about how you feel.
Let others know how you feel. Help is often a phone call away.
As a sufferer of anxiety attacks I have read the “Feel Good Handbook” of Dr. Burns a few months ago and I learned a lot from it on how to cope with my anxiety. Another very good program to fight anxiety and panic attacks and phobias I used is the Linden Method, about which I made a small review. I don’t consider myself completely cured yet, but the info in Dr.Burns’ book and in the Linden Method program helped me take back control over my life.
http://www.linden-method-review.bjm-web.com