Depression And Psychodynamic Therapy

Depression can be a biological disease as much as a psychological disease. It is most commonly defined as a lengthened sense of hopelessness in an individual. In the perspective of a psychoanalyst, the roots of depression come from hidden disturbances. This theory of psychoanalysis states that a person’s childhood residue of repressed conflicts and impulses stimulate negative effects on the person, one of which includes depression. Historically, some psychoanalysts believed depression is anger turned inward, or in other words, hatred turned into self-hatred. Sigmund Freud, founding father of psychoanalysis, suggested that people protect their self-esteem with defense mechanisms that reduce or redirect their anxiety by instead distorting reality.

There are three general elements of psychodynamic therapy. Firstly, free association is when the patient is asked to relax, usually lying down on a couch, and say whatever it is that first comes to their mind. The therapist may sit out of sight in order to create a comfortable and safe environment where the patient is more likely to freely express their feelings and thoughts. Saying the first thing that comes to mind not only helps the patient return to an earlier emotional state, but also helps the therapist look for patterns or certain events that may hold significance. Secondly, therapeutic transference involves discussing the manner in which the patient describes their thoughts and feelings of an influential figure in their life. The therapist then helps the patient better understand how to deal with people in their lives in order to avoid depression. The last element is interpretation. Normally therapists will listen quietly to the patient, but therapists will occasionally inject and offer interpretations on the topics their patient discussed. Dream interpretation was believed by Freud to be very important in order to understand our unconscious minds. The therapist may ask patients to describe their dreams and try interpreting what elements in life has caused them to feel

This cognitive-behavior therapy emphasizes on the immediate present: what and how the depressed patient thinks, rather than why he or she thinks that way; it treats depression by altering thinking patterns and behavioral actions. A therapist may ask the patient to identify the situation that instills stress, and describe their thoughts, emotions, physical feelings, and actions that come along with it. By breaking down the situation into simpler parts, both the patient and the therapist can better conceptualize how each element is connected and how they affect the