Depression

The appropriate therapy depends on the patient's personality and condition. Most therapists recommend one of four kinds of verbal therapy.

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy. Also called cognitive restructuring, cognitive- behavioral therapy teaches people to recognize and correct depressive think ing. For instance, should you perform poorly on a math test, you might think, “I'm stupid and I'm no good at math!” Constant negative thinking can cause a person to slide deeper and deeper into self-hatred. Cognitive-behavioral ther apy attempts to stop the mind from turning minor upsets into catastrophes. With cognitive-behavioral therapy, the reaction changes to “Okay, I made a mistake. Fortunately, I can ask my teacher for help.” A National Institute of Mental Health study found that after sixteen weeks of cognitive restructur ing training, 51 percent of those with mild to moderate depression reported significant improvement.
• Psychoanalysis. During this kind of therapy, patients look inward at their own personalities to understand them selves. The therapist helps patients find reasons for their problems and ways to overcome them. This type of treatment can last for several years. An NIMH study also showed that after sixteen weeks of psychoanalysis, 55 percent of those with mild or moderate depression reported significant improvement.
• Group therapy. This can be especially good for teenagers. People of the same age group meet in counseling sessions to discuss their problems.
• Family therapy. This is treatment for the whole family, but it centers on the depressed person. It helps family members live comfortably with the depressed person by relieving stress and tension in the household.