Category: For Mood
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Using The Best Friend Technique For Depression
Introduction When it comes to ourselves, we are often our own worst critics. This can be helpful at times if it’s used in a way to support our goals and continue improving. But when we are too self-critical, it can lead to negative feelings (e.g., guilt, shame, etc.), and put us into a depressive spiral.…
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Evidence-Based Strategies For Relapse Prevention In Depression
Introduction The best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour. Paul Meehl This saying holds true in most aspects of life. It also holds true in depression. In fact, research indicates that the best predictor of future depression is past depression (Rudolph et al., 2009). People who have experienced prior depression may be particularly vulnerable…
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How To Use SMART Goals When Feeling Depressed
Introduction People who are depressed often hear advice from their family and peers such as “go do something active – like jogging”, “do meditation”, or “spend some more time with friends”. Although these recommendations seem like simple and reasonable advice, what is not recognized is how much of a hurdle these suggestions can become when…
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Nine Thinking Errors That Are Common In Depression
Introduction The way that we think affects how we feel. As discussed in another post, our thinking patterns play a large role in depressed mood. People with depression are particularly susceptible to thinking errors (also known as ‘cognitive distortions’). These are thoughts and beliefs that are not grounded in reality, exaggerated, or simply just unhelpful.…
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Distinguishing Between Depressive and Bipolar Disorders
Unipolar vs Bipolar Mood Disorders There are two primary classes of mood disorders: depressive disorders and bipolar disorders. Depressive disorders are unipolar – meaning that people typically only experience the spectrum of mood problems on one side (the depressed side). On the other hand, people with bipolar disorders, as the name suggests, occurs when people…
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The Difference Between Grief and Depression
Grief and Depression We tend to use the term ‘depression’ as a catch-all word for times we feel lower than our usual selves. However, depression in psychology is typically used as part of major depression – a psychological disorder. What differentiates depression and regular sadness is depression is something we feel beyond what people typically…
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Mindfulness for Depression Relapse Prevention
“Don’t mind the thought itself; instead, seek to change your relationship with the thought” random psychology student, aka me A Primer in Mindfulness Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a founding father of mindfulness, defined the term as “awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally”. Mindfulness is therefore: 1) intentional (purposive); 2)…
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Changing Negative Beliefs in Depression using Thought Records
Beck’s cognitive theory of depression According to Aaron Beck’s cognitive theory, people who are vulnerable to depression learn important lessons early in life that reflect how they interact with the world – these are known as core beliefs. These beliefs can reflect how they view about themselves, others, or the world. For example, a young…
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Behavioural Activation for Mood
Introduction What we do is often driven by how we feel. I feel like going for a walk – therefore, I go for a walk. Although following a feeling (also known as “emotional reasoning”) can be perfectly fine in many different situations, this strategy can be problematic when someone is experiencing depression. The reason is…
Simply mental health 