| For many years before Aaron Beck developed his | | | | look upon their actions as sub-standard and any |
| Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Freud's concept of | | | | future efforts as pointless. |
| psychodynamics held sway. It's based on a person's | | | | I read one report that stated how depressed people |
| re-actions to his or her environment and their genetic | | | | think differently to those who aren't depressed. |
| make-up. | | | | That's a bit like saying that a car runs better on |
| Beck tired of this long held view, and in 1967 in his | | | | tyres which are properly inflated than it does on |
| paper, 'Depression. Causes and Treatment,' first came | | | | tyres which are flat! I'm sure the statement wasn't |
| to describe his theory of Cognitive Behavioral | | | | meant to be read in this way. More likely, those who |
| Therapy. | | | | have depressed tendencies think differently to those |
| At about the same time, another eminent | | | | who don't. |
| psychiatrist, Dr. Albert Ellis was working with his | | | | The whole idea that Dr. Beck espouses is that those |
| Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy. In the year | | | | who do think of themselves as inferior must be |
| 2000, both great men met for the first time, and | | | | taught to change their thinking. This makes eminently |
| decided that both their approaches were similar in | | | | good sense to me. Simply giving a person a pill that |
| many ways. Naturally enough, they then went on to | | | | will lift the symptoms of depression is fine, but that |
| point out the many differences that they saw in | | | | person must keep on taking a pill a day. How much |
| each other's work! | | | | better it is if they're taught to turn their thinking |
| At the 110th. Convention of the American | | | | around, so that instead of believing the worst of |
| Psychological Association at Chicago, held on August | | | | themselves, at least they come to consider that |
| 22nd. to the 25th. 2002, the great minds met again | | | | they're as good as anyone else. |
| and delved far more deeply, yet always good | | | | Beck states that if your thoughts are negative in |
| naturedly, into their individual approaches. To discuss | | | | nature, then you're setting yourself up for clinical |
| their arguments in any detail would require a | | | | depression. It's like two men losing their jobs from |
| book-length report, so suffice to say that we'll stick | | | | the same company. Both have seen the cutbacks |
| to Beck because in my own personal view, he does | | | | going on, the fact that the firm's been losing money |
| tend to make more sense. | | | | and that people have been leaving. |
| This is in no way to criticize Dr. Ellis. Apart from | | | | Mr. 'A' finally receives his pink slip and isn't very |
| anything else, he knows a great deal more than I do! | | | | surprised. He's taken all the warning signs into |
| However, I relate better to Beck and understand | | | | consideration. Mr. 'B', however, is convinced that it's |
| from whence he comes. | | | | his fault he's no longer employed. Obviously, he thinks |
| He writes of what he calls the Negative Cognitive | | | | to himself, I've done something wrong. |
| Triad. 1. I'm inadequate. 2. Everything I try turns into | | | | Mr. 'A' goes straight out the following day to look for |
| failure or defeat. 3. What's the point of trying again? | | | | another job, while Mr. 'B' tends to sit at home |
| The future's hopeless. | | | | because he can't see any point. Even if he does find |
| The theory behind Cognitive Behavior is that it's | | | | another job, he'll only mess it up as he's sure he did |
| learned as a child, or at least by adolescence. Children | | | | the last one. |
| who live with a dysfunctional family are most liable to | | | | I'm in no doubt that Dr. Beck's theory of turning |
| acquire this method of depressive thought. Also, | | | | someone's thinking around is by far the best |
| those who are continually being 'put down' come to | | | | treatment for full blown depression. |