Blog - Page 2 of 2 - Lisette Zeeuw M.Sc. - Psychologist in Barcelona

In nowadays society Depression is a more common phenomenon than it used to be. Actually, 16,5% of the population will develop a depression at some moment in his life. The possibility that you or somebody you know has a depression in this moment, or might develop it in the future is really big. In this blog post we explain what a depression is, and what you can do if you are or know someone with a depression.

Depression is way more common than you might think.

What is a Depression?
A depression is a period in your life in which you feel sad or down during most of the time, you are low on energy and/or you feel less motivated. You can also experience any of the following symptoms:

Sleepiness or insomnia (inability to fall asleep).
Loosing or gaining weight (more than 5 kilos) due to either low or increased appetite.
Loosing interest in activities that you used to like
Feeling negative toward oneself including feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt.
Difficulty with concentration or making decisions
Feeling hopeless or helplessness
Loss of sexual desire or lack of interest in sexual activity.
Having suicidal thoughts (thoughts about ending your life). If you experience suicidal thoughts; do not wait to look for professional help, contact a professional immediately.
Feelings of irritability or restlessness

If you´re experiencing several of this symptoms for more than 2 weeks it’s possible that you’re suffering from a depression.

Why do I feel Depressed?

You can feel depressed for several reasons. You might have suffered a negative experience, you might keep on having the same negative thoughts popping up in your head or you might suffer from a depression that has a (partly) biological base.

Depression is a natural response to negative experiences like unemployment, a break-up, loss of people or things we love, a financial setback, or even a move to a different neighborhood or country. Other factors that may cause depression include trouble having and keeping social relationships or not being able to find a solution to the difficulties we experience.
Depression is also related to negative thoughts. Negative thoughts can make us feel bad. You might have certain negative thoughts about yourselve or others that keep on popping up and make you feel miserable. In therapy a psychologist can help you to change negative thoughts into more positive and helpful ones.
Furthermore depression can have a biological base. Low levels of Serotonine and Dopamine in the brain may predispose us to develop a depression. For more information check this website about the biological base of depression.

What can I do if I have a Depression?

A lot of people ask themselves what they should do when they discover they are depressed. Even though it is a good idea to reach out to talk about your feelings with someone you trust, it is also important to go see a health professional.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most effective therapy there is for Depression.

A cognitive behavioral psychologist can help you identify the cause of why you are feeling this way and can help you to feel better as soon as possible. Instead of giving direct advise or explaining personal stories as friends or family might do, a psychologist will listen to you objectively and will try to get more information so they can help you the best he can.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is currently the most effective therapy there is for depression.The majority of people suffering from depression experience considerable relief within 3 or 4 weeks of effective treatment, and long-lasting relief within 3 to 6 months of treatment (www.abct.org).
Don’t wait to long too look for help! Many people wait too long before they start a treatment, and suffer longer than necessary! Don’t be that person and get help as soon as you notice that you are depressed! You deserve to feel better!

The majority of people suffering from depression experience considerable relief from depression within 3 or 4 weeks of Cognitive Behavioral treatment, and long-lasting relief within 3 to 6 months of treatment .

If you would like to know more about depression or if you would like to make an appointment and see how I can help you to feel better, feel free to contact me.

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Lisette Zeeuw
Clinical Psychologist in Barcelona

A lot of people nowadays might have heard of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. For others this blog post might be their first contact with this therapy. But what is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy really? What’s the difference with other therapies? Do clients still lie on a sofa? Is therapy still a process that lasts for years? Find out the answers to these questions in this blog post.

“Couch therapy”, does it still happen or is it out of fashion?

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of treatment that focuses on examining the relationships between thoughts, feelings and behaviors. In CBT, clients learn specific skills that they can use in their daily lives. These skills involve identifying negative thoughts and changing them into more positive ones, relating to others in different ways, and changing behavior.

What is different about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, first invented by Aaron Beck is one of the most researched and most effective psychotherapies. It’s a short-term, goal directed, focused on the here-and-now therapy. This means that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a therapy that:

Can be effective in months (instead of years in other approaches).

Focusses on the problems you currently experience. So in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy you don´t just talk about your past anymore. Instead you actively work on the problems you want to solve.

The CBT psychologist, that’s me :), works together with you as a team, in order to reach your goals. Both the psychologist and you will take an active role in the treatment process.

An important part of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is homework. Don’t expect complicated math problems though. Some examples of homework are: monitoring your thoughts, reading a chapter of a book that’s related to your problem or practicing a relaxation exercice. Homework gives you the possibilty to practice what we’ve worked on in the session at home.

So to answer the question we made before:

Psychotherapy is not just lying on a sofa anymore. It’s an active goal-directed therapy that focuses on the here-and-now.

So how is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy able to help people?

In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy you learn new tools to cope with your problems, and new ways of thinking, in order to feel better.

A cognitive behavioral psychologist helps you to identify the cause of why you are feeling this way and give you the support and guidance you need.

Instead of giving direct advice or explaining personal stories, as friends or family might do, a psychologist will listen to you objectively and he will try to get more information so he can help you the best he can. The therapy sessions will be your moment of personal attention, reflection and working on solving your problems.

The psychologist will help you to gain resources and strategies you need in order to feel beter.

In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy you learn how to challenge your thoughts and change them into more helpful and positive ones. This can help you to feel better and to cope better with difficult situations!

Why change the way I think?

The way we think affects in great amount how we feel. When we have a negative thought about something, it can change the way we feel and act. For example, when you see your friend on the street and he doesn’t say “hi” to you, you might think “he doesn’t want to see me”. This might cause you to feel sad, and even to not meet with him again or to feel awkward when you’re with him.

So, as you can see, this single negative thought you had, can have an important impact on your mood and behaviour. In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy you can learn how to challenge your thoughts and change them into more helpful and positive ones. This will in turn, affect both your mood and behavior positively, and will help you to feel better.

In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy you learn how to question and change negative thoughts into more adaptive thoughts.

Our thoughts influence how we feel and behave. Learning how to change them into more adaptive thoughts, can help you to feel better!

How effective is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive Behavioral therapy has been found to be effective in more than 1000 outcome studies for depression, anxiety, insomnia, and eating disorders, among others, and it is currently being tested for personality disorders.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has also been proven to be effective for certain medical disorders such as: irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, hypertension, fibromyalgia, post-myocardial infarction depression, noncardiac chest pain, cancer, diabetes, migraine, and other chronic pain disorders.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is also effective in reducing stress, low self-esteem, grief and loss, work-related problems and problems associated with aging.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is as effective as medication, with the benefit that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has more lasting effects, even after you quit therapy.The ultimate goal is for you to be able to be your own therapist and to learn how to help yourself.

If you would like to know more about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or if you would like to make an appointment, feel free to contact me.

Make an appointment