Does therapy help in treatment-resistant depression?

chihirochild · Feb 15, 2017 at 08:13 PM

I've had unipolar depression for two years now. Have so far been tried on 9 different meds in many many combinations (at one point was on four different antidepressants/mood stabilizers at once). Hospitalized twice. Am feeling just as bad as when this all started, have occasionally had a week here or there where I felt okay but it has never lasted.

I've been dutifully going to therapy once or twice a week since this started, but I don't know if it has helped at all. Do y'all think that therapy helps for treatment-resistant depression? (To cope? To keep you alive? To actually treat the depression?)

MobiusPsyche · Feb 15, 2017 at 11:53 PM

It is helping me to cope better and I do see some changes. I'm less wedded to my negative worldview than I used to be. But real change in my depression has yet to materialize and I'm at the two year mark with therapy. Past the twenty year mark with depression, though. I think therapy helps. It helps me enough to keep going back, at any rate.

eeeyore · Feb 16, 2017 at 06:45 AM

In my case, only a little. It is more helpful for the people with a reactive depression.

Fizzyo · Feb 16, 2017 at 04:14 PM

Some people it can, some not so much.

I have been doing a group course in "Compasionate Mind" a mindfulness and CBT based approach which aims not to cure problems but enable people who are not good at self soothing or who are really hard on themselves to reduce the suffering from the emotions theyhave. There is research to show benefit.

You may want to google compassionate mind.org or listen on utube to find out more.
Or, if you're able to concentrate on reading, this paper might be interesting.
http://compassionatemind.co.uk/uploa...rapy-paper.pdf

Their materials are available free on line.

Good luck to you and anyone who wants to try it, it takes time and practice to build new circuits in our brains.

gayleggg · Feb 16, 2017 at 04:44 PM

I think it helps to keep me grounded. It helps me face the mood swings.

chihirochild · Feb 17, 2017 at 05:03 PM

Thanks, all!

Fizzyo, I'll check out that paper, thank you. I have been trying some of Chris Germer's self-compassion meditations, which are also free: Christopher Germer, PhD, author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion; clinical psychologist specializing in the application of Buddhist psychology and meditation to alleviate difficult emotions in psychotherapy and everyday life.

Fizzyo · Feb 18, 2017 at 04:48 PM

Thanks chirochild, I will check them out.

Fuzzybear · Feb 20, 2017 at 05:15 PM

Bird Feeder · Feb 21, 2017 at 02:22 PM

Therapy has helped my treatment resistant depression but ECT has more.

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eeeyore Member Member Since Jan 2017 Location: Continental Europe Posts: 105 7 74 hugs given	Feb 16, 2017 at 06:45 AM #3 In my case, only a little. It is more helpful for the people with a reactive depression. __________________ escitalopram + mirtazapine (in the past agomelatine, quetiapine, benzos)
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gayleggg Legendary Wise Elder Community Liaison Member Since Apr 2013 Location: Texas Posts: 26,619 (SuperPoster!) 11 10.4k hugs given	Feb 16, 2017 at 04:44 PM #5 I think it helps to keep me grounded. It helps me face the mood swings. __________________ Bipolar I, Depression, GAD Meds: Zoloft, Zyprexa, Ritalin "Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most." -Buddha zaicy1@gmail.com
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Fizzyo Grand Magnate Member Since Jan 2015 Location: UK Posts: 3,282 9 3,980 hugs given	Feb 18, 2017 at 04:48 PM #7 Thanks chirochild, I will check them out. __________________ We're people first, anything else is secondary.
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Fuzzybear Wisest Elder Ever Member Since Nov 2002 Location: Cave. Posts: 96,377 (SuperPoster!) 21 81.3k hugs given	Feb 20, 2017 at 05:15 PM #8 __________________
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Bird Feeder Member Member Since Oct 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 300 14 14 hugs given	Feb 21, 2017 at 02:22 PM #9 Therapy has helped my treatment resistant depression but ECT has more.
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