by Grace Plummer, LCSW
All of us experience times when we may feel down about something; the loss of a pet, a conflict with our spouse or, for those of us here in Maine during the long winters, the news of yet another snow storm. We may notice that our thoughts about the event are quite negative. We might be able to observe an “attitude” that we know isn’t helpful to our mood and so, in these moments, are capable of making a shift into thinking more positively.
Some of us, however, may not be able to catch these negative thinking traps; our mind just dances along to an unending script of destruction. And some of us may experience constant, pessimistic or maladaptive thinking even without the presence of a stressor.
Dr. Aaron T Beck, a brilliant psychiatrist who studied depression in the 1960s, recognized that these spontaneous streams of negative thoughts, which he named “automatic thoughts,” had the potential to be changed through intentional awareness and evaluation, leading people to experience more positive emotions and better functioning. He found himself helping patients shift their underlying beliefs about themselves, the world and the future, which were at the root of the depression, resulting in long term change. His model was eventually named Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
CBT has been studied extensively and shown to be effective at managing many psychological disorders, including those found secondary to medical problems (History of Cognitive Behavior Therapy, 2016). Since we know that depression symptoms impact about half of people with PD (Aarsland D, et al, 1999) and that many people with PD will also experience anxiety, another psychiatric disorder highly responsive to CBT, seeking out this type of support may be beneficial for you.
Therapists who use CBT are likely to follow up the initial clinical interview, completed in the first session, with homework assignments focused on recording thoughts, moods and behaviors. You can expect to review these handouts in follow up visits where attention is given particularly to distorted thoughts, which are also defined and explored in session. Expect to experience a focused and directed exchange. Your therapist will also prioritize management of the therapeutic alliance, where long term change is rooted, which is created by offering compassion and empathy, and encouraging challenge and a push towards forward movement.
CBT is a model that many local therapists here in Maine are trained in and comfortable helping patients learn. Finding the right therapist for you begins with talking with your PCP or neurologist about your mood and symptoms, remembering also that behaviors such as withdrawing from friends or disconnecting from normally enjoyed activities can be signs of depression. Additionally, visiting psychologytoday.com can provide a place to read about local therapists. Many practicing clinicians in our community are happy to receive phone calls with questions about their practice style and what you can expect from working with them.
In closing, we encourage you to consider caring for your thoughts and emotions the same way you would for a tremor or balance issue, by asking for help. We are here for you.
References
Aarsland D, Larsen JP, Lim NG, et al. Range of neuropsychiatric disturbances in patients with Parkinson’s disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1999; 67: 492.
History of Cognitive Behavior Therapy. (2016). Retrieved from https://beckinstitute.org/about-beck/our-history/history-of-cognitive-therapy/
