How To Do A "Good Depression"
Now that we understand the CBT model and how our thoughts, physical sensations, behaviors, and emotions interact with one another, let's begin looking more intentionally in two areas: thoughts and behaviors. There are lots of things people think and do that perpetuate depression.
Let’s be clear that when we say "your thoughts and behaviors perpetuate depression,” we don't mean that you caused or are to blame for being stuck in depression, but rather that some of our habitual thinking patterns and behaviors may be keeping us depressed. Click here for a list of thinking and behavior patterns that keep people stuck or, as one author calls it, "how to do a good depression.” Take a moment to review the list and check off, circle, or highlight the things that you think and do when depressed.
Habits
There are probably a couple of things from that list that you do, right? You may have said to yourself, “I know I should get out of bed and go to class but I just can’t.” You may have asked yourself, “Why do I keep doing this?”
Before you go further down the spiral of beating yourself up for feeling stuck, let’s talk about habits. In general, whether one is depressed or not,many of our thoughts and behaviors are not driven by conscious intention, but by habits in thinking and behaving.
Habits are originally formed by what is immediately pleasurable, avoids pain, and what we’ve done in the past. However, as we keep repeating a thought or behavior, the habit is strengthened more by repetition. Unfortunately, the part of our brain that controls habits does not distinguish between good and bad or helpful and unhelpful thoughts or behaviors; thus, we maintain the thought or behavior even when we know that it is not helpful. In other words, we get stuck.