Challenging Depressed Thinking

How to build up longer-term resistance to depression

Tackling depressed thinking is probably the most effective thing you can do in order to start to shift depression out of your life for good.

Step 1: Understand the depression habit spiral

The negative and pessimistic habits of thought that depression brings have an effect on your behaviour, brain chemicals and mood. See the depression habit spiral page for more.

Step 2: Become a detective on yourself.

We all have an "internal running commentary" of thoughts - "I'd better hurry, I'm going to be late. What an idiot! Why didn't I get up when the alarm rang?” and so on.

• Spend a day or a week "tuning in to your internal running commentary". You may be surprised at how negative and critical it is.

Step 3: Make a list of your own depressed thinking

Write down examples of your running commentary, especially the most repeated ones. Which forms of depressed thinking can you identify? Notice which thoughts make you feel particularly bad or low.

Step 4: Learn how to take a wider perspective

Depressed thinking is about narrow focus - look at your list and practise evaluating each thought from a wider perspective. It is very useful to consider whether other people would agree with your beliefs or whether there is hard evidence to support them ie. evidence that would stand up in a court of law.

Ask yourself:

• What's the evidence for this perspective?
• What evidence is there for a different point of view?
• How did I get into the habit of thinking this way?
• take into account personal history (see why me?)
• and evaluate wider social and cultural influences (see depression in context)
• What would be a more positive way to see this?

More specific strategies...

Build on this starting point by following up on the more specific strategies for the types of depressed thinking which you are particularly prone to. Nearly everyone affected by depression will benefit from challenging all-or-nothing thinking and self-bullying in particular:

• Challenging all-or-nothing thinking >>
• Challenging perfectionism >>
• Challenging self-bullying >>
• Challenging disappointment insurance >>
• Challenging superstitious thinking >>
• Challenging over-personalisation and paranoia >>

Find out more

The strategies described here come from something called "cognitive-behavioural therapy" or CBT for short. Find out more about this effective form of therapy by:

• Reading the excellent book Overcoming Depression: a self-help guide using cognitive behavioural techniques by Paul Gilbert (see books).
• Practising this strategy using the best-selling workbook Mind Over Mood (see books) or online by going to the mood gym.
• Finding a counsellor or psychologist who is trained to help you learn these techniques.

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