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It's possible for people to change their patterns of thinking on their own, at least in the earliest stages of depression.
Depression is classified as a mood disorder, but which came first: the disorder or the distressed mood? Conversely, if depression results in negative thoughts and emotions, can changing those thoughts and emotions alleviate depression?
“To some extent, the answer is yes,” says Dr. Ken Duckworth, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard University Medical School and medical director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI.
Changing thought patterns is a primary goal of psychotherapy. One theory of depression known as the cognitive triad hypothesizes that negative views of oneself, the world at large and the future can be linked in a self-perpetuating cycle. Depressed individuals see themselves as helpless and worthless, and they also see the world as an especially negative and hopeless place. Therefore, they view their future as equally hopeless and impossible to improve.
“If someone has a lot of negative expectations, there is a belief that things can’t work,” says Arthur Nezu, professor of psychology at Drexel University. On the other hand, someone who believes that problems are a normal part of life is better able deal with them. “How we view ourselves affects our ability to have an impact on world,” Nezu says.