Depression is one of the most common mental health problems people face today. When stress levels increase, dealing elements fail, the mind decides to withdraw completely into numbness. Depression used to be treated with a combination of drug and individual therapy. Couples therapy is proving to be very successful in treating depression. I want to look at the advantages of couples versus individual therapy for depression.
While researching the efficacy of couples therapy with depression, researchers came up with a surprise result. During couples therapy, while the symptoms hvad betyder parterapi of depression heightened from the ‘patients’, the partners given assistance to become depressed. As the sessions continued the partners recoverable as well. In the follow up the couples expressed increased significant other satisfaction in addition to being free of depressive symptoms.
Anna was diagnosed with depression and her DOCTOR referred them for couples therapy. When her husband John was invited for sessions at first he was befogged. He felt ascribed in some way. The partners approach defensively until they realise there is something positive in it for them too.
Anna could recognise and express her needs and feelings in the therapy. John discovered new dimensions about Anna even though they’ve been married for 26 years. Her inability to assert herself was explored. Her father was a chaotic man who could not handle any extreme experience. Anna was encouraged to take responsibility for her needs. While waiting John awakened to the fact how his fear of not being good enough for her turned him into an oppressive man. He did this the point John became depressed for a while. Over time Anna could reassure him of her love and commitment for him. This became the turning point of their therapy.
I believe couples therapy is a more lawful choice of treatment for depression. Problems arise in relationships and they are best resolved in relationships. If Anna was referred for individual therapy she would have worked on her capability express her needs, but John would not be have been able to make sense of her changes and might have been even more threatened and more hard to follow and angry as a result. With couples therapy, however, both John and Anna had some insight into how they have been relating to one another. We were looking at also able to use the safety of the therapy context to restore old patterns with more fulfilling ones.
So John was not the reason of her depression. Their past experiences, fears and how they related to one another was section of the reason. Couples therapy works as a catalyst that brings out the problems in a relationship and then, as they are worked through, it brings couples deeper.
Sharing difficult times, being vulnerable with each other, expressing the effect of past wounds on the present during therapy increase the couples’ intimacy and as a result significant other fulfilment. I strongly advise couples therapy if one partner suffers from depression, this is an opportunity for increased well-being for both parties in the relationship.