Aaron Beck is an American psychiatrist pioneered research on psychotherapy, psychopathology, suicide, and psychometrics, and developed the cognitive therapy. He became interested in psychiatry during an internship at the Rhode Island hospital, where he studied neurology as a specialty. He is considered to be the father of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. According to Beck,"If beliefs do not change, there is no improvement. If beliefs change, symptoms change. Beliefs function as little operational units," which means that one's thoughts and beliefs affect one's behavior and subsequent actions. He believed that dysfunctional behavior is caused due to dysfunctional thinking, and that thinking is shaped by our beliefs. Our beliefs decide the course of our actions. Beck was convinced of positive results if patients could be persuaded to think constructively and forsake negative thinking.
Behavioral theorists suggest that depression results from faulty and irrational psychological perception, causing distorted learning and reasoning. These depressive cognition could be a result of traumatic experience or incapability of adaptive coping skills. Depressive people have a negative perception or belief about themselves and their environment. More the severity of one's negative thoughts, more is the severity of depression symptoms.
People who suffer from depression have a negative view of:
‘I am a bad person’
2. Experiences and Environment
‘My life is terrible’
3. The Future
‘Things will not improve’Beck’s theory suggests that many of the secondary symptoms of depression can be understood in terms of this core of negative beliefs. For example, a lack of motivation could be the result of a combination of pessimism and helplessness. A person might lose interest in things they used to enjoy if they do not have the expectation that they will feel better by doing them.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as a treatment for depressionBeck developed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which was meant to treat a variety of psychological, psychiatric and medical disorders such as uncontrolable anger, personality diorders, obesity, but mainly depression. At the heart of CBT is an assumption that a person's mood is directly related to his or her patterns of thought. Negative, dysfunctional thinking affects a person's mood, sense of self, behavior, and even physical state. The goal of cognitive behavioral therapy is to help a person learn to recognize negative patterns of thought, evaluate their validity, and replace them with healthier ways of thinking. Aaron Beck laid major emphasis on understanding and changing core beliefs as an approach to treating depression. By restructuring destructive thinking, he believed that positive changes could be brought in the patient. He considered the role of a therapist as crucial in the treatment. The therapist involves the patient in setting realistic goals and taking responsibilities for action and thought. By changing thought and perception, a change can be brought in behavior and emotional responses. A course is outlined to educate the patient on the concept of faulty thinking. New ideas and ways are generated to develop a positive outlook of oneself, experiences and the environment around. Sometimes, home assignments are also given to help the depressed person review and understand the impact of faulty thinking on his behavior and emotional well-being.
1. The Self
Researchers have often resorted to experimenting on human meth addicts who line up around the block to participate in clinical tests. Some of these participants later report being “disappointed” by the experience. Rehab center Indianapolis
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