3 Faulty Thinking Patterns in Depression

A gorgeous young lady walked into my office looking nicely dressed and corporate. Her story was that she was finding it very difficult to fall asleep at night and that this had been going on for weeks now. Less than 10 minutes into the interview she started weeping profusely stating she was anxious about her health and the possibility of her lack of sleep affecting her mental health. She was very worried about how this could impact her future and her chances of getting married. She also felt overwhelmed by a feeling of low self-esteem: she felt everyone else was better dressed and more intelligent compared to her.

This lady was actually experiencing the 3 patterns of faulty thinking that are common in people who are depressed or susceptible to becoming depressed. They are called the Cognitive triad of depression.

The Cognitive triad of depression entails negative thoughts about

# 1 Self

The individual sees him or herself as deficient, worthless or flawed. They tend to minimize their achievements and magnify their faults.

 
# 2 The world/environment

This entails a tendency to give negative interpretations to events or people around.

 

# 3 The Future

The future looks hopeless. He or she may view their current suffering as permanent.

 

Read up more about signs and symptoms of depression

Remember people with mental illness can live more productive lives. When you are better educated about what you’re dealing with, then you are never without hope. Let’s spread the awareness not the stigma. Talk to a professional today.

Q & A sessions with Dr. Edebi

Dear Doc, I have schizophrenia but I am currently stable on my meds. I will like to know if these antipsychotics are safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

---R.E

The use of antipsychotics during pregnancy and breastfeeding is largely safe. Though the data on the safety of the use of antipsychotic drugs in pregnancy and breastfeeding are limited, reports of harm to baby from the use of these drugs are very uncommon. All antipsychotics drugs are sedating therefore when the baby is born it advisable to look out for lethargy, sedation and appropriate developmental milestones.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding period is not a time to stop your medications rather it’s best you work closely with your doctor during this period instead.

 

For further reference on this check Here

That extreme excitement may be a tell-tale sign

My first case of mental illness just about when I was starting my residency training in psychiatry back in 2006 was a case of Bipolar Disorder.  

Jimmy (not real name) is like a younger brother and he came to pay me a visit at home. He appeared very happy however everything else seemed fine. He shared with me some of his new spiritual experiences and how he had become bolder and more expressive of himself. He simply said that he was having one of the best times of his life and that he had all these fabulous ideas going through his mind. We chatted till about 12 midnight then I had to stop the discussion simply because I had to go to work the following day. At about 3 a.m. Jimmy was up again. He woke me up saying that he wanted to chat some more because he had discovered that, in his words, “great men don’t have need of sleep.” It was at that point that it hit me that Jimmy was having a mental breakdown.

Jimmy has a condition called Bipolar Disorder. Read about the signs and symptoms Here and Here. The proportion of any population regardless of ethnicity, race or geographical location that is usually affected by this illness is usually about 2%. Young people with Bipolar disorder have far greater risk of committing suicide.

Some famous people who are known to have this illness are Ted Turner, an American Billionaire media mogul, founder of CNN; Jean Claude Van Damme-a very successful martial art actor; and Winston Churchill-a famous British Prime Minister who was noted for his leadership of the British Army during the Second World War.

Bipolar disorder, though challenging, can be managed when proper management is sought. Remember that “when you are better educated about what you are dealing with, then you are never without hope.” Let’s spread the awareness not the stigma. Talk to a professional today.

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