BUExperts OP t1_iu0c11l wrote
Reply to comment by starkmatic in I’m Dr. Lewina Lee, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Clinical Research Psychologist. Ask me anything about the role of psychosocial stressors on health, the lifelong legacy of childhood adversity, how optimism boosts longevity, & healthy aging. by BUExperts
I am sorry to hear that. Without knowing more about what caused his anxiety, it's a bit challenging to make suggestions. Cognitive behavioral therapy does have strong empirical evidence supporting its effectiveness in addressing anxiety, so that seems like a reasonable approach. Being present, empathetic, and supportive is always helpful. He may be aware of his own change from being the life of the party to being much more withdrawn, and be sensitive to how others may be perceiving him as well - it's wonderful that you care so much for him, and reassuring him of your support (regardless of whether he is the life of the party or not) may be helpful, too. Best wishes to you and your family member.
EightEyedCryptid t1_iu2yd01 wrote
Can you speak at all about how CBT does not seem to work for a lot of neurodivergent people? This is something I have anecdotally experienced and I think it could be significant.
Bewileycoyote t1_iu4stxu wrote
Hi, I work with CBT and folks who are neurodivergent. Lots of folks need more than ‘just CBT’. Even within CBT, a focus beyond thought changing can be helpful. It is Cognitive behavioral therapy. Some folks do better with an approach from behavior— doing over thinking.
wrapped_in_clingfilm t1_iu0jf2o wrote
>Cognitive behavioral therapy does have strong empirical evidence supporting its effectiveness in addressing anxiety
That's a little outdated now, lots of new evidence that CBT is only useful for treating symptoms, not causes, and so only offers temporary relief.
groinstorm t1_iu0mqtv wrote
Symptoms of mental-illness quickly become causes of increased mental-illness.
Shivy_Shankinz t1_iu1ydi5 wrote
Yes but put in the work to stop the increased mental illness and you're still left with it. This was VERY depressing as someone who set out to fix themselves with CBT and has depression. If I wanted to "manage" depression I'd have walked off a cliff already. I want that shit gone
shinobiXz t1_iu4c5cq wrote
Not how it works in my experience.
I'm bipolar and while I will need to take medication, I'm getting the most benefit right now with DBT a form of CBT. I know regular CBT didn't help me much but that's not too say it ain't help others, and other firms of CBT can help you too.
Shivy_Shankinz t1_iu4pp5o wrote
Hey I'm happy any time something works for someone. CBT was really useful to me too but it couldn't make a dent in my depression so. I've come to realize this isn't a psychological issue at all it's chemical/biological.
I think I was someone who never really spiraled from mental illness and was naturally good at not making it worse. I guess that has always been a blessing. But it doesn't mean the curse has gone away
Quaasaar t1_iu133o3 wrote
Wait, was it ever advertised as being able to heal it? Because I always knew that it's a coping mechanism.
What heals it is understanding where it comes from, psychosocially, and addressing it if possible.
Eragaurd t1_iu153va wrote
That's one of the problems with phycology in general. Founders, and often even more the followers founders, believe their method is the best and the only one "good enough", while the approach should really be to use different teachings depending on the situation. For example: if it is true that cbt doesn't treat the root cause, it can still be really good. It might make you feel good enough to actually tackle the root course.
Shivy_Shankinz t1_iu4r3ty wrote
Why is this being downvoted to hell? Are people downvoting because there's something wrong with your "evidence" or do they just not agree that it treats symptoms not causes.
wrapped_in_clingfilm t1_iu4rxw3 wrote
Indoctrination. As mental health falls under the profit directives of capitalism, despite the goodwill of individuals (and most are well intentioned in the healthcare industry), the priority is always to get the person "back to work" as the main metric of success. CBT was considered a quick fix solution that satisfied the immediate financial interests of the state and the insurance companies. In the NHS in the UK, this problem has come to light recently, whether or not it stays in the light is another matter.
Shivy_Shankinz t1_iu4thl2 wrote
I mean, CBT wasn't developed as a quick fix solution though right? Could you elaborate more on that, with state and insurance?
wrapped_in_clingfilm t1_iu4vet4 wrote
Absolutely, it was well-intentioned from the start, but what 95% of mental health unconsciously does is to place the problem "within" the individual, as a 'psychological' failure, as opposed to a social problem (although we all recognise the need for support). Death is part of life, but the elderly man whose wife dies suffers to the point of being unable to cope nine times out of ten because he struggles to find a sufficient network of relations around him that help him through it, and substituting warm, caring personal relationships with professional support doesn't really cut it. We are increasingly socially isolated thanks to the needs of capital (we have to move to where the work/education is, and isolation in retirement is very common).
The main concern of State is profit in late stage capitalism (to keep the corporate sponsors of political parties happy), hence, get the patient back to work a.s.a.p. This does not have to descend into some kind of bleak Marxist diatribe against capitalism, it is merely an accurate critique of how it works and that financial profit is its most determining factor. To place the problem "within" the individual is to obfuscate the underlying socio-economic factors. If we were to confront those properly, it would threaten the interests of capital.
Shivy_Shankinz t1_iu504p7 wrote
Wow. Ive absolutely experienced therapy wherein it places the problem within me. Like I've been doing something wrong, or the reverse I haven't been doing enough of something or the right way. The fault always seems to be placed on me.
The problem is, even if you could prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the socio-economic factors were an underlying cause of certain mental illness, there's no help for that. And trying to tackle capitalism in any form just isn't going to happen anytime soon.
I've never heard of corporate interest in mental health, but it wouldn't surprise me. I'm not really sold on this yet. But like I said, if the problem is societal then wth are we supposed to do? Medicine doesn't always work either
wrapped_in_clingfilm t1_iu51634 wrote
Well, there's a whole philosophical rabbit hole you are invited to jump into, but you may not come back out: the meeting of Hegel, Marx and psychoanalysis. Try r/zizek.
Shivy_Shankinz t1_iu57ooc wrote
This is great and all but it just furthers my point, there's no real help readily available and accessible for people who the system that fails them.
wrapped_in_clingfilm t1_iu57zdp wrote
Couldn't agree more. But the problem is never going to be solved by such help when the system itself is the problem, because the 'help' is determined by the system that sustains it.
Shivy_Shankinz t1_iu59z28 wrote
And probably is why the Buddha said life is suffering. Until there's a perfect system designed by a near flawless being, I guess we're all just at the mercy of life.
Well at any rate, I don't think I'll be letting therapy and medicine attempt to fix this problem anymore, except where applicable/appropriate. It's just head games on top of more head games, what a trip
wrapped_in_clingfilm t1_iu5awma wrote
Well, that's a salient point. People who are involved with real and tangible political struggles (i.e. not just voicing opinions on reddit and shouting at others), are statistically lees prone to 'mental health' problems.
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments