10. 行为激活——抑郁症的行动计划
第十章
行为激活——抑郁症的行动计划
在上一章中,我们讨论了问题解决。你注意到客户的問題导向了吗?你有机会在自己的生活中或与客户一起尝试问题解决吗?有意识地评估不同解决方案是什么样的体验?是否很难不直接介入并解决客户的问题?
设定议程
在本章中,你将学习如何通过增加活动水平来帮助患有抑郁症的客户,从而改善他们的情绪。这种干预的技术术语是行为激活。
议程项目 #1: 行为激活是如何工作的? 议程项目 #2: 帮助客户理解他们的抑郁症。 议程项目 #3: 监测客户的日常活动。 议程项目 #4: 规划增加积极情绪的活动。 议程项目 #5: 分级任务分配。 议程项目 #6: 增强幸福感。
执行议程
行为激活主要是一种治疗抑郁症的方法。它基于这样一个前提:当客户改变他们的行为,并增加促进愉悦感和胜任感的活动时,他们的情绪会得到改善。
议程项目 #1: 行为激活是如何工作的?
你可以将抑郁症视为一个由逃避和缺乏积极强化引起的循环。抑郁症始于客户生活中的变化,这些变化导致他们享受的事件减少,不愉快的事件增加。由于这些变化,客户的整体情绪下降,曾经喜欢的活动变得不那么令人愉快。客户开始避免诸如见朋友和家人、追求爱好、运动或休闲活动等行为。客户避免的活动越多,他们接触积极强化的机会就越少。接触积极强化的机会越少,他们的情绪就越低落,就越不想做任何事情(Martell, Dimidjian, & Herman-Dunn, 2010)。
当客户变得不活跃时,他们的整体日常生活被打乱,可能导致睡眠问题、食欲不振,以及一般与环境脱节,所有这些都会加剧抑郁症(Dimidjian, Barrera, Martell, Muñoz, & Lewinsohn, 2011)。客户陷入抑郁循环的时间越长,他们就越脱离正常生活,越容易出现次生问题。例如,一个因抑郁而无法参加棒球训练的学生最终可能会被球队开除。图10.1展示了抑郁症的循环。
触发因素:困难情境或生活变化
- 积极事件减少;
- 消极事件增加
- 次生问题;
- 日常生活被打乱
- 避免活动
- 情绪低落和疲劳
- 思维:我不享受任何事情;我累了,需要休息。
打破无活动和抑郁症的循环
行为激活通过直接针对逃避行为并鼓励客户参与提升情绪的活动来中断抑郁症的循环。客户识别出那些(1)令人愉快的活动,(2)增加他们的自信或掌握感的活动,或(3)功能性的活动,即减少逃避带来的负面影响。治疗师与客户合作,逐步安排这些活动到他们的每周计划中,并使用问题解决过程来应对任何障碍(Martell et al., 2010)。随着客户开始参与令人愉快的活动,他们的情绪会有所改善。随着客户感觉更好,他们有更多的精力,不再想避免活动,并参与健康的生活常规。简而言之,一个提升情绪的循环开始了。
行为激活理论
令人愉快的活动 + 问题解决 = 行为抗抑郁
行为激活概述
行为激活的正式目标是让客户恢复到抑郁前的功能水平。我更喜欢告诉我的客户,我们的目标是帮助他们过上自己喜欢的生活。重点是积极鼓励客户即使“感觉”像避免或休息也要参与活动。在我看来,民间智慧往往能捕捉到行为激活的精髓。我的八十八岁的姑姑塔尼娅总是告诉我,“不管发生什么,每天早上都要起床化妆,晚上睡觉前喝一口伏特加。”换句话说,根据塔尼娅的说法,无论你感觉如何,都要起床面对世界,而在一天结束前,为自己做点好事。
一般来说,行为激活过程按以下顺序展开:
- 理解客户抑郁与日常活动变化的关系。
- 监测客户的日常活动。
- 规划提升积极情绪的活动。
- 监测客户活动前后的情绪。
- 解决障碍。
- 建立健康的生活常规并预防复发。
行为激活有效吗?
尽管我已经实践行为激活多年,但当一个重度抑郁的客户走进我的办公室时,我常常会想行为激活可能不够。增加令人愉快的活动怎么能足以帮助这个非常抑郁的客户?但与其相信我的自动思维……我还是看看证据!
在过去三十年中,许多研究,包括多项元分析,一致证明行为激活对轻度、中度和重度抑郁症都是有效的治疗方法(Dimidjian et al., 2011; Soucy-Chartier & Provencher, 2013)。这适用于儿童、青少年和各个年龄段的成年人。单独的行为激活已被发现与包括行为和认知干预(如识别和挑战消极思维)的治疗同样有效(Dimidjian et al., 2006; Richards et al., 2016)。有些研究表明,如果客户严重抑郁,仅包含行为激活的十六周治疗比包含行为和认知干预的治疗更有效。行为激活也是预防复发的有效干预(Dobson et al., 2008)。最近的一项研究发现,患有复杂哀伤的客户也对行为激活有积极反应(Hershenberg, Paulson, Gros, & Acierno, 2014)。
研究总结
- 轻度和中度抑郁症患者:行为激活应该是治疗的一部分。
- 重度抑郁症患者:行为激活应该是首要干预。
议程项目 #2: 帮助客户理解他们的抑郁症
抑郁的客户通常在开始治疗时会说:“我怎么了?我以前这么坚强”或“我觉得我要疯了,整天只想哭”。你希望帮助客户理解他们的抑郁症与缺乏提升情绪的活动有关,而不是个人失败。你可以使用抑郁症的循环模型来收集信息,帮助客户理解导致和维持他们抑郁症的因素。如果客户理解他们的抑郁症与生活中缺乏令人愉快的活动有关,他们会更有动力参与提升情绪的活动。这一点很重要,因为你会要求客户即使“感觉”不想参与活动也要去做。
从查看客户抑郁前的生活变化开始,特别是减少的强化活动和/或令人愉快的活动,以及增加的不愉快活动。你还想看看客户如何应对这些变化,以及逃避的作用。我通常会问客户两个主要问题:
- 抑郁前发生了哪些生活变化?
- 这些变化如何影响你的日常活动,特别是在令人愉快的活动增减方面?
苏珊的抑郁症循环
苏珊开始治疗时说她不知道自己出了什么问题。她有一个很好的家,很棒的孩子,一份好工作,还有一个伟大的丈夫,但她感到如此不知所措,以至于不再享受生活。她在向治疗师讲述自己无法应对时,轻轻地哭了。
在第二章中,我们列出了苏珊在抑郁症发作前生活中的压力源和近期变化:
- 苏珊开始在一所新学校教书。学校离家有30到40分钟的车程;她不认识其他教师,而这些教师形成了一个紧密的团体。
- 她的婆婆不再能帮忙照看孩子。
- 她最好的朋友吉尼亚搬走了。
让我们看看她的治疗师如何使用我们刚刚提到的两个问题来理解苏珊的抑郁症。
治疗师:听起来你的生活中有很多变化。我想知道我们能否花一点时间思考每个变化如何影响了你的生活。我们应该先看哪一个? 苏珊:我觉得最大的变化是新学校。 治疗师:我觉得从你开始在新学校教书后,看看你的生活发生了什么变化会很有帮助。我想看看你停止了哪些活动,以及因为新学校开始做了哪些活动。 注意治疗师是如何通过“我觉得会有帮助”来给予希望的。她没有问苏珊对新学校的感觉,而是让她思考生活中的不同之处。 苏珊:最大的变化之一是早晨。过去我步行去学校,大约每边15分钟。现在我需要花费45分钟通勤。额外的30分钟意味着我过去有时间早上帮孩子们准备。现在所有的事情都必须在前一天晚上准备好。孩子们必须在7:30前完全准备好,由邻居送他们去学校。我的丈夫早早就去上班,帮不上忙。 治疗师:这听起来像是你早晨例行公事的一个重大变化。 苏珊:是的,我过去很喜欢早晨——那是一段和孩子们的美好时光,我也喜欢步行去学校。现在这一切都变得如此紧张。 治疗师做出了支持性的评论,苏珊继续详细描述她的生活变化。 治疗师:我想开始列出你生活中的变化。我认为这将有助于我们理解你的抑郁症并找到帮助你的方法。你会写下什么? 注意治疗师是如何给予希望的。治疗师问苏珊她会写些什么。 苏珊:嗯,我想我不再有15分钟的步行去学校的时光,也不再有早晨和孩子们的美好时光,实际上,我很少吃早餐,因为我太紧张了。到学校时我经常饿得不行。 治疗师:我觉得这是一个非常好的清单,列出了你不再做的事情。还有因为新学校而开始做的、以前没做过的事情吗? 苏珊:嗯,我觉得我必须在前一天晚上非常有条理,这对我来说很难。我得准备好女儿的午餐,把孩子们的衣服放好,确保自己为学校做好准备。此外,我必须对孩子们非常严格,因为我时间紧迫。这意味着我早上会更多地对他们大喊大叫。我还得忍受长时间的驾车上班,我讨厌这样。整个车程都在想着自己成了一个多么糟糕的妈妈,又一次对孩子大喊大叫,多么希望自己还在原来的学校。这真是太糟糕了。 治疗师:听起来变化真多。当我们看到现在的早晨和过去的早晨有什么不同时,你有什么想法? 注意治疗师首先问苏珊发生了什么变化,其次问这些变化如何影响了她的日常生活,最后问她如何看待这些变化。 苏珊:嗯,难怪我会抑郁;这听起来像是一个糟糕的早晨开始方式。 通过检查早晨的变化,苏珊从“我抑郁是因为我有问题”转变为意识到早晨例行公事的变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因之一。 治疗师:我觉得你说了一些很重要的事情。看来学校的变化导致了你生活中的许多其他变化,并对你的早晨例行公事和情绪产生了负面影响。我认为我们发现了重要的信息。我想看看开始在新学校教书还对你的生活产生了哪些其他影响。
注意苏珊的治疗师如何强化她意识到早晨例行公事对情绪的影响
同时注意治疗师如何保持苏珊的任务方向。
苏珊过去常常与其他教师共度时光,他们是她的朋友,但现在她很少见到这些朋友。她曾喜欢参与学校的戏剧活动,并从学校的许多人那里得到了很多正面的反馈。她以受欢迎的教师而闻名。在新学校,她不参加任何课外活动,也不认识其他教师。她下班回家很晚,开车使她感到疲惫和紧张。
苏珊没有意识到,自从婆婆生病不能再帮忙照看孩子后,她和丈夫几乎不再晚上外出。他们已经很久没有见过许多朋友了。苏珊还意识到,自从好友吉尼亚搬走后,她停止了每周的散步,与朋友的交流也大大减少了。当她审视生活中所有这些变化的影响时,感到非常惊讶。
练习 10.1:罗尔的抑郁症循环
练习使用抑郁症循环来理解你的客户。
使用书面总结
在我与客户探讨她的生活变化后,我发现提供书面总结很有帮助。有时我会画出抑郁症的循环图,我们一起看看它如何与客户的具体情况相关。其他时候,我会使用《理解你的抑郁症》工作表,你可以在 http://www.newharbinger.com/38501 下载该工作表。工作表为客户提供了她抑郁以来活动变化的概览。当苏珊查看她的《理解你的抑郁症》工作表时,她明白了活动的变化如何影响了她的抑郁症。
理解你的抑郁症
-
抑郁前生活中的变化或压力源:
- 新学校
- 婆婆不再帮忙照看孩子
- 最好的朋友吉尼亚搬走了
-
这些变化或压力源之后,你的活动如何变化?请完成以下表格。
活动 | 自生活变化或压力源后增加 | 自生活变化或压力源后减少 |
---|---|---|
我喜欢或提供愉悦感或成就感的活动 | 无 | 步行去学校;早晨与孩子的美好时光;与丈夫外出并见朋友;周日与吉尼亚散步;与吉尼亚交谈 |
我不喜欢的活动 | 晚上提前准备;长时间通勤;早起并帮孩子准备 | 无 |
锻炼 | 无 | 不再步行去学校,不再周日散步 |
与朋友共度时光 | 无 | 不再见到学校的朋友们,吉尼亚搬走了 |
与家人共度时光 | 更频繁地看望生病的婆婆 | 早晨与孩子的时间减少;总体上与丈夫的时间减少 |
休闲或爱好 | 无 | 不再参与学校戏剧;不再参加其他课外活动 |
吸烟、暴饮暴食、饮酒或药物使用 | 无 | 无 |
饮食和睡眠相关的生活常规 | 无早餐习惯,经常在电视前睡着 | 无 |
使用类比
有时我会使用花朵类比来帮助客户理解她的抑郁症。这个类比受到了梅兰妮·芬内尔的正向和负向花朵的启发(Fennell, 2006)。我解释说,感到快乐就像一朵色彩鲜艳、花瓣众多的花。然后我画一朵中间有一个圆圈、周围有许多花瓣的花。我请客户在每个花瓣上填入她在抑郁前喜欢或赋予生活意义的活动。我会寻找健康的生活常规;与同事、朋友和家人的社交活动;令人愉快或有意义的活动;以及能带来成就感或掌握感的活动。
一旦客户完成了填写花朵,我请她划掉所有自抑郁以来发生变化的花瓣。通常,几乎所有的花瓣都不见了。曾经盛开的花朵现在只剩下几片花瓣。
对于一些客户,我有时会画一面墙,用砖块来建造一堵坚固的墙;如果取走太多的砖块,墙就会倒塌或出现大洞。
苏珊的治疗师使用了花朵类比,苏珊看到她的花朵时感到非常惊讶。她的抑郁症对她来说越来越有道理了。治疗师解释说,他们会一起帮助苏珊重新找回生活的花瓣,让她感觉更好。苏珊觉得这是个好主意,但补充说她不知道从哪里开始。治疗师保证他们会一起慢慢来。
轮到你了!
理解梅琳的抑郁症
以下是关于梅琳的一段描述,她是一位五十八岁的女性,因为目前抑郁而前来接受治疗。尝试使用以下信息完成《理解你的抑郁症》工作表。你可以在附录中看到我的答案。
梅琳是一位成功的雕塑家。她独自生活,从未结婚,也没有孩子。两年前,她的母亲生病了,梅琳一直在照顾她。
梅琳的母亲独自生活在梅琳长大的小镇上,距离大约三小时车程。梅琳十八岁时离开了家乡,那里没有她的朋友或其他亲人。她每周有四天时间去看望母亲,照顾她的需求,打理房子,带她去看医生。梅琳很高兴能够照顾生病的母亲,但在探望时感到孤独。她和母亲看了很多白天的电视节目,梅琳觉得这些节目很无聊。
在母亲生病的这两年里,梅琳变得越来越抑郁,并且因为没有全心全意照顾母亲而感到内疚。她不再见许多朋友,放弃了锻炼,几乎完全停止了雕塑创作,因为她认为没有时间进行这些活动,而且大多数时间都很累。
视频 10.1:解释抑郁症
议程项目 #3: 监测客户的日常活动
行为激活涉及要求客户参与令人愉快的活动。听起来很容易。然而,困难在于抑郁的客户什么都不想做。他们会告诉你:“没有什么能帮助我。”你将要求客户按照计划行事,而不是根据他们的感受。如果客户能够看到活动水平增加与情绪改善之间的联系,他们就会更有动力在自己的生活中增加令人愉快的活动,即使他们“感觉”不想做这些活动。
客户最容易看到情绪与特定活动之间联系的方法是监测他们的日常活动并评估情绪。我要求客户完成《每日活动计划表》(可在 http://www.newharbinger.com/38501 下载),他们在表上逐小时记录自己的活动并评估情绪。我通常在治疗小时内完成第一天的《每日活动计划表》,这样我可以确保客户明白该怎么做。(如果治疗时间是在早上,我们会完成前一天的计划表。)然后作为家庭作业,我要求客户在接下来的一周内完成《每日活动计划表》。
以下是我是如何介绍《每日活动计划表》的。我解释了干预背后的理由以及我们将要做的事情。
我认为了解你如何度过每一天,以及你的活动类型是否会影响你的情绪是很重要的。我有一个《每日活动计划表》,你可以在上面记录你一整天的活动,并评估你的情绪。这样,我们可以看到一天中有哪些时候你感觉更好,有哪些时候你感觉更糟。我们将努力增加你感觉更好的时间,并学习如何应对感觉更糟的时候。你觉得这有道理吗?
让我们来看看今天,看看我们是否能一起完成这个计划表。你同意吗?
你是什么时候醒来的?如果你的情绪从1到10评分,10表示你最抑郁的状态,1表示完全不抑郁,那么你今天醒来时的情绪会评几分?
然后我带领客户回顾她的一天,评估她在每个活动中的情绪。
轮到你了!
在想象中练习:
解释《每日活动计划表》 在开始之前,从1到10评估你向一位抑郁的客户解释《每日活动计划表》时的舒适程度。练习结束后,再次评估你的舒适程度,看看是否有变化。现在,让我们开始这个练习。
选择一位抑郁的客户,你认为他或她会从行为激活中受益。尽量在脑海中想象他的样子。想象自己在办公室与客户在一起。看到你的办公室;注意房间里的声音和气味。想象你想介绍《每日活动计划表》。阅读我如何解释使用《每日活动计划表》,同时想象自己在说这些话。你也可以使用自己的表达方式。想象拿出《每日活动计划表》并向客户解释。然后,想象再向同一位客户解释两次《每日活动计划表》,每次客户都积极响应。
客户学到了什么?
下一步是使用《每日活动计划表》帮助客户发现活动与情绪之间的关系,并决定针对哪些时间段以及引入或扩展哪些活动。我通常从询问客户完成《每日活动计划表》的总体体验开始,然后问她在过程中学到了什么。接着,我会讨论探索情绪/活动关系的问题(Martell et al., 2010)。当我刚开始进行行为激活时,我会把这些问题放在旁边。你可以在 http://www.newharbinger.com/38501 下载一份副本。
- 你是否看到了活动与情绪之间的关系?
- 哪些活动让你感觉更好?
- 哪些活动或情境与低落的情绪有关?
- 你在哪些时间段最有可能情绪低落?
- 你是否有任何帮助维持积极情绪的常规?
- 你是否在回避某些事情?
下面是苏珊完成并带到治疗中的《每日活动计划表》。她将自己的抑郁程度从1到10评分,1表示完全不抑郁,10表示她有史以来最抑郁的状态。
轮到你了!
在想象中练习:
解释《每日活动计划表》 在开始之前,从1到10评估你向一位抑郁的客户解释《每日活动计划表》时的舒适程度。练习结束后,再次评估你的舒适程度,看看是否有变化。现在,让我们开始这个练习。
选择一位抑郁的客户,你认为他或她会从行为激活中受益。尽量在脑海中想象他的样子。想象自己在办公室与客户在一起。看到你的办公室;注意房间里的声音和气味。想象你想介绍《每日活动计划表》。阅读我如何解释使用《每日活动计划表》,同时想象自己在说这些话。你也可以使用自己的表达方式。想象拿出《每日活动计划表》并向客户解释。然后,想象再向同一位客户解释两次《每日活动计划表》,每次客户都积极响应。
客户学到了什么?
下一步是使用《每日活动计划表》帮助客户发现活动与情绪之间的关系,并决定针对哪些时间段以及引入或扩展哪些活动。我通常从询问客户完成《每日活动计划表》的总体体验开始,然后问她在过程中学到了什么。接着,我会讨论探索情绪/活动关系的问题(Martell et al., 2010)。当我刚开始进行行为激活时,我会把这些问题放在旁边。你可以在 http://www.newharbinger.com/38501 下载一份副本。
- 你是否看到了活动与情绪之间的关系?
- 哪些活动让你感觉更好?
- 哪些活动或情境与低落的情绪有关?
- 你在哪些时间段最有可能情绪低落?
- 你是否有任何帮助维持积极情绪的常规?
- 你是否在回避某些事情?
下面是苏珊完成并带到治疗中的《每日活动计划表》。她将自己的抑郁程度从1到10评分,1表示完全不抑郁,10表示她有史以来最抑郁的状态。
苏珊的《每日活动计划表》
时间 | 星期一 | 星期二 | 星期三 | 星期四 | 星期五 | 星期六 | 星期日 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6:00 | 叫醒孩子 (8) | 叫醒孩子 (8) | 叫醒孩子 (8) | 叫醒孩子 (6) | 叫醒孩子 (7) | ||
7:00 | 送孩子上学 (9) | 送孩子上学 (9) | 送孩子上学 (9) | 送孩子上学 (9) | 送孩子上学 (7) | ||
8:00 | 开车上班 (7) | 开车上班 (7) | 开车上班 (7) | 开车上班 (7) | 开车上班 (7) | ||
9:00 | 教课 (5) | 教课 (5) | 探望婆婆 (4) | 教课 (5) | 教课 (5) | ||
10:00 | 休息和午餐 (7) | 休息和午餐 (7) | 休息和午餐 (8) | 休息和午餐 (7) | 休息和午餐 (8) | ||
11:00 | 教课 (5) | 教课 (5) | 教课 (5) | 教课 (5) | 教课 (5) | ||
12:00 | 午餐 (5) | 午餐 (5) | 学校运动会 (4) | 午餐 (5) | 午餐 (5) | ||
1:00 | 休息和午餐 (7) | 休息和午餐 (7) | 休息和午餐 (7) | 休息和午餐 (7) | 休息和午餐 (7) | ||
2:00 | 教课 (5) | 教课 (5) | 教课 (5) | 教课 (5) | 教课 (5) | ||
3:00 | 清理教室 (4) | 清理教室 (4) | 清理教室 (4) | 清理教室 (4) | 清理教室 (4) | ||
4:00 | 开车回家 (6) | 开车回家 (6) | 开车回家 (6) | 开车回家 (6) | 开车回家 (9) | ||
5:00 | 接孩子;做饭 (7) | 接孩子;做饭 (6) | 接孩子;做饭 (7) | 接孩子;做饭 (7) | 接孩子;做饭 (7) | ||
6:00 | 与孩子和丈夫共进晚餐 (4) | 与孩子和丈夫共进晚餐 (4) | 与孩子和丈夫共进晚餐 (4) | 与孩子和丈夫共进晚餐 (4) | 与孩子和丈夫共进晚餐 (5) | 与孩子玩 (4) | 与孩子玩 (4) |
7:00 | 与丈夫玩游戏 (4) | 与丈夫一起哄孩子睡觉 (5) | 与丈夫一起哄孩子睡觉 (4) | 与丈夫一起哄孩子睡觉 (4) | 与丈夫一起哄孩子睡觉 (4) | 与朋友打电话 (3) | 与朋友打电话 (3) |
8:00 | 准备第二天 (7) | 准备第二天 (6) | 准备第二天 (7) | 准备第二天 (7) | 准备第二天 (8) | 与丈夫看电视 (4) | 与丈夫看电视 (4) |
9:00 | 睡觉 | 睡觉 | 睡觉 | 睡觉 | 睡觉 | 睡觉 | 睡觉 |
10:00 | |||||||
11:00 | |||||||
12:00 |
苏珊学到了什么?
在查看苏珊对探索情绪/活动关系问题的回答之前,先检查她的一周,看看你会如何回答以下问题。每个问题后面,我都包括了治疗启示,鼓励你思考如何利用这些问题的答案来指导未来的治疗。
-
你是否看到了活动与情绪之间的关系?哪些活动让你感觉更好?哪些活动或情境与低落的情绪有关?
- 当苏珊回顾她的《每日活动计划表》时,她注意到自己几乎没有做任何有趣的事情。她惊讶地发现,当她更活跃时,她的情绪有所改善。特别是与他人社交有助于她感觉更好。苏珊还注意到,当丈夫在家时,她感觉更好,而且在学校大部分时间感觉也不错。苏珊一直以为周末感觉更好是因为睡得更多,远离了学校。但在查看《每日活动计划表》后,她怀疑自己感觉更好是因为更活跃,与丈夫、朋友和家人共度时光。
- 治疗启示:你会如何利用苏珊对上述问题的回答来强调在她的生活中增加令人愉快的活动的重要性?
-
你在哪些时间段最有可能情绪低落?
- 苏珊注意到早晨特别糟糕。她醒来时躺在床上,想着自己是个多么糟糕的母亲,丈夫一定对她厌倦了。她脑海中浮现出丈夫离开她的画面,想象自己孤独且痛苦。苏珊没有意识到每天早晨她有多么抑郁,以及在紧张的时间安排下让孩子准备好是多么困难。她还注意到,当她独自在家照顾孩子时,晚上尤其难熬,她经常感到抑郁。
- 治疗启示:你会首先针对哪个时间段来增加令人愉快的活动?
-
你是否有任何帮助维持积极情绪的常规?
- 苏珊看不到任何有助于她感觉更好的常规。她意识到这与去年完全不同,那时她有一个良好的早晨常规,步行去学校,定期见朋友。她的治疗师注意到她按时并适当地让孩子上床睡觉。苏珊和丈夫也按时上床,且足够早,能保证八小时的睡眠。治疗师认为这些都是真正的优势和重要的常规。
- 治疗启示:你会如何在治疗中利用这些信息?
-
你是否在回避某些事情?
- 苏珊想不到她在回避什么。她提到自己不再经常与朋友外出,但这只是因为她总是感到疲惫。
- 治疗启示:从行为激活的角度来看,你认为她在回避朋友吗?
议程项目 #4: 制定提升积极情绪的活动计划
在查看她的日程后,苏珊同意开始一个提升情绪的计划。她的治疗师解释说,当你抑郁时,进行令人愉快的活动就像吃药一样——你这样做是因为你知道它会有帮助,而不是因为你想要这样做。作为治疗师,你需要鼓励客户遵循提升情绪的计划,而不是听从他们的抑郁情绪。
促进掌握和愉悦的活动
在行为激活中,你希望增加那些能给客户带来掌握感或能力感和愉悦感的活动。然而,这样的泛泛之谈对治疗并没有多少指导意义。我建议在以下类别中选择活动,以帮助提升客户的情绪。重要的是要记住,这是一个高度个性化的过程,因为提供掌握感或能力感和愉悦感的活动因人而异。
-
日常生活活动:首先,我要确保客户能够完成基本的生活事务,包括喂养自己、清洁衣物、获得足够的睡眠、完成基本家务,以及履行对家庭、朋友或工作的责任,例如照顾孩子或完成最低限度的工作任务。例如,苏珊经常因为太忙而不吃早餐,到达学校时已经饿得不行。她经常吃巧克力棒或整个上午都饿着。她的治疗师需要帮助她努力吃早餐。
-
社交接触:人们在社交接触的需求和类型上各不相同,但每个人都需要一些社交。当客户抑郁时,他们通常会从家人和朋友中退缩。重新建立联系可能很难,所以要从小步骤开始,慢慢来。
-
运动:越来越多的证据表明,规律的运动可以提升你的情绪,对抗抑郁情绪(Trivedi et al., 2011)。户外运动可能比室内运动更能提升你的情绪(Barton & Pretty, 2010)。对我来说,这一点完全合乎逻辑;在美丽的春日里走在户外,比在健身房跑步机上跑步让我更开心。事实上,如果我能和一个好朋友一起散步,甚至买杯咖啡(也许还有一块饼干!),我会更开心。
客户在运动量上的需求差异很大。一般来说,任何增加的活动都是好的。对于一些客户,我从鼓励他们外出五分钟开始。
-
令人愉悦的活动:当客户抑郁时,找到他们觉得愉快的活动可能会很困难。以下是一些建议:
- 基于现有活动:确定客户已经在做的提升情绪的活动,并扩大这些活动。例如,如果客户喜欢与朋友讨论最近的政治局势,她能否更频繁地见到这位朋友?她能否联系另一位朋友?或许讨论政治的刺激提升了她的情绪。她可以读报纸或听播客吗?
- 尝试客户以前喜欢的活动:她可能会惊讶于自己仍然喜欢这些活动。只要确保客户不要期望像以前那样享受这些活动。
- 使用《令人愉悦的活动清单》:你可以在 http://www.newharbinger.com/38501 下载这份清单。清单可以帮助客户思考他们通常不做但可能想尝试的活动。
- 选择能带来掌握感或能力感的活动:人们倾向于享受自己擅长的事情。你还需要解决任何可能导致额外问题的回避行为,例如避免完成工作项目或将孩子报名参加夏令营。
- 鼓励与客户价值观一致且有意义的活动:例如,志愿服务可能因为与客户的价值观相关而令人愉快。
-
练习正念:我鼓励客户温和地放下批判性的思维,专注于当下的活动。例如,如果客户在户外散步,我鼓励她注意新鲜空气,看到花朵,感受到风。不要告诉客户停止负面思考。当我们告诉自己停止某种想法时,这种想法会反弹得更强烈。有些客户喜欢暂时摆脱负面想法的想法。
有效活动计划的指南
苏珊希望从一项能立即改善她早晨情绪的活动开始,因为她到达学校时已经非常抑郁。她决定在开车上班的路上听音乐和播客,以此来提升她的情绪。
苏珊还想增加给她的最好朋友吉娜打电话、联系前学校的同学丽塔,以及看望婆婆的活动。她设定了与丽塔和吉娜通话的具体时间。至于看望婆婆,苏珊希望看看周末的发展情况再决定。有时设定具体时间对活动有帮助,但有时客户希望有一个更灵活的日程。如果我们对活动完成时间保持灵活,而客户没有完成活动,那么下周我会尝试设定具体时间。苏珊并不乐观这些活动会对她的情绪有多大改善,但她愿意尝试。
尽管这些活动听起来很好,但客户往往不会按计划执行。遵循以下指南的活动更有机会被执行。你可以在 http://www.newharbinger.com/38501 找到《有效活动计划指南》的手册。
- 计划是否与客户共同制定?
- 计划是否具体且具体?
- 计划是否可行?
- 计划是否自然强化?
- 计划能否成为常规的一部分?
共同制定
我通常从问客户“什么活动加到你的一周中会帮助你感觉更好?”开始。客户经常有很好的建议,但有时他们需要帮助想出好的活动。如果你提出活动建议,尽量让客户参与调整这些建议以适应她的具体情况。关键是与客户共同制定活动,而不是为客户制定活动。苏珊的治疗师非常小心,确保这些活动要么是苏珊的想法,要么是双方共同制定的。
具体且具体
我们使用相同的准则来决定家庭作业是否足够具体和具体:客户将要做什么具体的行为?客户多久做一次活动?客户在哪里和什么时候做活动?
苏珊的活动是具体且具体的。苏珊希望在计划看望婆婆时有一些灵活性,这在她的治疗师看来是可以接受的。并不是每个活动都需要严格安排。
可行性
从客户的当前活动水平开始,而不是从她希望达到的水平或她过去的状态开始。从小处着手,让客户体验成功。我总是问活动是否“感觉可行”。我还检查客户是否具备完成活动所需的一切。询问客户是否预见到了任何障碍,并解决如何克服这些障碍。
当苏珊的治疗师检查这些活动是否感觉可行时,苏珊说听音乐上下班感觉可行。然而,找播客、下载并集中注意力听某人说话让她感到压力很大。他们决定她将专注于听音乐。
自然强化
选择客户内在喜欢的活动,或者客户会因为做这些活动而获得积极强化的活动。例如,与孩子玩15分钟的棋盘游戏比洗15分钟的碗更自然地强化。这在开始阶段尤为重要,因为你想让客户体验到积极的结果并保持动力。
苏珊和她的治疗师选择的活动都是自然强化的。苏珊喜欢音乐,享受与丽塔、吉娜和婆婆共度时光。
常规活动
许多客户最初建议计划一个大的、遥远的事件,比如明年12月的度假。然而,积极的常规活动比一次性的大事件更能维持积极的情绪。常规活动的例子包括定期与朋友约会或每周的锻炼课程。一个好的常规就像一个好的结构,能够维持良好的情绪。
苏珊和她的治疗师选择的活动可以成为她常规的一部分。
轮到你了!
为安娜制定提升情绪的活动
安娜最近从社区学院毕业,过去的六个月一直在家与父母同住,同时寻找工作。她的情绪越来越低落。她完成了一份《每日活动计划表》,并与治疗师一起回顾,治疗师希望增加一些能提升愉悦感或掌握感的活动。
安娜注意到她情绪最低落的时候是在下午5点左右。那时她一个人在家,父母还要再过两个小时才回家。她这段时间通常上网浏览和反复思考。她的治疗师告诉她不要反复思考,并指出上网对她没有帮助。安娜以前喜欢跑步,但已经一年多没有跑了。治疗师建议安娜重新开始跑步,每周三次,每次一小时。安娜喜欢这个主意。他们一起决定安娜将在周一、周三和周五的下午5点跑一个小时。
现在试着完成以下练习:
- 根据《有效活动计划指南》评估她的治疗师的干预措施,并完成下表。你可以在附录中看到我的答案。
建议的活动 | 是否共同制定 | 是否具体且具体 | 是否可行 | 是否自然强化 | 是否成为常规 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
每周跑三次,每次一小时 |
- 在评估当前计划后,设计一个更有效的计划。
练习 10.2:贾马尔感到抑郁
练习评估计划的活动是否可能有效。 视频 10.2:制定提升情绪的活动
监测客户在活动前后的状态
如果你问抑郁的客户是否会享受某个活动,他们可能会说不会。抑郁的客户不像以前那样享受活动。然而,客户往往会比他们预期的更享受活动。通常,开始活动是最难的部分。在活动前后评估情绪可以为客户提供重要的数据,让他们了解在生活中的活动中添加提升情绪的活动如何影响他们的情绪。我通常会让客户完成《预测你的情绪》工作表,如下所示。(你可以在 http://www.newharbinger.com/38501 下载空白表格。)
客户尝试活动后,如果他们的情绪评分有所改善,我会问他们学到了什么。我希望我的客户能看到,即使他们认为自己不会享受某个活动,他们的预测并不一定是准确的。
让我们看看苏珊是如何完成《预测你的情绪》工作表的,以及她的治疗师是如何使用这个工作表的。
预测你的情绪
日期和活动 | 我会有多喜欢这项活动? | 活动前的情绪 | 我有多喜欢这项活动? | 活动后的情绪 |
---|---|---|---|---|
(从1-10评分;1=完全不喜欢;10=非常喜欢) | (从1-10评分;1=非常快乐;10=非常抑郁) | (从1-10评分;1=完全不喜欢;10=非常喜欢) | (从1-10评分;1=非常快乐;10=非常抑郁) | |
星期一:在车里听音乐 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
星期一:给朋友丽塔打电话 | 3 | 7 | 6-7 | 4 |
治疗师与苏珊的对话
治疗师:看起来你很好地完成了《预测你的情绪》工作表。当你查看你的回答时,你注意到什么了吗?
苏珊:嗯,首先,在两种情况下,我的情绪都有所提升。
治疗师:你能详细说说吗? 治疗师希望扩展和巩固苏珊对活动与情绪关系的认识。当治疗师要求细节时,苏珊回忆起经历,使这些经历更加显著。
苏珊:嗯,实际上我喜欢听音乐。我选了一些我非常喜欢的老歌,它们真的很提神。我觉得这分散了我对糟糕早晨的注意力。
治疗师:所以听音乐是个好主意。那与丽塔交谈呢?
苏珊:那也比我预期的更愉快。我们聊得很开心,互相更新了近况。她告诉我她想念我,所有朋友都在打听我的消息。 治疗师使用总结陈述来巩固这段经历。
治疗师:我听到丽塔想念你,你的其他朋友也想念你。嗯(治疗师微微一笑)。让我们看看你的预测是否准确。你最初预测了什么?(他们查看《预测你的情绪》工作表。) 请注意,苏珊的治疗师没有直接给出答案,而是让她提供信息,让她自己得出结论。
苏珊:我预测我不太会喜欢听音乐和给丽塔打电话。我都给了3分。
治疗师:那么实际上发生了什么?
苏珊:(笑)嗯,实际上我很喜欢听音乐,我给了5分。与丽塔交谈的愉快程度远超我的预期,我给了6到7分——能互相更新近况真是太好了。
治疗师:这说明了你的预测怎么样?
苏珊:我想我是错的。
视频 10.3:监测活动前后的状态
克服障碍:客户未尝试计划的活动
尽管你尽了最大努力,客户并不总是会按照约定的活动去做。首先,问问客户是什么阻碍了她。有时候答案很简单。接下来,问问她在想到要做这个活动时脑子里在想什么。她是不是觉得太难了?她是不是觉得这不会有帮助,还是有其他想法?我回到基本原则:遵循提升情绪的计划,而不是听从抑郁的感觉。记住,对于抑郁症来说,活动就像药物。有研究表明,客户如果公开承诺做某项活动,更有可能坚持下去(Locke & Latham, 2002)。如果我的客户有支持她的家人或朋友,我会鼓励她分享她的计划。
然后,我会探讨客户如何在下一周进行活动,或者修改活动使其更可行。我确保自己保持鼓励和支持的态度,传达出我相信治疗会有效的信念。
第一周,苏珊每天上下班时都会听音乐。但在下一次预约时,她告诉治疗师她已经停止听音乐了,因为这一周她“太低落了”。治疗师回顾了苏珊从《预测你的情绪》工作表中学到的内容。她决定再试一次。苏珊笑着说,她即使“戴着抑郁的帽子”也要听音乐。治疗师认为这是一个很好的形象,经常在治疗中使用这个比喻。
如果我只有几次会话怎么办?
关于行为激活的研究通常评估涉及十六周治疗的方案,通常在前八周每周两次会话(参见,例如,Dimidjian et al., 2006)。然而,许多治疗师只与客户进行几次会话。如果我只有几次会话,我会从探索客户不再进行的她曾经喜欢的活动开始。然后,我解释活动与情绪之间的关系。在第一次或第二次会话中,我们一起确定她可以开始的具体愉快活动。我确保这些活动符合客户的当前活动水平。我尝试针对一天中她情绪特别低落的时段。如果可能,我鼓励社交接触,因为有强有力的证据表明社交能提升情绪。
防止复发
为了维持积极的情绪,客户需要有良好的日常规律。每个人的规律都不同,但通常包括一天的结构、社交、一些运动、有意义且与客户价值观相关的活动,以及一些娱乐。我用建造一栋坚固建筑的类比来说明。如果支撑梁腐烂且脆弱,即使你有好的石膏板和美丽的油漆颜色,房子也会不稳定。
我教导客户,治疗结束后,如果他们再次感到抑郁或正经历压力时期,应该检查他们的日常规律。我鼓励他们注意一天中最糟糕的时段,并思考如何改善这些时段。我也鼓励他们在一天中尝试添加甚至微小的提升情绪的活动。
对于正在经历特别困难时期的客户,我也使用活动安排来预防抑郁。如果你曾经经历过困难时期,肯定有人告诉你“照顾好自己”。这是很好的建议,但过于笼统。我检查客户因压力而停止的愉快活动,并看是否可以将这些活动重新纳入她的生活中,或者添加其他她喜欢的活动。我们一起制定一个具体且可行的计划,可以成为客户日常生活的一部分。
议程项目 #5:分级任务分配
分级任务分配主要用于当客户回避那些感觉压倒性的重要任务时。它通常是活动安排、问题解决和治疗拖延的一个组成部分。
分级任务分配涉及将整个活动分解成更小的部分或块。这些小块在感觉上比整个任务更可行。客户从完成第一个小块开始,逐步进行到更多的小块。限制客户在每个任务上花费的时间可以使任务感觉更可管理。通过将任务分解成具体的小块,客户在完成每个任务时会感到自己在取得进展。设置每个任务的具体时间也很有帮助。
为了使分级任务分配有效,任务必须是非常具体和具体的行为。例如,如果客户在拖延报税,第一个任务可能是花二十分钟审查税表,第二个任务可能是花半小时收集收入证明,第三个任务可能是将收集到的收入信息填入税表。不需要列出所有步骤,但指定最初的几个步骤是有帮助的。
轮到你了!
使用分级任务分配
以下是感到不知所措的客户的例子。他们的治疗师希望使用分级任务分配作为干预措施。请查看他们的第一个任务,判断其是否足够具体、具体、可行且限时。我会做第一个,你来做接下来的两个。你可以在附录中找到我的答案。
-
辛西娅的老板要求她负责总部成员来检查她们部门时的现场访问。她感到非常不知所措。她和治疗师认为一个好的第一步任务是重新组织文件系统,使其更有条理。
- 具体和具体:是
- 可行:是
- 限时:否(建议设置具体时间,例如每天花一小时)
-
理查德想邀请他的整个家庭——大约十五人——来吃感恩节晚餐。他感到非常不知所措。他和治疗师认为花三十分钟列出他想做的食物是一个好的第一步任务。
- 具体和具体:是
- 可行:是
- 限时:是
-
亚历山德拉想找一份兼职工作。她感到非常不知所措,告诉治疗师她不知道从哪里开始。她和治疗师认为探索工作选项是一个好的第一步。
- 具体和具体:否(建议更具体,例如列出三个潜在的工作领域)
- 可行:是
- 限时:否(建议设置具体时间,例如每天花半小时)
练习 10.1:劳尔的抑郁循环
练习 10.2:贾马尔感到抑郁
将所学应用到自己的生活中
治疗师经常谈论自我护理的重要性。下面的练习是一个机会,让你将本章的一些干预措施应用到自己的生活中,而不是用于你的客户,从而在这个过程中照顾自己。
家庭作业 #1:在你的生活中增加一个你喜欢的活动
- 识别一天中情绪低落的时间:思考一个你可以添加的小活动,这个活动是你喜欢的,或者能给你带来一种成就感。
- 使用《预测你的情绪》工作表:该工作表可在 http://www.newharbinger.com/38501 下载。
当我做这个练习时,我发现我和丈夫过去每周一晚上都会看一部最喜欢的电视剧。剧集结束后,我们没有再一起看电视,而是各自做家务。与丈夫一起看喜欢的节目和做家务相比,哪一个更能提升我的情绪?我们选了一部新的电视剧来看。
家庭作业 #2:提高你的幸福感
-
查看提高幸福感的干预措施列表:
- 与亲朋好友社交。
- 记录积极体验。
- 享受当下。
- 表达感激。
- 践行善举。
- 乐观思考。
-
选择一个干预措施并试用一周:
- 在每次练习干预措施前后,评估你整体的情绪。
- 在一周的开始和结束时,评估你整体的情绪。
将所学应用到你的治疗实践中
对于下一个任务,选择一个你熟悉且抑郁的客户。
家庭作业 #3:与客户一起完成《理解你的抑郁》工作表
- 使用你已经了解的客户信息,完成《理解你的抑郁》工作表。这个练习如何帮助你更好地理解客户?记住,你可以在 http://www.newharbinger.com/38501 下载工作表。
家庭作业 #4:尝试行为激活
-
选择以下干预措施之一,并在接下来的一周内与客户尝试:
- 介绍每日活动计划,并在会话中完成第一天的计划。
- 与客户一起选择一个能促进愉悦或掌握感的活动。使用《预测你的情绪》工作表来评估该活动是否对客户的情绪产生了影响。
回顾
回答每个议程项目的提问。
议程项目 #1:行为激活是如何工作的?
- 行为激活的主要思想是什么?
议程项目 #2:帮助客户理解他们的抑郁。
- 如何使用花朵类比来帮助客户理解抑郁?
议程项目 #3:监控客户的日常活动。
- 每日活动计划的目的是什么?
议程项目 #4:计划能提升积极情绪的活动。
- 你可能会建议客户添加哪两种类型的活动来帮助他们感觉更好?
议程项目 #5:分级任务分配。
- 什么是分级任务分配?
议程项目 #6:增加幸福感。
- 有哪些干预措施有证据表明能增加幸福感?
对你来说重要的内容
- 你希望记住哪些想法或概念?
- 你希望将哪些想法或技能应用到自己的生活中?
- 你希望在接下来的一周内与某个特定客户尝试什么?
本章知识点阐述
进一步阐述知识点
-
行为激活的重要性
- 改善情绪:通过增加促进愉悦感和胜任感的活动,帮助客户改善情绪。
- 打破恶性循环:帮助客户打破由逃避和缺乏积极强化引起的抑郁循环。
-
抑郁症的循环
- 触发因素:生活中的困难情境或变化。
- 积极事件减少:客户享受的事件减少。
- 消极事件增加:不愉快的事件增加。
- 情绪低落:客户的整体情绪下降。
- 避免活动:客户开始避免各种活动。
- 次生问题:客户可能出现次生问题,如睡眠问题、食欲不振等。
-
帮助客户理解抑郁症
- 教育:向客户解释抑郁症的成因和维持机制。
- 自我监测:帮助客户监测自己的日常活动和情绪变化。
-
监测客户的日常活动
- 记录:让客户记录每天的活动和情绪。
- 评估:定期评估客户的活动和情绪,找出模式和趋势。
-
规划增加积极情绪的活动
- 选择活动:帮助客户选择能够带来愉悦感和胜任感的活动。
- 具体计划:制定具体且可操作的活动计划。
-
分级任务分配
- 逐步增加:从简单到复杂,逐步增加活动的难度。
- 持续激励:通过积极反馈和奖励,激励客户坚持活动。
-
增强幸福感
- 培养兴趣:帮助客户重新发现和培养兴趣爱好。
- 社交互动:鼓励客户参与社交活动,增强社会支持。
实践应用
-
家庭作业:
- 识别和记录思维:帮助客户识别和记录特定情境下的思维。
- 寻找证据:引导客户寻找支持和反对的证据。
- 发展平衡的想法:帮助客户形成并巩固平衡的想法。
- 评估解决方案:引导客户评估不同解决方案的短期和长期好处及缺点。
- 制定计划:帮助客户制定具体且具体的实施计划。
- 发展应对思维:帮助客户发展简短且具体的应对思维。
- 意象练习:通过意象练习来预演应对思维。
-
案例分析:
- 罗尔的案例:罗尔通过识别和记录应对思维,特别是在给同事打电话的情境中,成功地减轻了焦虑,提高了自信心。
- 苏珊的案例:苏珊通过识别和记录应对思维,特别是在与老师交谈的情境中,成功地减轻了焦虑,提高了自信心。
长期影响
- 情感变化:通过行为激活,客户可以减少负面情绪,提高积极情绪。
- 行为改变:积极的思维和行为可以激发客户采取更积极的行动,改善生活质量。
- 专业成长:通过实际应用,治疗师可以提高专业技能和自信心,更好地服务客户。
进一步阐述知识点
-
行为激活的重要性
- 打断抑郁循环:通过减少逃避行为和增加提升情绪的活动,帮助客户打断抑郁症的循环。
- 改善情绪:通过参与令人愉快的活动,客户的整体情绪会有所改善。
- 增强自信:增加客户的自信和掌握感,帮助他们重建生活的积极性。
-
抑郁症的循环
- 触发因素:生活中的困难情境或变化。
- 减少积极活动:客户享受的活动减少。
- 增加消极活动:不愉快的活动增加。
- 情绪低落:客户的整体情绪下降。
- 避免活动:客户开始避免各种活动。
- 次生问题:客户可能出现次生问题,如睡眠问题、食欲不振等。
-
帮助客户理解抑郁症
- 教育:向客户解释抑郁症的成因和维持机制。
- 自我监测:帮助客户监测自己的日常活动和情绪变化。
- 动机:通过解释抑郁症与缺乏令人愉快的活动有关,增强客户参与活动的动机。
-
监测客户的日常活动
- 记录:让客户记录每天的活动和情绪。
- 评估:定期评估客户的活动和情绪,找出模式和趋势。
-
规划提升积极情绪的活动
- 选择活动:帮助客户选择能够带来愉悦感和掌握感的活动。
- 具体计划:制定具体且可操作的活动计划。
-
解决障碍
- 问题解决:帮助客户识别和解决参与活动时遇到的障碍。
- 逐步增加:从简单到复杂,逐步增加活动的难度。
-
建立健康的生活常规
- 规律作息:帮助客户建立规律的作息时间。
- 预防复发:通过持续的活动和情绪监测,预防抑郁症的复发。
实践应用
-
家庭作业:
- 识别和记录思维:帮助客户识别和记录特定情境下的思维。
- 寻找证据:引导客户寻找支持和反对的证据。
- 发展平衡的想法:帮助客户形成并巩固平衡的想法。
- 评估解决方案:引导客户评估不同解决方案的短期和长期好处及缺点。
- 制定计划:帮助客户制定具体且具体的实施计划。
- 发展应对思维:帮助客户发展简短且具体的应对思维。
- 意象练习:通过意象练习来预演应对思维。
-
案例分析:
- 罗尔的案例:罗尔通过识别和记录应对思维,特别是在给同事打电话的情境中,成功地减轻了焦虑,提高了自信心。
- 苏珊的案例:苏珊通过识别和记录应对思维,特别是在与老师交谈的情境中,成功地减轻了焦虑,提高了自信心。
长期影响
- 情感变化:通过行为激活,客户可以减少负面情绪,提高积极情绪。
- 行为改变:积极的思维和行为可以激发客户采取更积极的行动,改善生活质量。
- 专业成长:通过实际应用,治疗师可以提高专业技能和自信心,更好地服务客户。
进一步阐述知识点
-
理解抑郁症的成因
- 生活变化:苏珊的生活经历了许多变化,包括新学校的工作、婆婆不再帮忙照看孩子、好朋友搬走等。
- 早晨例行公事:早晨的例行公事从轻松愉快变成了紧张和压力重重,这对苏珊的情绪产生了负面影响。
- 自我认知:通过探讨生活中的变化,苏珊从认为自己有问题转变为认识到这些变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因。
-
治疗师的角色
- 引导和倾听:治疗师通过提问和倾听,帮助苏珊逐步理解她的抑郁症。
- 给予希望:治疗师通过积极的语言和态度,给予苏珊希望,帮助她看到改变的可能性。
- 具体化:治疗师帮助苏珊具体化生活中的变化,使其更容易理解和处理。
-
抑郁症的循环
- 触发因素:生活中的重大变化。
- 减少积极活动:早晨的愉快活动减少。
- 增加消极活动:早晨的压力和紧张增加。
- 情绪低落:苏珊的整体情绪下降。
- 避免活动:苏珊开始避免各种活动,进一步加剧了抑郁症。
实践应用
-
家庭作业:
- 识别和记录思维:帮助客户识别和记录特定情境下的思维。
- 寻找证据:引导客户寻找支持和反对的证据。
- 发展平衡的想法:帮助客户形成并巩固平衡的想法。
- 评估解决方案:引导客户评估不同解决方案的短期和长期好处及缺点。
- 制定计划:帮助客户制定具体且具体的实施计划。
- 发展应对思维:帮助客户发展简短且具体的应对思维。
- 意象练习:通过意象练习来预演应对思维。
-
案例分析:
- 苏珊的案例:通过识别和记录生活中的变化,苏珊从认为自己有问题转变为认识到这些变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因。这帮助她更加积极地面对问题,寻求解决方案。
长期影响
- 情感变化:通过行为激活,客户可以减少负面情绪,提高积极情绪。
- 行为改变:积极的思维和行为可以激发客户采取更积极的行动,改善生活质量。
- 专业成长:通过实际应用,治疗师可以提高专业技能和自信心,更好地服务客户。
进一步阐述知识点
-
理解抑郁症的成因
- 生活变化:苏珊的生活经历了许多变化,包括新学校的工作、婆婆不再帮忙照看孩子、好朋友搬走等。
- 活动变化:苏珊的活动从积极、愉快的变为消极、紧张的,这对她的整体情绪产生了负面影响。
- 自我认知:通过探讨生活中的变化,苏珊从认为自己有问题转变为认识到这些变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因。
-
治疗师的角色
- 引导和倾听:治疗师通过提问和倾听,帮助苏珊逐步理解她的抑郁症。
- 给予希望:治疗师通过积极的语言和态度,给予苏珊希望,帮助她看到改变的可能性。
- 具体化:治疗师帮助苏珊具体化生活中的变化,使其更容易理解和处理。
-
抑郁症的循环
- 触发因素:生活中的重大变化。
- 减少积极活动:早晨的愉快活动减少,不再参与学校戏剧和其他课外活动。
- 增加消极活动:早晨的压力和紧张增加,长时间通勤,晚上提前准备。
- 情绪低落:苏珊的整体情绪下降。
- 避免活动:苏珊开始避免各种活动,进一步加剧了抑郁症。
实践应用
-
家庭作业:
- 识别和记录思维:帮助客户识别和记录特定情境下的思维。
- 寻找证据:引导客户寻找支持和反对的证据。
- 发展平衡的想法:帮助客户形成并巩固平衡的想法。
- 评估解决方案:引导客户评估不同解决方案的短期和长期好处及缺点。
- 制定计划:帮助客户制定具体且具体的实施计划。
- 发展应对思维:帮助客户发展简短且具体的应对思维。
- 意象练习:通过意象练习来预演应对思维。
-
案例分析:
- 苏珊的案例:通过识别和记录生活中的变化,苏珊从认为自己有问题转变为认识到这些变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因。这帮助她更加积极地面对问题,寻求解决方案。
长期影响
- 情感变化:通过行为激活,客户可以减少负面情绪,提高积极情绪。
- 行为改变:积极的思维和行为可以激发客户采取更积极的行动,改善生活质量。
- 专业成长:通过实际应用,治疗师可以提高专业技能和自信心,更好地服务客户。
进一步阐述知识点
-
理解抑郁症的成因
- 生活变化:梅琳的生活经历了许多变化,包括母亲生病需要照顾,朋友和社交活动减少,以及停止了雕塑创作。
- 活动变化:梅琳的活动从积极、愉快的变为消极、单调的,这对她的整体情绪产生了负面影响。
- 自我认知:通过探讨生活中的变化,梅琳从认为自己有问题转变为认识到这些变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因。
-
治疗师的角色
- 引导和倾听:治疗师通过提问和倾听,帮助客户逐步理解她的抑郁症。
- 给予希望:治疗师通过积极的语言和态度,给予客户希望,帮助他们看到改变的可能性。
- 具体化:治疗师帮助客户具体化生活中的变化,使其更容易理解和处理。
-
抑郁症的循环
- 触发因素:生活中的重大变化,如母亲生病需要照顾。
- 减少积极活动:不再见朋友,放弃锻炼,停止雕塑创作。
- 增加消极活动:长时间照顾母亲,看无聊的电视节目。
- 情绪低落:梅琳的整体情绪下降。
- 避免活动:梅琳开始避免各种活动,进一步加剧了抑郁症。
实践应用
-
家庭作业:
- 识别和记录思维:帮助客户识别和记录特定情境下的思维。
- 寻找证据:引导客户寻找支持和反对的证据。
- 发展平衡的想法:帮助客户形成并巩固平衡的想法。
- 评估解决方案:引导客户评估不同解决方案的短期和长期好处及缺点。
- 制定计划:帮助客户制定具体且具体的实施计划。
- 发展应对思维:帮助客户发展简短且具体的应对思维。
- 意象练习:通过意象练习来预演应对思维。
-
案例分析:
- 梅琳的案例:通过识别和记录生活中的变化,梅琳从认为自己有问题转变为认识到这些变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因。这帮助她更加积极地面对问题,寻求解决方案。
长期影响
- 情感变化:通过行为激活,客户可以减少负面情绪,提高积极情绪。
- 行为改变:积极的思维和行为可以激发客户采取更积极的行动,改善生活质量。
- 专业成长:通过实际应用,治疗师可以提高专业技能和自信心,更好地服务客户。
进一步阐述知识点
-
理解抑郁症的成因
- 生活变化:苏珊的生活经历了许多变化,包括新学校的工作、婆婆不再帮忙照看孩子、好朋友搬走等。
- 活动变化:苏珊的活动从积极、愉快的变为消极、紧张的,这对她的整体情绪产生了负面影响。
- 自我认知:通过探讨生活中的变化,苏珊从认为自己有问题转变为认识到这些变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因。
-
治疗师的角色
- 引导和倾听:治疗师通过提问和倾听,帮助客户逐步理解她的抑郁症。
- 给予希望:治疗师通过积极的语言和态度,给予客户希望,帮助他们看到改变的可能性。
- 具体化:治疗师帮助客户具体化生活中的变化,使其更容易理解和处理。
-
抑郁症的循环
- 触发因素:生活中的重大变化,如新学校的工作。
- 减少积极活动:早晨的愉快活动减少,不再参与学校戏剧和其他课外活动。
- 增加消极活动:早晨的压力和紧张增加,长时间通勤,晚上提前准备。
- 情绪低落:苏珊的整体情绪下降。
- 避免活动:苏珊开始避免各种活动,进一步加剧了抑郁症。
实践应用
-
家庭作业:
- 识别和记录思维:帮助客户识别和记录特定情境下的思维。
- 寻找证据:引导客户寻找支持和反对的证据。
- 发展平衡的想法:帮助客户形成并巩固平衡的想法。
- 评估解决方案:引导客户评估不同解决方案的短期和长期好处及缺点。
- 制定计划:帮助客户制定具体且具体的实施计划。
- 发展应对思维:帮助客户发展简短且具体的应对思维。
- 意象练习:通过意象练习来预演应对思维。
-
案例分析:
- 苏珊的案例:通过识别和记录生活中的变化,苏珊从认为自己有问题转变为认识到这些变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因。这帮助她更加积极地面对问题,寻求解决方案。
长期影响
- 情感变化:通过行为激活,客户可以减少负面情绪,提高积极情绪。
- 行为改变:积极的思维和行为可以激发客户采取更积极的行动,改善生活质量。
- 专业成长:通过实际应用,治疗师可以提高专业技能和自信心,更好地服务客户。
进一步阐述知识点
-
理解抑郁症的成因
- 生活变化:苏珊的生活经历了许多变化,包括新学校的工作、婆婆不再帮忙照看孩子、好朋友搬走等。
- 活动变化:苏珊的活动从积极、愉快的变为消极、紧张的,这对她的整体情绪产生了负面影响。
- 自我认知:通过探讨生活中的变化,苏珊从认为自己有问题转变为认识到这些变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因。
-
治疗师的角色
- 引导和倾听:治疗师通过提问和倾听,帮助客户逐步理解她的抑郁症。
- 给予希望:治疗师通过积极的语言和态度,给予客户希望,帮助他们看到改变的可能性。
- 具体化:治疗师帮助客户具体化生活中的变化,使其更容易理解和处理。
-
抑郁症的循环
- 触发因素:生活中的重大变化,如新学校的工作。
- 减少积极活动:早晨的愉快活动减少,不再参与学校戏剧和其他课外活动。
- 增加消极活动:早晨的压力和紧张增加,长时间通勤,晚上提前准备。
- 情绪低落:苏珊的整体情绪下降。
- 避免活动:苏珊开始避免各种活动,进一步加剧了抑郁症。
实践应用
-
家庭作业:
- 识别和记录思维:帮助客户识别和记录特定情境下的思维。
- 寻找证据:引导客户寻找支持和反对的证据。
- 发展平衡的想法:帮助客户形成并巩固平衡的想法。
- 评估解决方案:引导客户评估不同解决方案的短期和长期好处及缺点。
- 制定计划:帮助客户制定具体且具体的实施计划。
- 发展应对思维:帮助客户发展简短且具体的应对思维。
- 意象练习:通过意象练习来预演应对思维。
-
案例分析:
- 苏珊的案例:通过识别和记录生活中的变化,苏珊从认为自己有问题转变为认识到这些变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因。这帮助她更加积极地面对问题,寻求解决方案。
长期影响
- 情感变化:通过行为激活,客户可以减少负面情绪,提高积极情绪。
- 行为改变:积极的思维和行为可以激发客户采取更积极的行动,改善生活质量。
- 专业成长:通过实际应用,治疗师可以提高专业技能和自信心,更好地服务客户。
进一步阐述知识点
-
理解抑郁症的成因
- 生活变化:苏珊的生活经历了许多变化,包括新学校的工作、婆婆不再帮忙照看孩子、好朋友搬走等。
- 活动变化:苏珊的活动从积极、愉快的变为消极、紧张的,这对她的整体情绪产生了负面影响。
- 自我认知:通过探讨生活中的变化,苏珊从认为自己有问题转变为认识到这些变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因。
-
治疗师的角色
- 引导和倾听:治疗师通过提问和倾听,帮助客户逐步理解她的抑郁症。
- 给予希望:治疗师通过积极的语言和态度,给予客户希望,帮助他们看到改变的可能性。
- 具体化:治疗师帮助客户具体化生活中的变化,使其更容易理解和处理。
-
抑郁症的循环
- 触发因素:生活中的重大变化,如新学校的工作。
- 减少积极活动:早晨的愉快活动减少,不再参与学校戏剧和其他课外活动。
- 增加消极活动:早晨的压力和紧张增加,长时间通勤,晚上提前准备。
- 情绪低落:苏珊的整体情绪下降。
- 避免活动:苏珊开始避免各种活动,进一步加剧了抑郁症。
实践应用
-
家庭作业:
- 识别和记录思维:帮助客户识别和记录特定情境下的思维。
- 寻找证据:引导客户寻找支持和反对的证据。
- 发展平衡的想法:帮助客户形成并巩固平衡的想法。
- 评估解决方案:引导客户评估不同解决方案的短期和长期好处及缺点。
- 制定计划:帮助客户制定具体且具体的实施计划。
- 发展应对思维:帮助客户发展简短且具体的应对思维。
- 意象练习:通过意象练习来预演应对思维。
-
案例分析:
- 苏珊的案例:通过识别和记录生活中的变化,苏珊从认为自己有问题转变为认识到这些变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因。这帮助她更加积极地面对问题,寻求解决方案。
长期影响
- 情感变化:通过行为激活,客户可以减少负面情绪,提高积极情绪。
- 行为改变:积极的思维和行为可以激发客户采取更积极的行动,改善生活质量。
- 专业成长:通过实际应用,治疗师可以提高专业技能和自信心,更好地服务客户。
进一步阐述知识点
-
理解抑郁症的成因
- 生活变化:苏珊的生活经历了许多变化,包括新学校的工作、婆婆不再帮忙照看孩子、好朋友搬走等。
- 活动变化:苏珊的活动从积极、愉快的变为消极、紧张的,这对她的整体情绪产生了负面影响。
- 自我认知:通过探讨生活中的变化,苏珊从认为自己有问题转变为认识到这些变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因。
-
治疗师的角色
- 引导和倾听:治疗师通过提问和倾听,帮助客户逐步理解她的抑郁症。
- 给予希望:治疗师通过积极的语言和态度,给予客户希望,帮助他们看到改变的可能性。
- 具体化:治疗师帮助客户具体化生活中的变化,使其更容易理解和处理。
-
抑郁症的循环
- 触发因素:生活中的重大变化,如新学校的工作。
- 减少积极活动:早晨的愉快活动减少,不再参与学校戏剧和其他课外活动。
- 增加消极活动:早晨的压力和紧张增加,长时间通勤,晚上提前准备。
- 情绪低落:苏珊的整体情绪下降。
- 避免活动:苏珊开始避免各种活动,进一步加剧了抑郁症。
实践应用
-
家庭作业:
- 识别和记录思维:帮助客户识别和记录特定情境下的思维。
- 寻找证据:引导客户寻找支持和反对的证据。
- 发展平衡的想法:帮助客户形成并巩固平衡的想法。
- 评估解决方案:引导客户评估不同解决方案的短期和长期好处及缺点。
- 制定计划:帮助客户制定具体且具体的实施计划。
- 发展应对思维:帮助客户发展简短且具体的应对思维。
- 意象练习:通过意象练习来预演应对思维。
-
案例分析:
- 苏珊的案例:通过识别和记录生活中的变化,苏珊从认为自己有问题转变为认识到这些变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因。这帮助她更加积极地面对问题,寻求解决方案。
长期影响
- 情感变化:通过行为激活,客户可以减少负面情绪,提高积极情绪。
- 行为改变:积极的思维和行为可以激发客户采取更积极的行动,改善生活质量。
- 专业成长:通过实际应用,治疗师可以提高专业技能和自信心,更好地服务客户。
进一步阐述知识点
理解抑郁症的成因
- 生活变化:苏珊的生活经历了许多变化,包括新学校的工作、婆婆不再帮忙照看孩子、好朋友搬走等。这些变化打破了她原有的生活节奏,增加了压力。
- 活动变化:苏珊的活动从积极、愉快的变为消极、紧张的。例如,她不再参与学校戏剧和其他课外活动,而是花费大量时间在通勤和准备工作中。这种活动的变化直接影响了她的情绪。
- 自我认知:通过探讨生活中的变化,苏珊从认为自己有问题转变为认识到这些变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因。这种认知的转变帮助她更加客观地看待自己的状况,从而更积极地寻求解决方案。
治疗师的角色
- 引导和倾听:治疗师通过提问和倾听,帮助客户逐步理解她的抑郁症。例如,治疗师通过询问苏珊的日常活动,发现了她缺乏令人愉快的活动,从而引导她制定新的活动计划。
- 给予希望:治疗师通过积极的语言和态度,给予客户希望,帮助他们看到改变的可能性。例如,治疗师告诉苏珊,即使是小的改变也能带来积极的效果。
- 具体化:治疗师帮助客户具体化生活中的变化,使其更容易理解和处理。例如,治疗师帮助苏珊制定了具体的活动计划,包括听音乐、打电话给朋友等。
抑郁症的循环
- 触发因素:生活中的重大变化,如新学校的工作,是苏珊抑郁的触发因素。这些变化增加了她的压力,使她感到无助和沮丧。
- 减少积极活动:早晨的愉快活动减少,不再参与学校戏剧和其他课外活动。这种减少使她的生活变得单调,进一步加剧了抑郁情绪。
- 增加消极活动:早晨的压力和紧张增加,长时间通勤,晚上提前准备。这些消极活动使她的情绪更加低落。
- 情绪低落:苏珊的整体情绪下降,她感到自己无法控制生活,这进一步加深了她的抑郁。
- 避免活动:苏珊开始避免各种活动,如与朋友外出、参与社交活动等,这进一步加剧了她的抑郁症。
实践应用
-
家庭作业:
- 识别和记录思维:帮助客户识别和记录特定情境下的思维。例如,苏珊可以记录每天早上起床时的思维,了解自己的负面思维模式。
- 寻找证据:引导客户寻找支持和反对的证据。例如,苏珊可以记录自己在听音乐后的感受,看看是否有积极的变化。
- 发展平衡的想法:帮助客户形成并巩固平衡的想法。例如,苏珊可以尝试用更积极的方式看待自己的母亲角色。
- 评估解决方案:引导客户评估不同解决方案的短期和长期好处及缺点。例如,苏珊可以评估在通勤时听音乐和播客的效果。
- 制定计划:帮助客户制定具体且具体的实施计划。例如,苏珊可以设定每周与朋友通电话的具体时间。
- 发展应对思维:帮助客户发展简短且具体的应对思维。例如,苏珊可以练习在感到焦虑时深呼吸。
- 意象练习:通过意象练习来预演应对思维。例如,苏珊可以想象自己在与朋友共度美好时光的情景。
-
案例分析:
- 苏珊的案例:通过识别和记录生活中的变化,苏珊从认为自己有问题转变为认识到这些变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因。这帮助她更加积极地面对问题,寻求解决方案。例如,她开始尝试听音乐和播客来提升情绪,与朋友保持联系,这些小的改变逐渐改善了她的生活质量。
长期影响
- 情感变化:通过行为激活,客户可以减少负面情绪,提高积极情绪。例如,苏珊通过听音乐和与朋友交流,逐渐感到心情好转。
- 行为改变:积极的思维和行为可以激发客户采取更积极的行动,改善生活质量。例如,苏珊开始主动参与社交活动,她的社交圈逐渐扩大,生活变得更加丰富多彩。
- 专业成长:通过实际应用,治疗师可以提高专业技能和自信心,更好地服务客户。例如,治疗师通过苏珊的案例,学会了如何更有效地引导客户制定和执行活动计划。
进一步阐述知识点
理解抑郁症的成因
- 生活变化:安娜最近毕业,正在找工作,这种过渡期往往伴随着不确定性和压力。
- 活动变化:安娜的活动主要集中在上网浏览和反复思考,缺乏令人愉快的活动和目标感。
- 自我认知:通过与治疗师的互动,安娜开始认识到她的活动模式对情绪的影响。
治疗师的角色
- 引导和倾听:治疗师通过提问和倾听,帮助客户逐步理解她的抑郁症。例如,治疗师通过询问安娜的日常活动,发现了她缺乏令人愉快的活动,从而引导她制定新的活动计划。
- 给予希望:治疗师通过积极的语言和态度,给予客户希望,帮助他们看到改变的可能性。例如,治疗师鼓励安娜重新开始跑步,这给了她一个具体的行动计划。
- 具体化:治疗师帮助客户具体化生活中的变化,使其更容易理解和处理。例如,治疗师帮助安娜制定了具体的跑步计划,包括时间和频率。
抑郁症的循环
- 触发因素:生活中的重大变化,如毕业和找工作,是安娜抑郁的触发因素。这些变化增加了她的压力,使她感到无助和沮丧。
- 减少积极活动:安娜的活动主要是上网浏览和反复思考,缺乏令人愉快的活动。这种减少使她的生活变得单调,进一步加剧了抑郁情绪。
- 增加消极活动:安娜花大量时间在网上浏览和反复思考,这些消极活动使她的情绪更加低落。
- 情绪低落:安娜的整体情绪下降,她感到自己无法控制生活,这进一步加深了她的抑郁。
- 避免活动:安娜开始避免各种活动,如与朋友外出、参与社交活动等,这进一步加剧了她的抑郁症。
实践应用
-
家庭作业:
- 识别和记录思维:帮助客户识别和记录特定情境下的思维。例如,安娜可以记录每天下午5点时的思维,了解自己的负面思维模式。
- 寻找证据:引导客户寻找支持和反对的证据。例如,安娜可以记录自己在跑步后的感受,看看是否有积极的变化。
- 发展平衡的想法:帮助客户形成并巩固平衡的想法。例如,安娜可以尝试用更积极的方式看待自己的职业前景。
- 评估解决方案:引导客户评估不同解决方案的短期和长期好处及缺点。例如,安娜可以评估重新开始跑步的效果。
- 制定计划:帮助客户制定具体且具体的实施计划。例如,安娜可以设定每周跑步的具体时间。
- 发展应对思维:帮助客户发展简短且具体的应对思维。例如,安娜可以练习在感到焦虑时深呼吸。
- 意象练习:通过意象练习来预演应对思维。例如,安娜可以想象自己在跑步时感到轻松和愉快的情景。
-
案例分析:
- 安娜的案例:通过识别和记录生活中的变化,安娜从认为自己有问题转变为认识到这些变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因。这帮助她更加积极地面对问题,寻求解决方案。例如,她开始尝试重新开始跑步,与朋友保持联系,这些小的改变逐渐改善了她的生活质量。
长期影响
- 情感变化:通过行为激活,客户可以减少负面情绪,提高积极情绪。例如,安娜通过跑步和与朋友交流,逐渐感到心情好转。
- 行为改变:积极的思维和行为可以激发客户采取更积极的行动,改善生活质量。例如,安娜开始主动参与社交活动,她的社交圈逐渐扩大,生活变得更加丰富多彩。
- 专业成长:通过实际应用,治疗师可以提高专业技能和自信心,更好地服务客户。例如,治疗师通过安娜的案例,学会了如何更有效地引导客户制定和执行活动计划。
进一步阐述知识点
理解抑郁症的成因
- 生活变化:苏珊的生活经历了许多变化,包括新学校的工作、婆婆不再帮忙照看孩子、好朋友搬走等。这些变化打破了她原有的生活节奏,增加了压力。
- 活动变化:苏珊的活动从积极、愉快的变为消极、紧张的。例如,她不再参与学校戏剧和其他课外活动,而是花费大量时间在通勤和准备工作中。这种活动的变化直接影响了她的情绪。
- 自我认知:通过探讨生活中的变化,苏珊从认为自己有问题转变为认识到这些变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因。这种认知的转变帮助她更加客观地看待自己的状况,从而更积极地寻求解决方案。
治疗师的角色
- 引导和倾听:治疗师通过提问和倾听,帮助客户逐步理解她的抑郁症。例如,治疗师通过询问苏珊的日常活动,发现了她缺乏令人愉快的活动,从而引导她制定新的活动计划。
- 给予希望:治疗师通过积极的语言和态度,给予客户希望,帮助他们看到改变的可能性。例如,治疗师鼓励苏珊重新开始听音乐和与朋友交流,这给了她一个具体的行动计划。
- 具体化:治疗师帮助客户具体化生活中的变化,使其更容易理解和处理。例如,治疗师帮助苏珊制定了具体的活动计划,包括听音乐和给朋友打电话的时间。
抑郁症的循环
- 触发因素:生活中的重大变化,如新学校的工作,是苏珊抑郁的触发因素。这些变化增加了她的压力,使她感到无助和沮丧。
- 减少积极活动:早晨的愉快活动减少,不再参与学校戏剧和其他课外活动。这种减少使她的生活变得单调,进一步加剧了抑郁情绪。
- 增加消极活动:早晨的压力和紧张增加,长时间通勤,晚上提前准备。这些消极活动使她的情绪更加低落。
- 情绪低落:苏珊的整体情绪下降,她感到自己无法控制生活,这进一步加深了她的抑郁。
- 避免活动:苏珊开始避免各种活动,如与朋友外出、参与社交活动等,这进一步加剧了她的抑郁症。
实践应用
-
家庭作业:
- 识别和记录思维:帮助客户识别和记录特定情境下的思维。例如,苏珊可以记录每天早晨起床时的思维,了解自己的负面思维模式。
- 寻找证据:引导客户寻找支持和反对的证据。例如,苏珊可以记录自己在听音乐后的感受,看看是否有积极的变化。
- 发展平衡的想法:帮助客户形成并巩固平衡的想法。例如,苏珊可以尝试用更积极的方式看待自己的母亲角色。
- 评估解决方案:引导客户评估不同解决方案的短期和长期好处及缺点。例如,苏珊可以评估在通勤时听音乐和播客的效果。
- 制定计划:帮助客户制定具体且具体的实施计划。例如,苏珊可以设定每周与朋友通电话的具体时间。
- 发展应对思维:帮助客户发展简短且具体的应对思维。例如,苏珊可以练习在感到焦虑时深呼吸。
- 意象练习:通过意象练习来预演应对思维。例如,苏珊可以想象自己在与朋友共度美好时光的情景。
-
案例分析:
- 苏珊的案例:通过识别和记录生活中的变化,苏珊从认为自己有问题转变为认识到这些变化可能是导致她抑郁的原因。这帮助她更加积极地面对问题,寻求解决方案。例如,她开始尝试听音乐和与朋友交流,这些小的改变逐渐改善了她的生活质量。
长期影响
- 情感变化:通过行为激活,客户可以减少负面情绪,提高积极情绪。例如,苏珊通过听音乐和与朋友交流,逐渐感到心情好转。
- 行为改变:积极的思维和行为可以激发客户采取更积极的行动,改善生活质量。例如,苏珊开始主动参与社交活动,她的社交圈逐渐扩大,生活变得更加丰富多彩。
- 专业成长:通过实际应用,治疗师可以提高专业技能和自信心,更好地服务客户。例如,治疗师通过苏珊的案例,学会了如何更有效地引导客户制定和执行活动计划。
克服障碍:客户未尝试计划的活动
尽管你尽了最大努力,客户并不总是会按照约定的活动去做。以下是一些处理这种情况的方法:
-
询问阻碍因素:
- 简单答案:有时答案很简单,例如客户感到太累或太低落。
- 深入探究:进一步询问客户在想到要做这个活动时脑子里在想什么。她是不是觉得太难了?她是不是觉得这不会有帮助,还是有其他想法?
-
回顾已有的进展:
- 总结经验:回顾客户从之前的活动中学到的内容,帮助她看到活动的实际效果。
- 再次尝试:鼓励客户再次尝试,即使在情绪低落的情况下也要坚持。
-
公共承诺:
- 增强动机:有研究表明,客户如果公开承诺做某项活动,更有可能坚持下去(Locke & Latham, 2002)。
- 分享计划:如果客户有支持她的家人或朋友,鼓励她分享她的计划。
-
调整活动:
- 问题解决:探讨客户如何在下一周进行活动,或者修改活动使其更可行。
- 保持鼓励:确保自己保持鼓励和支持的态度,传达出你相信治疗会有效的信念。
案例分析:苏珊的进展
- 第一周:苏珊每天上下班时都会听音乐,这确实提升了她的情绪。
- 第二周:苏珊告诉治疗师她已经停止听音乐,因为这一周她“太低落了”。
-
回顾与再尝试:
- 回顾经验:治疗师回顾了苏珊从《预测你的情绪》工作表中学到的内容,帮助她看到听音乐的实际效果。
- 再次尝试:苏珊笑着说,她即使“戴着抑郁的帽子”也要听音乐。治疗师认为这是一个很好的形象,经常在治疗中使用这个比喻。
总结
通过以上知识点的详细阐述,我们可以看到,苏珊的抑郁症不仅仅是个人问题,而是由多种生活变化和活动变化引起的。治疗师通过引导和倾听,帮助她认识到这一点,并通过具体的活动计划逐步改善她的生活质量。这些实践应用不仅有助于苏珊,也为其他类似情况的客户提供了一种有效的治疗方法。
进一步阐述知识点
如果只有几次会话
- 探索不再进行的活动:在有限的会话中,治疗师应从探索客户不再进行的她曾经喜欢的活动开始。这有助于客户意识到活动减少对情绪的影响。
- 解释活动与情绪的关系:通过解释活动与情绪之间的关系,帮助客户理解增加愉快活动的重要性。
- 制定具体活动计划:在第一次或第二次会话中,治疗师应与客户一起确定具体且可行的愉快活动。确保这些活动符合客户的当前活动水平,并针对情绪低落的时段。
防止复发
- 建立良好规律:客户需要有良好的日常规律,包括一天的结构、社交、运动、有意义的活动和娱乐。
- 检查日常规律:治疗结束后,如果客户再次感到抑郁或正经历压力时期,应检查他们的日常规律。
- 改善情绪低落时段:鼓励客户注意一天中最糟糕的时段,并思考如何改善这些时段。
- 添加提升情绪的活动:鼓励客户在一天中尝试添加微小的提升情绪的活动。
分级任务分配
- 定义任务:将整个任务分解成更小的部分或块,使任务感觉更可行。
- 具体和具体:任务必须是非常具体和具体的行为。
- 限时:限制客户在每个任务上花费的时间,使其感觉更可管理。
- 逐步进行:客户从完成第一个小块开始,逐步进行到更多的小块。
- 设置具体时间:设置每个任务的具体时间,有助于客户更好地管理时间。
案例分析
- 辛西娅的案例:通过重新组织文件系统,辛西娅可以更好地管理现场访问的任务,逐步减轻压力。
- 理查德的案例:通过列出想做的食物,理查德可以更有条理地准备感恩节晚餐,逐步减少压力。
- 亚历山德拉的案例:通过探索工作选项,亚历山德拉可以更具体地规划她的求职过程,逐步减轻压力。
总结
通过上述知识点的详细阐述,我们可以看到,即使只有几次会话,治疗师也可以通过探索不再进行的活动、解释活动与情绪的关系和制定具体活动计划来帮助客户。此外,通过建立良好的日常规律、检查日常规律、改善情绪低落时段和添加提升情绪的活动,可以帮助客户防止复发。分级任务分配则通过将任务分解成具体的小块,逐步减轻客户的压力,帮助他们更好地管理任务。
进一步阐述知识点
任务评估
-
具体和具体:任务必须非常具体和明确。例如,重新组织文件系统需要明确的标准和第一个行动步骤。
- 辛西娅的案例:重新组织文件系统需要更具体的标准和第一个行动步骤。例如,可以设定“将所有文件按类别分类,每天整理一个类别,从早上9点到10点进行。”
-
可行:任务应该是可行的,明确谁来做这件事,以及具体的人会做什么。
- 辛西娅的案例:明确谁来做这件事,例如辛西娅自己或她的团队成员。具体任务可以是“辛西娅每天早上9点到10点整理一个类别的文件,团队成员协助核对文件的准确性。”
-
限时和具体时间:任务需要有一个具体的时间限制和具体的时间安排。
- 辛西娅的案例:设定具体的时间,例如每天早上9点到10点进行文件整理,而不是不确定的时间。
增加幸福感
-
与亲朋好友社交:社交接触是与幸福感最一致相关的单一因素。增加积极的社交互动是提高幸福感最有效的干预措施之一。
- 重要性:社交活动可以提供情感支持,减少孤独感,增强归属感。
- 具体活动:定期与朋友和家人见面,参加聚会,打电话或视频聊天,发送关心的信息等。
-
记录积极体验:每天写下一到三件积极的经历,有助于客户回忆和重现这些经历,从而提高幸福感。
- 重要性:记录积极体验可以增强客户的积极情绪,帮助他们关注生活中的美好。
- 具体活动:每天晚上花10分钟记录当天的积极经历,可以使用日记本或手机应用程序。
-
享受当下:有意识地享受一个愉快的时刻,专注于感官体验,有助于保持当下的感觉。
- 重要性:享受当下可以减少焦虑和压力,提高生活质量。
- 具体活动:散步时注意周围的花朵和新鲜空气,吃饭时细细品味食物的味道,听音乐时全身心投入。
-
表达感激:每天写下一到三件值得感激的事情,有助于客户感受到生活的美好。通过告诉或写信给他人,表达对他们的感激之情,可以增强客户的幸福感。
- 重要性:表达感激可以增强人际关系,提高积极情绪。
- 具体活动:每天晚上写下一到三件值得感激的事情,可以写信或发信息给朋友和家人表达感激。
-
践行善举:有意识地做一些善举,观察对方的反应,可以增加客户的幸福感。当别人对你微笑或道谢时,你会感到快乐。
- 重要性:践行善举可以增强社会联系,提高积极情绪。
- 具体活动:每天至少做一件善举,例如帮助邻居拿包裹,给同事带早餐,向陌生人微笑等。
-
乐观思考:识别一个可能的压力事件,描述最好的可能结果,有助于客户保持积极的心态。
- 重要性:乐观思考可以减少焦虑,提高应对压力的能力。
- 具体活动:每天选择一个可能的压力事件,写下最好的可能结果,并在脑海中形成详细的图景。
家庭作业
-
实践CBT:在继续下一章之前,花点时间尝试以下家庭作业。
- 将所学应用于临床案例:完成以下练习。
案例分析
-
辛西娅的案例:重新组织文件系统需要更具体的标准和第一个行动步骤,明确谁来做这件事,以及具体的时间安排。
-
具体步骤:
- 设定具体标准:将文件按类别分类,例如财务文件、会议记录、客户资料等。
- 制定时间表:每天早上9点到10点整理一个类别的文件。
- 明确责任人:辛西娅负责整理,团队成员协助核对文件的准确性。
-
具体步骤:
-
理查德的案例:列出想做的食物是一个具体、可行且限时的任务,有助于理查德有条理地准备感恩节晚餐。
-
具体步骤:
- 制定时间表:每天花30分钟列出想做的食物。
- 明确责任人:理查德负责列出食物清单,家人可以提供意见。
-
具体步骤:
-
亚历山德拉的案例:探索工作选项需要更具体的时间安排,明确具体的行动步骤,以便亚历山德拉能够逐步减轻压力。
-
具体步骤:
- 制定时间表:每天花30分钟探索工作选项。
- 明确责任人:亚历山德拉负责探索,可以咨询职业顾问或朋友的意见。
-
具体步骤:
总结
通过上述知识点的详细阐述,我们可以看到,任务评估需要确保任务具体、可行且限时。增加幸福感的活动包括与亲朋好友社交、记录积极体验、享受当下、表达感激、践行善举和乐观思考。这些活动不仅有助于客户减少抑郁,还能提高他们的幸福感。通过具体的家庭作业和案例分析,客户可以更好地应用这些方法,逐步改善自己的生活质量。
进一步阐述知识点
任务评估
-
具体和具体
- 定义:任务必须非常具体和明确,避免模糊不清。
- 重要性:具体任务有助于客户明确知道要做什么,减少困惑和拖延。
-
示例:
- 辛西娅的案例:重新组织文件系统需要明确的标准和第一个行动步骤。例如,可以设定“将所有文件按类别分类,每天整理一个类别,从早上9点到10点进行。”
-
可行
- 定义:任务应该是可行的,明确谁来做这件事,以及具体的人会做什么。
- 重要性:可行性确保任务能够实际完成,避免客户感到压力过大。
-
示例:
- 辛西娅的案例:明确谁来做这件事,例如辛西娅自己或她的团队成员。具体任务可以是“辛西娅每天早上9点到10点整理一个类别的文件,团队成员协助核对文件的准确性。”
-
限时和具体时间
- 定义:任务需要有一个具体的时间限制和具体的时间安排。
- 重要性:限时和具体时间有助于客户管理时间,确保任务按时完成。
-
示例:
- 辛西娅的案例:设定具体的时间,例如每天早上9点到10点进行文件整理,而不是不确定的时间。
增加幸福感
-
与亲朋好友社交
- 重要性:社交活动可以提供情感支持,减少孤独感,增强归属感。
- 具体活动:定期与朋友和家人见面,参加聚会,打电话或视频聊天,发送关心的信息等。
-
记录积极体验
- 重要性:记录积极体验可以增强客户的积极情绪,帮助他们关注生活中的美好。
- 具体活动:每天晚上花10分钟记录当天的积极经历,可以使用日记本或手机应用程序。
-
享受当下
- 重要性:享受当下可以减少焦虑和压力,提高生活质量。
- 具体活动:散步时注意周围的花朵和新鲜空气,吃饭时细细品味食物的味道,听音乐时全身心投入。
-
表达感激
- 重要性:表达感激可以增强人际关系,提高积极情绪。
- 具体活动:每天晚上写下一到三件值得感激的事情,可以写信或发信息给朋友和家人表达感激。
-
践行善举
- 重要性:践行善举可以增强社会联系,提高积极情绪。
- 具体活动:每天至少做一件善举,例如帮助邻居拿包裹,给同事带早餐,向陌生人微笑等。
-
乐观思考
- 重要性:乐观思考可以减少焦虑,提高应对压力的能力。
- 具体活动:每天选择一个可能的压力事件,写下最好的可能结果,并在脑海中形成详细的图景。
家庭作业
-
实践CBT:在继续下一章之前,花点时间尝试以下家庭作业。
- 将所学应用于临床案例:完成以下练习。
案例分析
-
辛西娅的案例:重新组织文件系统需要更具体的标准和第一个行动步骤,明确谁来做这件事,以及具体的时间安排。
-
具体步骤:
- 设定具体标准:将文件按类别分类,例如财务文件、会议记录、客户资料等。
- 制定时间表:每天早上9点到10点整理一个类别的文件。
- 明确责任人:辛西娅负责整理,团队成员协助核对文件的准确性。
-
具体步骤:
-
理查德的案例:列出想做的食物是一个具体、可行且限时的任务,有助于理查德有条理地准备感恩节晚餐。
-
具体步骤:
- 制定时间表:每天花30分钟列出想做的食物。
- 明确责任人:理查德负责列出食物清单,家人可以提供意见。
-
具体步骤:
-
亚历山德拉的案例:探索工作选项需要更具体的时间安排,明确具体的行动步骤,以便亚历山德拉能够逐步减轻压力。
-
具体步骤:
- 制定时间表:每天花30分钟探索工作选项。
- 明确责任人:亚历山德拉负责探索,可以咨询职业顾问或朋友的意见。
-
具体步骤:
总结
通过上述知识点的详细阐述,我们可以看到,任务评估需要确保任务具体、可行且限时。增加幸福感的活动包括与亲朋好友社交、记录积极体验、享受当下、表达感激、践行善举和乐观思考。这些活动不仅有助于客户减少抑郁,还能提高他们的幸福感。通过具体的家庭作业和案例分析,客户可以更好地应用这些方法,逐步改善自己的生活质量。
进一步阐述知识点
家庭作业 #1:在你的生活中增加一个你喜欢的活动
-
识别一天中情绪低落的时间:
- 目的:找出一天中情绪低落的时间,这样可以有针对性地添加活动。
- 示例:假设你在晚上7点到8点之间感到特别疲惫和无精打采。
-
选择一个小活动:
- 要求:选择一个你喜欢的、容易实现的小活动,可以是阅读、听音乐、散步等。
- 示例:选择在晚上7点到8点之间听30分钟的轻松音乐。
-
使用《预测你的情绪》工作表:
- 目的:评估活动对情绪的影响,帮助你更好地了解哪些活动能有效提升情绪。
- 示例:在听音乐前后,记录你的情绪变化,评估活动的效果。
家庭作业 #2:提高你的幸福感
-
查看提高幸福感的干预措施列表:
-
列表:
- 与亲朋好友社交。
- 记录积极体验。
- 享受当下。
- 表达感激。
- 践行善举。
- 乐观思考。
-
列表:
-
选择一个干预措施并试用一周:
-
步骤:
- 评估情绪:在每次练习干预措施前后,评估你整体的情绪。
- 记录变化:在一周的开始和结束时,评估你整体的情绪变化。
- 示例:选择“记录积极体验”作为干预措施,每天晚上花10分钟记录当天的积极经历,评估一周内的情绪变化。
-
步骤:
家庭作业 #3:与客户一起完成《理解你的抑郁》工作表
-
使用已知的客户信息:
- 目的:帮助客户更好地理解他们的抑郁,从而制定更有效的治疗计划。
- 示例:假设客户是一位名叫李华的年轻女性,她最近感到非常抑郁,缺乏动力。
-
完成《理解你的抑郁》工作表:
- 目的:通过填写工作表,帮助客户识别和理解导致抑郁的因素。
- 示例:与李华一起填写工作表,讨论她的日常活动、情绪变化和压力源。
家庭作业 #4:尝试行为激活
-
选择一个干预措施:
-
选项:
- 介绍每日活动计划,并在会话中完成第一天的计划。
- 与客户一起选择一个能促进愉悦或掌握感的活动。
- 示例:选择与李华一起完成每日活动计划,帮助她安排一天的活动,增加积极情绪。
-
选项:
-
使用《预测你的情绪》工作表:
- 目的:评估活动对客户情绪的影响,帮助客户更好地了解哪些活动能有效提升情绪。
- 示例:在每次活动前后,与李华一起记录她的情绪变化,评估活动的效果。
回顾
议程项目 #1:行为激活是如何工作的?
-
行为激活的主要思想:
- 定义:行为激活是一种心理治疗方法,通过增加积极的活动来改善情绪。
- 机制:通过增加积极的活动,打破消极情绪的循环,提高客户的幸福感和生活质量。
议程项目 #2:帮助客户理解他们的抑郁。
-
如何使用花朵类比来帮助客户理解抑郁:
- 定义:花朵类比将抑郁比作一朵枯萎的花,需要阳光、水分和土壤才能重新绽放。
- 应用:通过这个类比,帮助客户理解积极的活动就像阳光和水一样,能帮助他们走出抑郁。
议程项目 #3:监控客户的日常活动。
-
每日活动计划的目的是什么:
- 定义:每日活动计划是一个工具,用于记录和规划客户的日常活动。
- 目的:帮助客户识别和增加积极的活动,减少消极的活动,从而改善情绪。
议程项目 #4:计划能提升积极情绪的活动。
-
你可能会建议客户添加哪两种类型的活动来帮助他们感觉更好:
-
类型:
- 愉悦活动:如听音乐、散步、与朋友聚会等。
- 掌握感活动:如学习新技能、完成工作任务、锻炼身体等。
-
类型:
议程项目 #5:分级任务分配。
-
什么是分级任务分配:
- 定义:分级任务分配是一种将大任务分解成小任务的方法,使任务更易于管理和完成。
- 目的:通过逐步完成小任务,帮助客户克服拖延和压力,提高完成任务的信心。
议程项目 #6:增加幸福感。
-
有哪些干预措施有证据表明能增加幸福感:
-
干预措施:
- 与亲朋好友社交。
- 记录积极体验。
- 享受当下。
- 表达感激。
- 践行善举。
- 乐观思考。
-
干预措施:
对你来说重要的内容
-
你希望记住哪些想法或概念:
- 示例:行为激活的主要思想、每日活动计划的目的、分级任务分配的定义等。
-
你希望将哪些想法或技能应用到自己的生活中:
- 示例:在日常生活中增加愉悦活动,记录积极体验,表达感激等。
-
你希望在接下来的一周内与某个特定客户尝试什么:
- 示例:与李华一起完成每日活动计划,帮助她增加积极的活动,评估活动的效果。
进一步阐述知识点
家庭作业 #1:在你的生活中增加一个你喜欢的活动
识别一天中情绪低落的时间
- 目的:找出一天中情绪低落的时间,这样可以有针对性地添加活动。
- 示例:假设你在晚上7点到8点之间感到特别疲惫和无精打采。通过识别这一时间段,你可以有针对性地选择活动来提升情绪。
选择一个小活动
- 要求:选择一个你喜欢的、容易实现的小活动,可以是阅读、听音乐、散步等。
- 示例:选择在晚上7点到8点之间听30分钟的轻松音乐。这个活动不仅简单易行,而且能有效提升你的情绪。
使用《预测你的情绪》工作表
- 目的:评估活动对情绪的影响,帮助你更好地了解哪些活动能有效提升情绪。
- 示例:在听音乐前后,记录你的情绪变化,评估活动的效果。通过这种方式,你可以更清楚地看到活动对情绪的实际影响,从而选择更有效的活动。
家庭作业 #2:提高你的幸福感
查看提高幸福感的干预措施列表
-
列表:
- 与亲朋好友社交。
- 记录积极体验。
- 享受当下。
- 表达感激。
- 践行善举。
- 乐观思考。
选择一个干预措施并试用一周
-
步骤:
- 评估情绪:在每次练习干预措施前后,评估你整体的情绪。
- 记录变化:在一周的开始和结束时,评估你整体的情绪变化。
- 示例:选择“记录积极体验”作为干预措施,每天晚上花10分钟记录当天的积极经历,评估一周内的情绪变化。通过记录积极体验,你可以更好地关注生活中的美好,从而提升幸福感。
家庭作业 #3:与客户一起完成《理解你的抑郁》工作表
使用已知的客户信息
- 目的:帮助客户更好地理解他们的抑郁,从而制定更有效的治疗计划。
- 示例:假设客户是一位名叫李华的年轻女性,她最近感到非常抑郁,缺乏动力。通过了解她的背景和现状,你可以更准确地帮助她理解抑郁的原因。
完成《理解你的抑郁》工作表
- 目的:通过填写工作表,帮助客户识别和理解导致抑郁的因素。
- 示例:与李华一起填写工作表,讨论她的日常活动、情绪变化和压力源。通过这个过程,李华可以更清楚地认识到自己的问题所在,从而更好地配合治疗。
家庭作业 #4:尝试行为激活
选择一个干预措施
-
选项:
- 介绍每日活动计划,并在会话中完成第一天的计划。
- 与客户一起选择一个能促进愉悦或掌握感的活动。
- 示例:选择与李华一起完成每日活动计划,帮助她安排一天的活动,增加积极情绪。通过制定具体的活动计划,李华可以更有目标地进行日常活动,从而逐步改善情绪。
使用《预测你的情绪》工作表
- 目的:评估活动对客户情绪的影响,帮助客户更好地了解哪些活动能有效提升情绪。
- 示例:在每次活动前后,与李华一起记录她的情绪变化,评估活动的效果。通过这种方式,李华可以更清楚地看到哪些活动对她的情绪有积极影响,从而在未来的活动中做出更好的选择。
回顾
议程项目 #1:行为激活是如何工作的?
-
行为激活的主要思想:
- 定义:行为激活是一种心理治疗方法,通过增加积极的活动来改善情绪。
- 机制:通过增加积极的活动,打破消极情绪的循环,提高客户的幸福感和生活质量。行为激活的核心在于通过外部行为的变化来影响内部情绪状态,从而达到治疗效果。
议程项目 #2:帮助客户理解他们的抑郁。
-
如何使用花朵类比来帮助客户理解抑郁:
- 定义:花朵类比将抑郁比作一朵枯萎的花,需要阳光、水分和土壤才能重新绽放。
- 应用:通过这个类比,帮助客户理解积极的活动就像阳光和水一样,能帮助他们走出抑郁。这个类比形象地展示了抑郁症的成因和治疗过程,帮助客户更容易理解和接受治疗。
议程项目 #3:监控客户的日常活动。
-
每日活动计划的目的是什么:
- 定义:每日活动计划是一个工具,用于记录和规划客户的日常活动。
- 目的:帮助客户识别和增加积极的活动,减少消极的活动,从而改善情绪。通过记录和规划日常活动,客户可以更清晰地了解自己的行为模式,从而做出更有利的改变。
议程项目 #4:计划能提升积极情绪的活动。
-
你可能会建议客户添加哪两种类型的活动来帮助他们感觉更好:
-
类型:
- 愉悦活动:如听音乐、散步、与朋友聚会等。这些活动能带来即时的愉悦感,帮助客户放松心情,提升情绪。
- 掌握感活动:如学习新技能、完成工作任务、锻炼身体等。这些活动能带来成就感和自信心,帮助客户建立积极的自我形象,提升整体情绪。
-
类型:
议程项目 #5:分级任务分配。
-
什么是分级任务分配:
- 定义:分级任务分配是一种将大任务分解成小任务的方法,使任务更易于管理和完成。
- 目的:通过逐步完成小任务,帮助客户克服拖延和压力,提高完成任务的信心。这种方法有助于客户逐步建立起完成任务的习惯,从而改善整体的生活质量。
议程项目 #6:增加幸福感。
-
有哪些干预措施有证据表明能增加幸福感:
-
干预措施:
- 与亲朋好友社交。
- 记录积极体验。
- 享受当下。
- 表达感激。
- 践行善举。
- 乐观思考。
- 效果:这些干预措施已被研究证实能有效提升幸福感。通过实践这些活动,客户可以逐步改善情绪,提高生活质量。
-
干预措施:
对你来说重要的内容
-
你希望记住哪些想法或概念:
- 示例:行为激活的主要思想、每日活动计划的目的、分级任务分配的定义等。这些概念是行为激活治疗的基础,对理解和应用这些方法非常重要。
-
你希望将哪些想法或技能应用到自己的生活中:
- 示例:在日常生活中增加愉悦活动,记录积极体验,表达感激等。通过实践这些方法,你可以逐步改善自己的情绪,提高生活质量。
-
你希望在接下来的一周内与某个特定客户尝试什么:
- 示例:与李华一起完成每日活动计划,帮助她增加积极的活动,评估活动的效果。通过具体的实践,你可以更好地帮助客户改善情绪,提高治疗效果。
CHAPTER 10 Behavioral Activation—Action Plans for Depression In the last chapter we covered problem solving. Did you notice your clients’ problem orientation? Did you have a chance to try problem solving in your own life or with any clients? What was it like to con- sciously evaluate different solutions? Was it hard not to jump in and solve your clients’ problems? Set the Agenda In this chapter you will learn how to help your clients who have depression by increasing their activity level to improve their mood. The technical term for this intervention is behavioral activation. Agenda Item #1: How does behavioral activation work? Agenda Item #2: Help your clients understand their depression. Agenda Item #3: Monitor your clients’ daily activities. Agenda Item #4: Plan activities that increase positive moods. Agenda Item #5: Graded task assignments. Agenda Item #6: Increase well-being. Work the Agenda Behavioral activation is primarily a treatment for depression. It is based on the premise that when your clients change their behaviors, and increase activities that promote pleasure and a sense of compe- tence, their mood will improve.
Agenda Item #1: How Does Behavioral Activation Work? You can think of depression as a cycle that is caused and maintained by avoidance and a lack of positive reinforcement. Depression starts with changes in a client’s life that lead to a decrease in events that she enjoys and an increase in unpleasant events. As a result of these changes, your client’s overall mood declines and activities she used to enjoy are less pleasurable. Clients start avoiding activities such as seeing friends and family and pursuing hobbies, exercise, or leisure activities. The more clients avoid activities that might lift their mood, the less contact they have with positive reinforcements. The less contact with positive reinforcements, the more down they feel and the less they feel like doing anything (Martell, Dimidjian, & Herman-Dunn, 2010). When clients become less active, their overall routine is disrupted, which may lead to sleep prob- lems, poor appetite, and generally feeling out of sync with their environment, all of which exacerbate depression (Dimidjian, Barrera, Martell, Muñoz, & Lewinsohn, 2011). The more your clients are caught in this cycle of depression, the more they disengage from their normal life and the more likely they are to develop secondary problems. For example, the student who is too depressed to attend baseball prac- tice may eventually be kicked off the team. Figure 10.1 shows how the cycle of depression works. Trigger: Difficult Situation or Life Changes Decrease in positive events; Increase in negative events Secondary problems; Disrupted routines Avoid activities Low mood and fatigue Thoughts: I don’t enjoy anything; I am tired and need to rest. Figure 10.1. Cycle of depression.
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INACTIVITY AND DEPRESSION Behavioral activation interrupts the cycle of depression by directly targeting avoidance and encour- aging clients to engage in mood-boosting activities. Clients identify activities that (1) are enjoyable, (2) increase their confidence or sense of mastery, or (3) are functional in that they decrease the negative consequences of avoidance. The therapist works with clients to schedule these activities into their week in a step-by-step manner and uses the problem-solving process to address any obstacles (Martell et al., 2010). As clients start to engage in pleasurable activities, their mood improves. As clients feel better, they have more energy, they stop wanting to avoid activities, and they engage in healthy routines. In short, a mood-boosting cycle starts. Behavioral Activation Theory Pleasurable Activities + Problem Solving = Behavioral Antidepressant OVERVIEW OF BEHAVIORAL ACTIVATION The formal goal of behavioral activation is for your clients to return to their pre-depression level of functioning. I prefer to tell my clients that our goal is to help them have a life they enjoy. The focus is to actively encourage clients to engage in activities even though they “feel” like avoiding or resting. It seems to me that folk wisdom often captures the essence of behavioral activation. My Aunt Tanya, who is eighty-eight, always told me, “No matter what, get up every morning and put on your makeup, and before you go to bed at night, have a sip of vodka.” In other words, according to Aunt Tanya, no matter how you are feeling, get up and face the world, and before the day ends, do something nice for yourself. Generally, the behavioral activation process unfolds in the following order.
- Understand your client’s depression in relation to changes in his or her daily activities.
- Monitor your client’s daily activities.
- Plan activities that increase positive mood.
- Monitor your client’s mood before and after activities.
- Problem solve obstacles.
- Establish healthy routines and prevent setbacks. IS BEHAVIORAL ACTIVATION EFFECTIVE? Even though I have practiced behavioral activation for many years, when a client with severe depression comes into my office, I often find myself thinking that behavioral activation will not be enough. How can adding pleasurable activities be sufficient to help this very depressed client? But rather than believing my automatic thoughts…I look at the evidence!
Over the past three decades, numerous studies, including a number of meta-analyses, have consis- tently demonstrated that behavioral activation is an effective treatment for mild, moderate, and severe depression (Dimidjian et al., 2011; Soucy-Chartier & Provencher, 2013). This is true for children, teens, and adults of all ages. Behavioral activation alone has been found to be as effective as treatments that include both behavioral and cognitive interventions, such as identifying and challenging negative thoughts (Dimidjian et al., 2006; Richards et al., 2016). There is some indication that if clients are severely depressed, therapy provided over a sixteen-week period that includes only behavioral activa- tion is more effective than therapy that includes behavioral and cognitive interventions. Behavioral activation is also an effective intervention for relapse prevention (Dobson et al., 2008). A recent study found that clients with complicated bereavement also responded positively to behavioral activation (Hershenberg, Paulson, Gros, & Acierno, 2014). Research Summary Clients with mild and moderate depression: Behavioral activation should be a component of treatment. Clients with severe depression: Behavioral activation should be the first intervention. Agenda Item #2: Help Your Clients Understand Their Depression A client who is depressed often starts therapy saying, “What is wrong with me? I used to be so strong” or, “I think I am going crazy, I just feel like crying all day.” You want to help your client under- stand that her depression is related to a lack of mood-enhancing activities and is not a personal failure. You can use the cycle of depression as a model for gathering information that will help your clients understand the factors that caused and maintain their depression. If your clients understand that their depression is related to a lack of pleasurable activities in their lives, they will be more motivated to engage in mood-boosting activities. This is important, as you are going to ask your clients to engage in activities even if they don’t “feel like it.” Start with looking at the changes in your client’s life that preceded her depression, in particular, decreases in reinforcing and/or pleasurable activities and increases in unpleasant activities. You also want to look at how your client coped with these changes, and the role of avoidance. The two main questions I ask my client are:
- What life changes occurred prior to your depression?
- How did these changes affect your daily life activities in relation to an increase or decrease in pleasurable activities?
SUZANNE’S CYCLE OF DEPRESSION Suzanne started therapy saying she didn’t know what was wrong with her. She had a great house, great kids, a good job, and a great husband, but she was just so overwhelmed that she didn’t enjoy life anymore. She cried softly as she told her therapist that she wasn’t coping. In chapter 2 we listed the stressors and recent changes in Suzanne’s life that happened prior to her depression.
- Suzanne started teaching at a new school. The school is a thirty- to forty-minute commute from home; she does not know the other teachers, who form a tight group.
- Her mother-in-law is no longer able to babysit.
- Genia, her best friend, moved away. Let’s see how her therapist uses the two questions we just identified to understand Suzanne’s depression. Therapist:It sounds like there have been a lot of changes in your life. I am wondering if we could spend a moment and think about how each change has affected your life. Which one should we look at first? Suzanne:Well, I think the really big one is the new school. Therapist:I think it would be helpful to look at how your life has changed since starting at the new school. I want to look at activities you stopped doing, and activities you started doing because of the new school. The therapist instills hope by starting with, “I think it would be helpful.” Notice her therapist did not ask Suzanne how she feels about the new school. She asked her to look at how her life is different. Suzanne:One of the biggest changes is the morning. I used to walk to school; it was about fifteen minutes each way. I now spend forty-five minutes commuting. The extra thirty minutes I used to have meant that I had time to get the kids ready in the morning. Now everything has to be ready the night before. The kids have to be completely ready to be dropped off at my neighbor’s home by 7:30. It’s really hard getting them up, dressed, and fed. My neighbor takes them to school. My husband leaves early for work and can’t help. Therapist:That sounds like a really big change to your morning routine. Suzanne:Yes, I used to enjoy the mornings—it was a nice time with the kids, and I liked the walk to school. Now it is just so stressful. The therapist makes a supportive comment, and Suzanne goes on to elaborate how her life has changed. Therapist: I want to start making a list of the ways your life has changed. I think it will help us under- stand your depression and how to help you. What would you put down? Notice how her therapist instills hope. The therapist asks Suzanne what she would put on the list. Suzanne:Well, I guess, I no longer have the fifteen-minute walk to school, I no longer have a nice time with my kids in the morning, and actually, I rarely eat breakfast, I am so frazzled. I am often starving by the time I get to school. Therapist:I think that’s a really good list of all the things that you are no longer doing. What about anything that you now do because of the new school that you were not doing before? Suzanne:Well, I guess I have to be really organized the night before, which I find hard. I make my daughter’s lunch, put out the kids’ clothes, and make sure I am all organized for school. Also, I have to be really strict with the kids, as I am on a tight schedule. Which means I yell more to get them going in the morning. I also have the long drive to work, which I hate. I spend the whole time in the car thinking about what a bad mom I’ve become, how I yelled at the kids once again, and how I wish I were back at my old school. It’s just awful. Therapist:Sounds like a lot of changes. When we look at how different your morning is now to how it used to be, what are your thoughts? Note that the therapist first asked Suzanne what had changed, second asked her how the change had affected her daily life, and third asked her what she thought when she looked at the changes. Suzanne: Well, no wonder I am depressed; it sounds like an awful way to start the morning. By examining how her morning has changed, Suzanne has shifted from “something is wrong with me that I am depressed,” to realizing that the changes in her morning routine may be contributing to her depression. Therapist: I think you said something important. Seems like the change in school caused a lot of other changes in your life and had a negative effect on your morning routine and mood. I think we are discovering some important information. I want to see if there are other ways that starting at the new school has impacted your life. Notice how Suzanne’s therapist reinforces her awareness that her morning routine is impacting her mood. Also notice how the therapist keeps Suzanne on track with the task. Suzanne used to spend time with other teachers, who were her friends, and now she sees few of her friends. She had enjoyed being involved in the school play and had received a lot of positive feedback from many people in the school. She was well known as a popular teacher. At her new school she par- ticipates in no extracurricular activities and knows none of the other teachers socially. She gets home late from work, tired and frazzled from the drive. Suzanne had not realized that since her mother-in-law had become ill and could no longer babysit, she and her husband had practically stopped going out in the evening. It had been ages since they had seen many of their friends. Suzanne also realized that since Genia had moved away, she had stopped her weekly walks and talked to her friend much less. Suzanne was surprised when she looked at the impact of all the changes in her life. Exercise 10.1: Raoul’s Cycle of Depression Practice using the cycle of depression to understand your clients.
USE A WRITTEN SUMMARY After I have explored with my client how her life has changed, I find it helpful to provide a written summary. Sometimes I draw the cycle of depression and together we look at how it is related to my cli- ent’s specific situation. Other times I use the Understand Your Depression worksheet, which you can download at http://www.newharbinger.com/38501. The worksheet gives your client an overview of how her activities have changed since she became depressed. When Suzanne looked at her Understand Your Depression worksheet, it made sense that the changes in her activities were affecting her depression. Understand Your Depression
- Changes or stressors in your life prior to your depression? New school, mother-in-law no longer babysitting, and Genia, her best friend, moving away.
- Since these changes or stressors, how have your activities changed? Complete the form below. Increased Since Life Changes or StressorsDecreased Since Life Changes or Stressors Activities I enjoy or that provide pleasure or masteryNoneWalk to school; nice time with children in the morning; going out with husband and seeing friends; Sunday walk with Genia; talking to Genia Activities I do not enjoyGetting ready the night before; long drive to work; getting up early and getting children readyNone ExerciseNo walk to school, no Sunday walk Spending time with friendsStopped seeing school friends, Genia moved away Spending time with familySee mother-in-law more, as she has been illLess time with children in the morning; less time with husband overall Leisure or hobbiesNoneNo school play; no other extracurricular activities None Smoking, overeating, alcohol or drug use Routines related to eating and sleeping No breakfast routine, often fall asleep in front of TV
USE AN ANALOGY I sometimes use a flower analogy to help my client understand her depression. This analogy was inspired by Melanie Fennell’s virtuous and vicious flowers (Fennell, 2006). I explain that feeling happy is similar to a brightly colored flower with lots of petals. I then draw a flower with a circle in the middle and petals around the circle. I ask my client to fill in each petal with an activity she did before she became depressed that she enjoyed or gave meaning to her life. I look for healthy routines; social activi- ties with colleagues, friends, and family; activities that are pleasurable or meaningful; and activities that lead to a sense of competence or mastery. Once my client has completed filling in her flower, I ask her to draw an X through all the petals that have changed since the depression. Usually, almost all of them are gone. What was once a full bloom is often only a few petals. With some clients, instead of a flower I draw a picture of a wall. I use bricks to build a strong wall; if you take out too many bricks, the wall will fall, or have big holes. Suzanne’s therapist used the flower analogy, and Suzanne was surprised to see her flower. Her depression was making more and more sense to her. Her therapist explained that together they would help Suzanne start to add petals back into her life so that she could start to feel better. Suzanne said this was a good idea, but added that she couldn’t imagine where to begin. Her therapist assured her they would work together and go slowly. Your Turn! Understand Mayleen’s Depression Below is a description of Mayleen, a fifty-eight-year-old woman who has come to therapy because she is currently depressed. Try to complete the Understand Your Depression worksheet with the information below. You can see my answers in the appendix. Mayleen is a successful sculptor. She lives alone, has never married, and has no children. Two years ago her mother became ill, and Mayleen has been very involved in her care. Mayleen’s mother lives alone in the town where Mayleen grew up, about three hours away. Mayleen left when she was eighteen and no longer has any friends or other family who live there. She spends four days a week visiting her mother and attending to her needs, looking after the house, and taking her to doctor’s appointments. Mayleen is happy that she is able to care for her sick mother but feels lonely when she visits. She and her mother watch a lot of daytime TV, which Mayleen finds boring. Over the two years that her mother has been ill, Mayleen has become increasingly depressed and feels guilty about not spending all her time caring for her mother. She has stopped seeing many of her friends, has given up exercise, and has almost completely stopped sculpting, as she believes there is no time for these activities, and she is so tired most of the time.
Video 10.1: Explain Depression Agenda Item #3: Monitor Your Clients’ Daily Activities Behavioral activation involves asking your clients to engage in pleasurable activities. Sounds easy. The difficulty is that depressed clients don’t feel like doing anything. They will tell you, “Nothing helps.” You are going to ask your clients to act according to a plan rather than according to how they feel. If your clients can see the connection between an increase in their activity level and an increase in their mood, they will be more motivated to add pleasurable activities to their lives, even if they don’t “feel” like doing them. The easiest way for clients to see the connection between their mood and specific activities is to monitor their daily activities and rate their moods. I ask clients to complete a Daily Activities Schedule (available at http://www.newharbinger.com/38501), where they write what they do, hour by hour, and rate their mood. I usually complete the first day of the Daily Activities Schedule during the therapy hour. That way, I am sure my clients understand what to do. (If the session is early in the morning, we complete it for the previous day.) Then for homework I assign the Daily Activities Schedule for the rest of the week. Here is how I introduce the Daily Activities Schedule. I explain both the rationale behind the intervention and what we will be doing. I think it is important to understand how you spend your days, and if your mood changes with the types of activities that you do. I have a Daily Activities Schedule where you can write down what you do throughout the day, and rate your mood. That way, we can see whether there are times during the day when you feel better, and times when you feel worse. We are going to try and increase the times you feel better and learn how to cope with the times when you feel worse. Does this make sense to you? Let’s take today and see if we can complete the schedule together. Is that okay with you? What time did you wake up? If you had to rate your mood from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most depressed you have ever been, and 1 being not at all depressed, where would you rate your mood when you woke up today? I then take my client through her day, rating her mood during each activity. Your Turn! Practice in Your Imagination: Explain a Daily Activities Schedule Before you start, rate from 1 to 10 how comfortable you are explaining a Daily Activities Schedule to a client who is depressed. At the end of the exercise, rate your level of comfort again to see whether it changed. Now, let’s try this exercise.
Choose a client who is depressed and who you think would benefit from using behavioral activa- tion. Try to get a picture of him or her in your mind. Imagine yourself in your office with your client. See your office; notice the sounds and smells in the room. Imagine that you want to introduce a Daily Activities Schedule. Read over how I explain using a Daily Activities Schedule while imagining your- self saying the words. You can also use your own phrases. Imagine getting out the Daily Activities Schedule and explaining it to your client. Now, imagine explaining the Daily Activities Schedule two more times with the same client. Each time, imagine that your client responds positively. WHAT DID YOUR CLIENT LEARN? The next step is to use the Daily Activities Schedule to help your client discover an activity/mood relationship and to decide which times of day to target and which activities to introduce or expand. I start with asking my client about the general experience of completing the Daily Activities Schedule and then ask whether she learned anything in the process. I then go over Questions to Explore a Mood/ Activity Relationship (Martell et al., 2010). When I first started doing behavioral activation, I kept these questions next to me. You can download a copy at http://www.newharbinger.com/38501. • Do you see an activity/mood relationship? •What activities help you feel better? •What activities or situations are connected to a low mood? •What time periods are you most at risk for a low mood? •Do you have any routines that help you maintain a positive mood? •Is there anything you are avoiding? Below is the Daily Activities Schedule that Suzanne completed and brought to therapy. She rated her depression from 1 to 10, I being not at all depressed and 10 being the most depressed she had ever been.
Drop off kids (8)Drive to work (9)Teach (6) 7:008:009:00 2:00 Teach (5) Sports day (4) Teach (5) Teach (5) Take kids to park (4) Teach (5) 1:00 Clean house; errands (4) Lie in bed (9) Saturday Lunch (5) Recess and lunch (7) Teach (5) Drive to work (7) Drop off kids (7) Wake kids (7) Friday Recess and lunch (8) Recess and lunch (7) Teach (5) Drive to work (7) Drop off kids (9) Wake kids (6) Thursday 12:00 Help with food (4) Sports day at school (4) Wednesday Visit mother-in- law (4) Recess and lunch (8) Teach (5) Drive to work (9) Drop off kids (9) Wake kids (8) Tuesday 11:00 10:00 Wake kids (8)6:00 Monday (1 = not at all depressed; 10 = very depressed) Suzanne’s Daily Activities Schedule Lunch (5) Play with kids (4) Phone friend (3) Lie in bed (9) Sunday
Meeting to discuss winter holiday assembly (4)Drive home (7)Pick up kids; make dinner (7)Dinner with kids and husband (5)Put kids to bed (7)Phone Genia (4)Get ready for next day (8)Bed 3:004:005:006:007:008:009:0010:00 Bed Get ready for next day (6) TV with husband (4) Husband puts kids to bed (4) Dinner alone with kids (7) Pick up kids; make dinner (6) Pick up kids, watch TV (6) Drive home (9) Bed Get ready for next day (5) Play game with husband (4) Put kids to bed with husband (5) Dinner with kids and husband (4) Pick up kids; make dinner (7) Drive home (6) Clean up with other teachers (4) Bed Get ready for next day (7) Chat with neighbor (4) Put kids to bed (7) Dinner alone with kids (7) Pick up kids; make dinner (6) Drive home (6) Meeting to discuss winter holiday assembly (4) Put kids to bed with husband (4) Friends house for dinner with kids (4) Bed Bed Watch TV with TV and games husband with husband (4) (3) Put kids to bed with husband (4) Dinner at friend’s house (4) Pick up kids; make dinner (7) Pick up kids, watch TV (6) Drive home (6) Bed Get ready for Monday (7) Put kids to bed (5) Parents came for pizza dinner (4) Park with friend (4)
WHAT DID SUZANNE LEARN? Before looking at Suzanne’s answers to Questions to Explore a Mood/Activity Relationship, examine her week and see how you would answer the following questions. After each question, I have included Treatment Implications, where I encourage you to think about how you would use the answers to the questions in guiding future therapy. Do you see an activity/mood relationship? What activities help you feel better? What activities or situations are connected to a low mood? When Suzanne reviewed her Daily Activities Schedule, it struck her that she was doing almost nothing fun. She was surprised that when she was more active, her mood improved. In particular, socializing with other people helped her feel better. Suzanne also noted that she felt better when her husband was home and that she felt fairly good most of the time at school. Suzanne had always thought that she felt better on the weekends because she slept more and was away from school. After looking at her Daily Activities Schedule, she wondered if she felt better because she was more active and spending time with her husband, friends, and family. Suzanne noted she was very depressed during her drives to and from school. She explained that she spent most of the drive thinking about how horrible the morning had been and how she wished she was back at her old school. Watching TV at night with her kids and without her husband was also a low time. She also noted how much she disliked getting ready for the next day and how hard she found the morning routines. Treatment implications: How would you use Suzanne’s answers to the questions above to reinforce the importance of adding pleasurable activities to her life? What time periods are you most at risk for low mood? Suzanne noted that mornings were particu- larly bad. When she wakes up, she lies in bed and thinks about what a bad mother she is and how her husband must be fed up with her. She has images of him leaving her and of being alone and miserable. Suzanne had not realized how depressed she was every morning and how hard it was for her to get the kids ready on a tight time schedule. She also noted that the nights she was home alone with the kids were particularly hard, and she was often depressed. Treatment implications: What time period would you target first for adding pleasurable activities? Do you have any routines that help you maintain a positive mood? Suzanne could not see any rou- tines that helped her feel better. She realized how different that was from the previous year, when she had a good morning routine, walked to school, and regularly saw friends. Her therapist noticed that she put her children to bed at a regular and appropriate time. Suzanne and her husband also went to bed at a regular time and early enough that they got eight hours of sleep. Her therapist thought that these were real strengths and important routines. Treatment implications: How would you use this information in therapy? Is there anything you are avoiding? Suzanne could not think of anything she was avoiding. She men- tioned that she did not go out with her friends much anymore, but that was because she was so tired all of the time. Treatment implications: From a behavioral activation perspective, do you think she is avoiding friends?
Agenda Item #4: Plan Activities That Increase Positive Moods After looking at her schedule, Suzanne agreed it would be a good idea to start a mood-boosting plan. Her therapist explained that when you are depressed, doing pleasurable activities is like taking medicine—you do it because you know it will help, not because you want to. As a therapist, you need to encourage your clients to follow their mood-boosting plan rather than their depressed feelings. ACTIVITIES THAT ENCOURAGE MASTERY AND PLEASURE In behavioral activation you want to increase activities that provide your client with a sense of mastery or competence and pleasure. However, such a general statement does not provide much guid- ance for therapy. I suggest activities in the following categories to help boost a client’s mood. It is impor- tant to remember that this is a very individualized process, as activities that provide a sense of mastery or competence and pleasure are different for every individual. Activities of daily living. First and foremost, I want to be sure that my client is accomplishing the basic business of living, including feeding herself, cleaning her clothes, getting enough sleep, doing basic chores, and addressing responsibilities to family, friends, or work such as taking care of children or completing minimal work tasks. For example, Suzanne is often too frazzled to eat breakfast and arrives at school starving. She often eats a chocolate bar or is hungry all morning. It would be important for her therapist to help Suzanne make an effort to eat breakfast. Social contact. People vary in how much and what kind of social contact they want, but everyone needs some. When clients become depressed, they usually withdraw from family and friends. It can be hard to re-engage. You want to start slowly with small steps. Exercise. There is increasing evidence that regular exercise boosts your mood and can counter depressed feelings (Trivedi et al., 2011). Exercising outdoors may lift your mood even more than exercis- ing indoors (Barton & Pretty, 2010). This makes total sense to me; I am far happier walking outside on a beautiful spring day than using the treadmill in the gym. In fact, I am even happier if I walk outside with a good friend…and pick up a coffee (and maybe even a cookie!). Clients vary tremendously in how much exercise they want to do. Generally, any increase in activ- ity is good. With some clients I have started by encouraging them to go outside for five minutes. Pleasurable activities. When clients are depressed it can be hard to find activities that they find plea- surable. Here are some suggestions. •Build on existing activities. Identify mood-boosting activities your client is already doing and expand the activity. For example, if your client enjoyed talking to a friend about the recent political situation, can she see this friend more often? Can she contact another friend? Maybe the stimulation of discussing politics increased her mood. Could she read the newspaper or listen to a podcast? •Try activities your client used to enjoy before she was depressed. She may be surprised at how much she still enjoys them. Just make sure your client doesn’t expect to enjoy these activities as much as before. •Use the Pleasurable Activities List, which you can download at http://www.newharbinger. com/38501. The list can start clients thinking about possible activities they don’t usually do but might like to try. •Choose activities that lead to a sense of mastery or competence. People tend to enjoy doing things they are good at. You also want to address any avoidant behavior that is likely to create additional problems, such as avoiding completing a work project or enrolling children in camp. •Encourage activities that are consistent with your client’s values and are meaningful. For example, volunteering may be enjoyable because it is related to a client’s values. Practice being mindful. I encourage my clients to gently put aside their critical mind and allow them- selves to concentrate on the activity in the moment. For example, if a client is walking outside, I encourage her to notice the fresh air, see the flowers, and feel the wind. Don’t tell your client to stop thinking negative thoughts. When we tell ourselves to stop thinking something, the thought bounces back stronger. Some of my clients like the idea of taking a holiday from their negative thoughts. GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE ACTIVITY PLANS Suzanne wanted to start with an activity that would have an immediate effect on her mornings, as she arrives at school already very depressed. She decided to try listening to music and podcasts in the car on the way to work as a way to boost her mood. Suzanne also wanted to add telephoning Genia, her best friend; contacting Rita, her friend from her previous school; and seeing her mother-in-law. She set a time when she would call Rita and Genia. Rather than set a specific time to see her mother-in-law, Suzanne wanted to see how her weekend developed. Sometimes it is helpful to set specific times for activities, but sometimes clients want a more flexible schedule. If we were flexible in terms of when an activity would get done, and my client didn’t do the activity, the next week I try to set a specific time. Suzanne was not optimistic that these would make much difference to her mood, but she was willing to try. Though these activities sound great, often clients don’t do the activities they plan. Activities that follow the guidelines below have a better chance of being done. You can find a Guidelines for an Effective Activity Plan handout at http://www.newharbinger.com/38501. •Was the plan developed collaboratively with your client? •Is the plan specific and concrete? •Is the plan doable? •Is the plan naturally reinforcing? •Can the plan be part of a regular routine? Developed collaboratively. I start by asking, “What would be a good activity to add to your week that would help you start to feel better?” Clients often have very good suggestions; however, sometimes they need help thinking of good activities. If you suggest the activity, try to involve your client in tailoring your suggestions to her situation. The key is to develop the activity with your client, not for your client. Suzanne’s therapist was careful that the activities were either Suzanne’s idea or developed together. Specific and concrete. Use the same criteria we used to decide whether homework was sufficiently specific and concrete: Is there a specific behavior your client is going to do? How often will your client do the activity? Where and when will your client do the activity? Suzanne’s activities are specific and concrete. Suzanne wanted some flexibility in planning to see her mother-in-law. That seemed fine to her therapist. Not every activity has to be rigidly scheduled. Doable. Start at your client’s current level of activity, not where she would like to be, or where she used to be. Start small, so that your client can experience success. I always ask if the activity “feels doable.” I also check if my client has everything she needs to complete the activity. Ask if your client foresees any obstacles and problem solve how to overcome them. When Suzanne’s therapist checked if the activities felt doable, Suzanne said that listening to music while driving to and from school felt doable. However, the idea of finding a podcast, downloading it, and then concentrating on someone talking felt overwhelming. They decided she would focus on lis- tening to music. Naturally reinforcing. Choose activities that are intrinsically enjoyable or that your client will receive positive reinforcement for doing. For example, fifteen minutes of playing a board game with your child is more naturally reinforcing than fifteen minutes of doing dishes. This is particularly important in the beginning, when you want your client to experience positive results and stay motivated. The activities Suzanne and her therapist chose were naturally reinforcing. Suzanne likes music and enjoys spending time with Rita, Genia, and her mother-in-law. Regular routine. Many of my clients initially suggest planning a big, faraway event, such as a vacation for next December. However, positive, routine activities sustain a positive mood more than one-time, big events. Examples of routine activities include a regular date with a friend or a weekly exercise class. A good routine is like a good structure that maintains a good mood. The activities Suzanne and her therapist picked could become part of her routine. YOUR TURN! Develop Mood-Boosting Activities for Anna Anna recently graduated from a community college program and has been living at home with her parents for the past six months while she looks for work. She is increasingly depressed. She completed a Daily Activities Schedule, which she reviewed with her therapist, who wanted to add activities that would increase pleasure or a sense of mastery or competence. Anna noticed that her lowest mood is around 5:00 p.m. She is alone in the house, and her parents do not get home for another two hours. She spends the time surfing the web and ruminating. Her therapist tells her to stop ruminating and that surfing the web is not helping her. Anna used to like running, but she has not run for over a year. Her therapist suggests that Anna go back to running, starting with three times a week for an hour. Anna likes the idea. Together they decide that Anna will run Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for an hour at 5:00 p.m. Now try the following exercise:
- Evaluate her therapist’s interventions in relation to the Guidelines for an Effective Activity Plan, and complete the following table. You can see my answers in the appendix. Suggested Activity Developed Collaboratively Specific and Doable Concrete Naturally Reinforcing Regular Routine Run three times a week for an hour
- After you assess the current plan, design a more effective one. Exercise 10.2: Jamar Is Feeling Depressed Practice assessing whether planned activities are likely to be effective. Video 10.2: Plan Mood-Boosting Activities MONITOR YOUR CLIENT’S MOOD BEFORE AND AFTER ACTIVITIES If you ask your clients who are depressed if they will enjoy an activity, they will probably say no. Clients who are depressed don’t enjoy activities as much as they used to. However, clients tend to enjoy activities more than they think they will. Often, starting the activity is the hardest part. Rating moods before and after a pleasurable activity provides your client with important data on how adding mood-boosting activities to her life affects her moods. I usually ask clients to complete the Predict Your Mood worksheet, shown below. (You can download a blank copy at http://www.newharbinger. com/38501.) After clients try an activity, if their mood ratings improved, I ask what they learned. I want my clients to see that even though they believe that they will not enjoy an activity, their predictions are not necessarily accurate. Let’s see how Suzanne completed the Predict Your Mood worksheet for two of the activities she was going to try and how her therapist used the worksheet. Predict Your Mood Date and Activity How much will Mood Before I enjoy this Activity activity? (rate from 1–10;How much did I enjoy this activity? Mood After Activity (rate from 1–10; 1 = not at all; 10 = a lot)1 = very happy; 10 = very depressed)(rate from 1–10; 1 = not at all; 10 = a lot)(rate from 1–10; 1 = very happy; 10 = very depressed) Monday: Listened to music in the car3755 Called friend, Rita376–74 Therapist:Looks like you did a great job of completing the Predict Your Mood worksheet. When you look at your responses, what do you notice? Suzanne:Well, for one thing, in both cases my mood went up. Therapist:Could you tell me more about that? The therapist wants to expand and consolidate Suzanne’s awareness of the activity/mood relationship. When her therapist asks for details, Suzanne remembers the experience and it becomes more salient. Suzanne:Well, I actually enjoyed listening to music. I chose some really upbeat old songs that I like. I think it distracted me from my bad morning. Therapist:So listening to music was a good idea. What about talking to Rita? Suzanne:That was also more enjoyable than I expected. We had a really good talk and caught up. She told me she missed me, and all my friends have been asking about me. Her therapist uses a summary statement to consolidate the experience. Therapist: I hear Rita missed you, and your other friends also miss you. Hmm (therapist gently smiles). Let’s look at the accuracy of your predictions. What did you initially predict? (They look at the Predict Your Mood worksheet.) Notice how Suzanne’s therapist is not giving Suzanne the answers but is asking her for the information and letting her draw her own conclusions. Suzanne:I predicted that I would not enjoy listening to music and calling Rita very much. I gave both a 3. Therapist:And what actually happened? Suzanne:(laughing a bit) Well, I actually enjoyed listening to music quite a bit; I gave it a 5. And I enjoyed talking to Rita way more than I expected; I gave it a 6 to 7—it was great to catch up. Therapist:And what does that say about your predictions? Suzanne:I guess I was wrong. Video 10.3: Monitor Mood Before and After Activities OVERCOMING ROADBLOCKS: YOUR CLIENT DID NOT TRY THE PLANNED ACTIVITY Despite your best efforts, your client will not always do the agreed-upon activities. First, ask your client what got in the way. Sometimes it is a simple answer. Next, ask what went though her mind when she thought of doing the activity. Did she think it was too hard? Did she think it would not help, or did she have other thoughts? I go back to the fundamental principle: Follow your mood-boosting plan rather than your depressed feelings. Remember, for depression, activity is like medicine. There is some evidence that clients who make a public commitment to doing an activity are more likely to follow through (Locke & Latham, 2002). If my client has supportive family members or friends, I encourage her to share her plans. I then problem solve how my client could do the activity the next week, or modify the activity so that it is more doable. I make sure I remain encouraging and optimistic and convey my belief that treat- ment will work. The first week, Suzanne listened to music every day on the way to and from work. However, at her next appointment, she told her therapist that she had stopped listening to music, that this past week she was just “too down.” Her therapist reviewed what Suzanne had learned from her Predict Your Mood worksheet. She decided to try again. Suzanne laughed and said she would have to listen to music “even with her depressed hat on.” Her therapist thought this was a great image, and used it often in therapy.
WHAT IF I HAVE ONLY A FEW SESSIONS? The research on behavioral activation has generally evaluated a protocol that involves sixteen weeks of treatment, and often two sessions a week for the first eight weeks (see, for example, Dimidjian et al., 2006). However, many therapists see clients for only a few sessions. If I have only a couple of ses- sions, I start with exploring what my client is no longer doing that she used to enjoy. I then explain the activity/mood relationship. Either in the first or second session, we work together to identify specific pleasurable activities she could start doing. I make sure the activities make sense given my client’s current level of activity. I try to target a period of the day when her mood is particularly low. If possible, I encourage social contact, as there is such strong evidence that it is a mood booster. PREVENTING RELAPSE To maintain a positive mood, your client needs to have good routines. What is involved in a good routine is different for every person, but it generally includes a structure to the day, socializing, some exercise, activities that are meaningful and connected to your client’s values, and some fun. I use the analogy of creating a strong structure for a building. If the supporting beams are rotten and weak, even if you have good drywall and a beautiful paint color, you will have an unstable house. I teach my clients that after therapy ends, if they start to get depressed again or are going through a stressful time, they should examine their daily routine. I encourage them to notice their worst times of the day and think about how they can make those times better. I also encourage them to try adding even small mood-boosting activities throughout the day. I also use activity scheduling to prevent depression with clients who are going through a particu- larly difficult time. If you have ever gone through a difficult time, I am sure people have told you to “take care of yourself.” This is good advice, but very general. I examine pleasurable activities my client has stopped doing because of the stress and see if we can add them back into her life, or add other activities that she enjoys. Together we make a specific plan that is doable and can be part of my client’s routine. Agenda Item #5: Graded Task Assignments Graded task assignments are used primarily when your client is avoiding important tasks that feel overwhelming. It is often a component of activity scheduling, problem solving, and treating procrastination. Graded task assignments involve looking at a whole activity and breaking it down into smaller pieces, or chunks. These smaller chunks feel doable in a way that the whole task does not. Your client starts with completing the first chunk and progresses to additional chunks. It can be helpful to limit the amount of time a client spends on each task to make it feel more manageable. By breaking tasks down into specific chunks, your client can feel she is progressing as she completes each task. It can also be helpful to set a specific time when the tasks will be done. For graded task assignments to be effective, the tasks have to be very specific and concrete behav- iors. For example, if a client is procrastinating over filing his taxes, the first task might be spending twenty minutes reviewing the tax form, the second task might be spending half an hour gathering income statements, and the third task might be entering the income information he gathered on the tax form. You don’t need to set out all the steps, but it is helpful to specify the first few. YOUR TURN! Use Graded Task Assignments Below are examples of clients who are feeling overwhelmed. Their therapists want to use graded task assignments as an intervention. Look at their first task and decide if it is sufficiently specific and con- crete, doable, and time-limited. I will do the first one; you do the next two. You can find my answers in the appendix.
- Cynthia’s boss asked her to be in charge of the site visit when members of the head office come to inspect their unit. She is feeling very overwhelmed. She and her therapist thought a good first task would be reorganizing the filing system to make it more systematic.
- Richard wanted to invite his whole family—about fifteen people—for Thanksgiving dinner. He is feeling very overwhelmed. His therapist and he thought that spending thirty minutes making a list of the food he wanted to cook would be a good first task.
- Alexandra wanted to find a part-time job. She is feeling very overwhelmed and tells her thera- pist she does not know where to start. She and her therapist thought that exploring her options for work would be a good first step. TaskSpecific and Concrete?Doable?Time-Limited and Specific Time for Task? Cynthia:No. Not clear what the criteria are for a systematic filing system; first action is not clearNot sure who will do this and what exactly the person/people will do; hard to know if it is doableNo time limit given; will Cynthia work for 10 minutes or the whole day? Reorganizing the filing system Richard: Make a list of food I want to cook Alexandra: Explore options for work No specific time for starting the task
Agenda Item #6: Increase Well-Being The goal of behavioral activation is to decrease depression; however, most clients want to feel good, not just “less bad.” Positive psychology seeks to identify factors that lead to a happy, engaged, and meaningful life. The focus is on developing interventions that promote well-being rather than on alle- viating depression (Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005). Most CBT therapists I know incorporate some of the following interventions into behavioral activation. Though less robust than the research demonstrating the effectiveness of behavioral activation, there is some evidence that these interven- tions may increase happiness (Duckworth, Steen, & Seligman, 2005; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009). ACTIVITIES THAT INCREASE WELL-BEING Socialize with friends and family. Social contact is the single factor most consistently related to hap- piness (Leung, Kier, Fung, Fung, & Sproule, 2013; Parks, Della Porta, Pierce, Zilca, & Lyubomirsky, 2012). Increasing positive social interaction is also one of the most effective interventions to increase happiness (Seligman et al., 2005). Keep a journal of positive experiences. Write down one to three positive experiences a day. I ask my clients to take a moment to remember the experience fully and to see it occurring again in their mind’s eye. Savor the moment. Make a conscious effort to enjoy a pleasant moment. It is helpful to focus on one’s senses to stay present. For example, if a client plans to take a walk, remind her to notice the flowers or the fresh air. Express gratitude. Write one to three things to be grateful for every day. This is also called “counting one’s blessings.” I ask my client to take a moment to remember the blessing fully and to appreciate that it was in her life. Another form of expressing gratitude involves consciously telling, or writing to, others to say that you appreciate them or what they have done. Practice acts of kindness. Consciously do a kind act you would not normally do. This may involve consciously acting in a kind manner to someone you would not normally be kind to, or doing an addi- tional kind act to someone you would normally be kind to. Ask your client to notice the other person’s reaction to her acts of kindness. Often people smile, say thank you, or react in a positive manner, which in turn will contribute to your client’s feeling happy. It’s nice when someone smiles at you. Think optimistically. Identify a potentially stressful upcoming event and then describe the best pos- sible outcome. The more detailed the description, the more emotionally engaged your client, and the more positive her mood. Encourage your client to write the description and to form a detailed image in her mind of the positive outcome. Homework: Practice CBT Before continuing with the next chapter, take some time to try the homework.
Apply What You Learned to a Clinical Example Complete the following exercises. Exercise 10.1: Raoul’s Cycle of Depression Exercise 10.2: Jamar Is Feeling Depressed Apply What You Learned to Your Own Life Therapists often talk about the importance of self-care. The exercises below are an opportunity for you to take some of the interventions from this chapter and, instead of using them with your clients, apply them to your own life—and in the process take care of yourself. Homework Assignment #1 Add an Activity to Your Life That You Enjoy Identify a low time in your day. Think of a small, doable activity you could add that you would enjoy or that provides a sense of competence. Use the Predict Your Mood worksheet, available at http://www. newharbinger.com/38501. When I did this exercise, I realized my husband and I used to have a favorite TV series we watched Monday evenings. The series ended, and instead of watching TV together, we each did our own chores. Watching a favorite show with my husband versus doing chores—which do you think boosts my mood more? We picked a new TV series to watch. Homework Assignment #2 Increase Your Happiness Look over the list of interventions that increase happiness:
Pick one intervention and try it for a week. Do the following: (1) rate your overall mood before and after each time you practice the intervention; (2) rate your overall mood at the beginning of the week and at the end of the week. Apply What You Learned to Your Therapy Practice For this next assignment, pick a client whom you know well and who is depressed. Homework Assignment #3 Complete the Understand Your Depression Worksheet with a Client Using the information you already know about your client, complete the Understand Your Depression worksheet. How did this exercise help in understanding your client? Remember, you can download the worksheet at http://www.newharbinger.com/38501. Homework Assignment #4 Try Behavioral Activation Choose one of the following interventions, and try it with a client this coming week. You can find the worksheets on the website.
- Introduce the Daily Activities Schedule and complete the first day in session.
- With your client, pick an activity to add to his or her life that will promote pleasure or mastery. Use the Predict Your Mood worksheet to evaluate whether the activity had an effect on your client’s mood.
Let’s Review Answer the questions under each agenda item. Agenda Item #1: How does behavioral activation work? • What is the main idea in behavioral activation? Agenda Item #2: Help your clients understand their depression. • How can you use the flower analogy to help your clients understand depression? Agenda Item #3: Monitor your clients’ daily activities. • What is the purpose of the Daily Activities Schedule? Agenda Item #4: Plan activities that increase positive moods. • What are two types of activities you might want your clients to add to their lives to help them feel better? Agenda Item #5: Graded task assignments. • What are graded task assignments? Agenda Item #6: Increase well-being. • What are two interventions that evidence indicates would increase well-being? What Was Important to You? What idea(s) or concept(s) would you like to remember? What idea(s) or skill(s) would you like to apply to your own life? What would you like to try this coming week with a client? (Choose a specific client.)