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Sometimes, when I teach a mental health skill- like how exercise treats depression or how mindfulness is a powerful tool to decrease anxiety, people will tell me “That’s cool, but I have Clinical Depression” and what they usually mean by that is they have been diagnosed with depression, and they assume that that diagnosis means that their depression is a biological trait, a genetic trait, something inherent, a chemical imbalance, part of their being or identity, and they assume is that it’s going to be a permanent characteristic that they just cope with for their entire life.
This is a misunderstanding of how mental health diagnoses work. We have this interesting problem in America where we’ve applied the medical model to mental health, and it’s created a lot of learned helplessness. In our attempts to remove the stigma from mental health, many people have come to believe that all mental illnesses are permanent, genetic traits. And it’s just not true. Because anxiety disorders, depression, trauma, and many other mental health conditions are really, really treatable.
00:00 Intro
03:49 The Medical Model Approach to Mental Health- The Flu Example
10:33 Depression Is Real. It’s Not a Weakness. It does have Biological Contributing Factors
Click the link below to access the transcript:
https://therapyinanutshell.com/learned-helplessness/
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Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.
In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.
And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe
If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.
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