Can depression be cured?

Written by a licensed therapist in Long Beach.

For some people, depression can be cured and for other people therapy can help you manage your depression to a point where you can function better in your day to day life. The difference between people who can be “cured” and those who cannot has NOTHING to do with willpower, positive thinking, work ethics or character.

When you have an adverse life experience, your body’s first step to protect you is to detach yourself from the world to survive. This is why some people with depression and trauma have a hard time getting close to people, because their brain has been “stuck” on survival mode, which means they have to have a distance they feel safe from the world. This gives the body “reaction time” in case they see or sense danger. If that doesn’t work, then your body uses Depression and PTSD as a way to protect you from future adverse life experiences. If you are in bed all day, you are less likely to get hurt by the outside world. Sometimes that hurt comes in the form of constant criticisms and/or constantly being told that you need to think more positive.

Just like when someone has a fever, you wouldn’t tell them they are horrible or weak or lacking positive thinking because they have a fever because you know it’s the body’s way of trying to get better. Your body heats up (with a fever) to kill bacteria in an attempt to make you better. Depression and PTSD is like having an emotional fever for adverse life experiences and/or trauma. Your body is trying to protect you and heal you. The more depressed or the more PTSD symptoms you have, the more your body is working to shut down the wounds. SHAME FEEDS DEPRESSION

What is an adverse experience?
1. Your parent forgot to pick you up one day at school.
2. Your parent looks at you with disappointment when you struck out at baseball.
3. You are 8 years old and your older sibling who you have always adored says you are stupid because they are upset at something that doesn’t even involve you, but your 8-year-old self took that full “hit” without any protection.

There are many different treatments that we offer for depression. Traditional talk therapy, EMDR Therapy, and CBT Therapy (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). When you have your first appointment, your therapist can help you decide what the best treatment approach is for you (which is highly dependent on what you feel comfortable with).