- With Mayo Clinic psychiatrist
Gabrielle J. Melin, M.D.
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Gabrielle J. Melin, M.D.
Gabrielle J. Melin, M.D.
Dr. Gabrielle Melin, board certified in general psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine, is looking for ways to empower patients and families dealing with chronic mental illness. She encourages patients to commit to working together with their physicians and health care teams.
Dr. Melin completed medical school at the University of Minnesota. She completed both her psychiatry residency and consultation-liaison fellowship at Mayo Clinic before joining the Mayo Clinic staff in 2001. She is medical director of Mayo Clinic Psychiatry Emergency Services in Rochester, Minn. She has special interests in emergency psychiatry, adult psychiatry and addiction psychiatry.
"Instilling hope is one of the most important things we can do for patients and families. Mental illness can be chronic and significantly impacts lives. Our goal is to provide the best treatment and education so that patients can manage their symptoms more effectively," she said.
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Depression blog
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March 19, 2009
Cognitive behavioral therapy — What is it?
By Gabrielle J. Melin, M.D.
Have you ever heard of cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT?
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For example, say you are talking with a group of other people. Your mood is good and you have been experiencing a positive day overall. The subject turns to a complaining session regarding work. Others chime in about how awful their job is, how they're overworked, etc. Soon your mood sours and you're angry and upset, too. You add your two cents about how horrible your job is. When the conversation is over, you're starting to dwell on other negative aspects of your life. You return to your work area with a scowl on your face and another co-worker asks you what's wrong.
The same thing that happened in this situation can happen in your head when you are alone. You may start focusing on your depression and have a thought such as, "I got up late this morning, so now my whole day is ruined." This thought can be the spark that gets the fire burning. Fuel is added by thinking, "I can't even get up on time, what use am I to myself or others?" The negative thoughts feed on themselves. You continue to talk negatively to yourself and, ultimately, you feel more depressed.
The thoughts can also be inaccurate. Inaccurate thoughts are also called "cognitive distortions." These negative and inaccurate thoughts can be so ingrained that they become "core beliefs" that you live by. An example is, "I've never been successful at anything, so why even try?"
Over the next couple of weeks, I will go through specific examples of cognitive distortions that can worsen depression. Working with a trained cognitive behavioral therapist is the best way to learn CBT and to apply it effectively to your life. Depression and anxiety can be effectively treated with CBT. Cognitive behavioral therapy alone may not be enough, depending on the severity of your depression. Medication may be recommended along with CBT. Cognitive behavioral therapy is just one type of talk therapy. There are numerous other effective types. Talk with your health care provider to find the best type for you. And if you've had any experience with cognitive behavioral therapy you'd like to share, please do.
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