How depressed people think

We normally think of depression as synonymous with low mood but, having read this book it will come as no surprise to learn that depression is a condition that affects how we think and behave. The poet Sylvia Plath described depression as like looking at the world through a bell jar – an image that emphasises just how distorted the thinking of a depressed person can become.

Beck noted that the thoughts of depressed people tend to reflect the following themes:

  1. Critical thoughts about the self
    • ‘I’m stupid.’
    • ‘I’ve stuffed up again.’
    • ‘No one could care about me.’
    • ‘I am bad through and through.’
  2. A bleak, negative view of other people and the world in general
    • ‘People always let you down.’
    • ‘The world is a vicious place.’ ...

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