/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.11697246]

Does this actually work?

[Anonymous No.11697258]

I don't understand how is there an industry for this, what makes a self-help book good and distinct?

[Anonymous No.11697313]

>>11697246
of course it doesn't

[Anonymous No.11697330]

>>11697313
then what does?

[Anonymous No.11697442]

>>11697330
Read books about applied psychotherapy and apply it to yourself. DiY therapy

[Anonymous No.11697482]

>>11697246
Nope.

[Anonymous No.11698276]

>>11697246
No.
This one is better.
Also, try to ‘get laid’.

[Anonymous No.11699424]

>>11697246
If it did it wouldn't be an industry.

[Anonymous No.11701035]

>>11697246

There is plenty of evidence for behavioural cognitive therapy.

Studies show it helps with anxiety, adhd, and depression.

http://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2006-09621-003.html

> Among more severely depressed patients, behavioral activation was comparable to antidepressant medication

[Anonymous No.11701073]

>>11701035

I can't comment on the books posted. But this poster has a point.
I was depressed, but mainly anxious, took 100mg sertraline for awhile, and while it did numb and inhibit certain negative thought processes, it put a drowsy dull veil over everything I did and it created its own concerns by how people reacted to the different me: someone who usually cracked a lot of jokes (to those I was comfortable with), was suddenly so serious and not worth being around those rare times they were.
Eventually I took CBT at some mental health centre and while I was sceptical and the examples were simplistic, they really did help me. Just simple tasks like going to the shop or calling someone on the phone are now perfectly achievable without medication, and I even came to terms with how my terrible family who put me down constantly were actually just that, terrible people and my self-esteem is not gained through their approval.
Medication stopped the thoughts about death and constant fear of everything sure, but CBT actually gave me positive alternative thoughts to replace them with.

[Anonymous No.11701081]

>>11697246
It worked for me. Sort of.

Years ago was depressed for ages. Started reading the book, maybe only 1-2 chapters. I began to feel better. I think what it really did was showed me there was hope of getting better. That then caused me to get better.

[Anonymous No.11701130]

>>11701073
Im in the opposite camp. Im currently on 125 mg lamotrigin and have been in CBT for months and yet Im still as disfunctional as I started. And the self-help books made it even worse

[Anonymous No.11701166]

The Chimp Paradox is a good book in this style.

[Anonymous No.11701186]

>>11701130

I did omit that during this period, I became homeless (thanks for the support terrible family!) And lived in a YMCA for awhile. The constant interaction with strangers gave me a chance to practise what was preached in CBT and these people could only take my new confidence and persona at face value.
I think if I'd been around people like my father who would constantly bring up past mistakes and failings at the time it might not have set in so well.
I know you wouldn't willingly put yourself in a situation like that but try and use your CBT away from people that know you.

[Anonymous No.11701210]

>>11701073

The book is good. I own it. Basically the top recommended book in this category, filled with examples and explanations for CBT.

Of course the rage these days is "meta-cognitive therapy", which is from what I can tell is pretty similar but from a higher perspective (ie. thinking about thinking in general).

Here is a good study re efficacy of meta-cognitive therapy for ADHD
> https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/appi.ajp.2009.09081123

[Anonymous No.11701216]

>>11697246
i would rather read the stoics. the stoic philosophy is the basic frame for cbt.

the book is good for learning about the common pitfalls of thinking about stuff that most depressed people have in common. things like predicting the future, black and white thinking, catastrophical thinking.

>>11697442
have you read the book?

it also covers very basic stuff like eat enough, drink enough water which think most depressed people fuck up. if you live in terrible circumstances why should you feel great. if you eat nothing but junk food, almost never move, have no social interaction, then why should you feel great.

[Anonymous No.11701275]

OP have read this book many times, if you just want the gist read the parts about your mental biases. Great book to read in addition to stoicism

[Anonymous No.11701327]

>>11701216
CRINGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
are you a stoic? deserve rape.

[Anonymous No.11701369]

>>11701210
Any more reading suggestions for meta-cog?
I love recursion and irony, yet ironically (and recursively) I go into these spirals of neurotic meta-self-analysis, which act like self-reinforcing feedback loops. ADHD, OCD, neuroticism, and a tendency to over-analyse are a perfect storm.
Meta-cognitive therapy, just from the name, sounds like maybe it'd turn my natural tendencies in a good direction.

[Anonymous No.11701540]

>>11701369

Not actually sure. I'm in the same learning process myself. Just from reading many papers I noticed the trend referencing meta-cognitive therapy.

Been considering ordering "Metacognitive Therapy for Anxiety and Depression".

[Anonymous No.11701587]

>>11701540
Thanks anon, I also have anxiety and depression of course. It's funny how psych conditions bundle together.

[Anonymous No.11701592]

>>11701327
yes, i am a rank 5 stoic. you are an imbecile for thinking you could inflict suffering to me in any way.
BOW DOWN.