Could Your Pessimistic Personality Deep-Seated Insecurity Sink You (page 2)

Treating PDD

PDD rarely gets better on its own, which is why Penberthy stressed the importance of getting help. She suggested seeking out a mental health professional who specializes in treating PDD (if possible), namely because the treatment may differ from treating acute depression.

“Treatments for PDD will typically need to be for a longer period of time and may require a combination of antidepressant medications or that the medications are given at higher doses for longer periods of time.”

Penberthy noted that research has found the following therapies to be effective: Cognitive-behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy (CBASP), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for chronic depression, and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT). Penberthy is certified in CBASP. (You can learn more about these evidence-based interventions in this treatment article.)

Also, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy has been shown to be helpful in preventing relapse in individuals who’ve improved, she said.

Today, Baldassari takes medication, sees a therapist twice a month, and volunteers at her local NAMI. She also relies on the skills she learned from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). She regularly uses the skill of “opposite action.” For instance, any time she’s exhausted and overwhelmed and just wants to lay in bed, she does the opposite and gets up.

Sometimes, Baldassari feels hopeless, “like I am trapped on a merry go round of hopelessness and it won’t let me off.” This is when she uses the DBT skill of emotion regulation. Specifically, she asks herself this question: “Are these scenarios I am thinking true, or are they a fleeting feeling or emotion?”

“This oftentimes makes me more aware that it is a symptom of my illness and not my reality. I also use my husband as a sounding board as he has a good idea of when I am slipping into a state of depression.”

Baldassari stressed the importance of finding a good doctor—whether you do so on your first or fifth try—understanding that medications aren’t miracle workers, and being willing to try different medications (when appropriate).

“I still experience my depression but I found the right treatment for me, that allows me to live a successful life,” Baldassari said.

“I have been married for 16 years and [have] a job that I love. That is the important part to know: Your story is yours and you need to try and be your own advocate to live a life of wellness. Know that you aren’t alone and that many people have the same symptoms and you can get help with the proper treatment for you.”

And that starts with getting the right diagnosis, which starts with contacting a mental health professional. Which you can do today.

You can feel better. You can change your mood and your ways—no matter how deeply entrenched they might seem. And yes, you deserve that, even if it doesn’t feel like you do. After all, that’s the depression talking, and, thankfully, that depression is highly treatable.