Depression New therapy against pondering

New approaches to depression: group therapy against pondering.

One symptom of depression is the long-lasting reflection on the past and the future. Many patients persist for days in the position and "pondering" after. At the Center for Psychotherapy of the Ruhr-University in Bochum they are working on a new form of therapy against the so-called pondering. The new form of therapy has already led to first successes. For example, 80 percent of patients said they would "ponder" less than six months after the end of therapy. Many patients are very satisfied with the therapy.

The therapy takes place in the form of a group therapy. The aim of the treatment is to stop the process of pondering, as well as to show possibilities to direct the thoughts back to themselves. Thoughts like "Why me?" or "Why can not I get my life under control?", led to no solution, explain the researchers. The longer patients pondered depression, the worse their self-esteem becomes, and the worse past, present, and future appear. The participants should now learn to decide for themselves what they want to focus on. The university is looking for more subjects from the Bochum area. The prerequisite is that the participants have already experienced depressive episodes. Information is available at the telephone number: 0234-3222323. (Sb, 18.04.2010)