Talk your way out of depression: Therapy to combat stress

Urban lifestyle has increased the occurences of stress, depression and anxiety. More and more people are now seeking professional help and talk therapy is the new technique of handling stress-related issues.

At a time when conditions like stress, depression and anxiety have become synonymous with urban living, people are on the lookout for ways to deal with such disorders. While some ignore these conditions, others take professional help. Talk therapy is emerging as an effective way of combating these stress-related issues.

“Talk therapy is one of the most misconstrued treatment modes. But thanks to the recent discovery of neuroplasticity (brain’s ability to reorganise itself by forming new neural connections throughout life), more importance is being given to talking as part of the healing process,” says Neeta V Shetty, psychotherapist/life coach.

So what exactly is talk therapy? We speak to experts to get the lowdown:

What is talk therapy?

Talk therapy is a non-pharmacological technique that is known to help people who have certain psychological, emotional or behavioural issues. Often used in collaboration with medication, it works synergistically to help the person recover, uncovering subconscious issues that have aggravated the condition.

Benefits

Talk therapy can help you deal with negative thoughts and feelings, and bring about many positive changes in your life. It can help people who are feeling distressed due to certain difficulties in their lives, as well as those with mental health problems.

Discussing your thoughts and feelings can also help you deal with troubled times. It can give you perspective, and help you explore what you could do about an issue. Talking is a very important part of relationships too. It can strengthen ties, and help us stay mentally fit. Being heard helps us feel that other people care about us.

Focus areas

* Talking helps people deal with depression, anxiety, eating disorders or addictions, and is often used alongside medication.

* It helps with schizophrenia or bi-polar disorder.

* It helps one deal with difficult life events such as bereavement, relationship issues, problems at work, or physical illnesses.

* It assists people with long-term physical conditions such as diabetes, who are at a higher risk of depression.

Challenges

Talk therapy requires you to be honest with yourself, and that can be quite difficult. It may mean facing your fears, recalling distressing memories, or talking about intimate topics. At times, the therapy may take very long. It can be tedious and intense on the patient and the administrator, and also relatively expensive.

(With inputs from psychiatrists Dr Kersi Chavda and Dr Rohann Bokdawala)