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Submit a Question to Dr. Farvolden

farvoldenDr. Peter Farvolden is Clinical Director of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Associates of Toronto www.cbtassociates.net where he provides cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for children, adolescents and adults with mood and anxiety disorders. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and holds adjunct academic appointments in psychology at the University of Waterloo and Ryerson University. His professional activities include direct patient care, administration, research, consultation services and the development of evidence-based self-help programs for the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders.

Dr. Farvolden received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Waterloo and completed his pre-doctoral training at the Toronto General Hospital. He is the former Director of The Psychological Trauma Program and the Work, Stress and Health Program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). His research interests include technology-based healthcare delivery and the cognitive behavioral treatment of mood and anxiety disorders.

Professional Affiliations
Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
Anxiety Disorders Association of America
Ontario Psychological Association Canadian Psychological Association

Question of the Month: January 2012
Subject: How do you manage depression if there are no negative thoughts to challenge?
Question: How do you manage depression if there are no negative thoughts to challenge?

It may be possible to be depressed without having negative thoughts but it would be very unusual. According to CBT theory, negative thoughts are very much a key feature of depression. Other symptoms of depression include feeling persistently sad, down or irritated, loss of interest and motivation, lack of energy, change in appetite, significant change in weight, changes in sleep pattern, difficulties with attention memory and concentration, and feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and guilt. However, it is difficult to imagine feeling persistently sad, irritated, unmotivated, and/or tired (for example) without having some negative thoughts about it because as people we cannot help but make meaning of our experience. People who are depressed can sometimes have difficulty identifying their negative thoughts but if they use thought records for a week or two they can usually find some. However, if you cannot identify any negative thoughts then you could rely more on the “B” part of CBT that would include activity scheduling, behavioral activation homework, and behavioral experiments. Behavioral Therapy (BT) for depression works, so even if you cannot identify any negative thoughts you can use the rest of the tools in the Depression Program. As always, we strongly recommend that if you are suffering from the symptoms of depression that you consult with your family doctor to rule out any other possible physical (organic) problems that may be causing your symptoms.
 
 
 
 
 

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