One of the main features of depression is a depressed mood. In CBT we focus on modifying our thoughts and behaviours in order to improve our moods and how we’re feeling. We can’t modify our moods and emotions directly the way we can our thoughts and behaviours. But we do have the ability to influence our moods and how we feel. We can this emotion regulation, and it’s one of the main components of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
Emotion regulation helps us regulate our moods and emotions so they become more manageable and feel less intense. This helps relieve our depressed moods. And as our depressed moods start to lift, our thoughts become less negative and we become more active, and so we begin to reverse the vicious cycle of depression.
Emotion Regulation
If you’d like to explore emotion regulation further, there’s a whole Emotion Regulation section in my DBT Skills Course. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them on the YouTube video page.