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Curing Depression. Are We Just Missing Something Essential ?
The Human Givens Approach
Regular readers will know I’ve struggled with depression for pretty much all of my adult life. In that time, I’ve done a lot of research into depression and possible treatments to try and help myself. I read a book many years ago based on the human givens approach to treating depression. It didn’t resonate with me at the time, but recently, in desperation, I’ve taken another look.
The Premise
According to the human givens approach to therapy
“At its core is a highly empowering idea — that human beings, like all organic beings, come into this world with a set of needs. If those needs are met appropriately, it is not possible to be mentally ill.”
Quite a statement, isn’t it? If we can check off items on a list, it becomes impossible for us to be mentally ill. I’m not 100% certain I agree with this philosophy. I do agree that conventional treatment of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety seems to be either partially or totally ineffective in some cases. It’s a widely known fact that medication will not cure depression. Its role is to raise your mood enough to take additional steps or treatments that will cure you.
