Reply #212: as a clinical social worker [View All]

[klebean]

I've read & written several academic papers. "May" & "can" are two words used prolifically to
avoid any notion of absolutism, of which there is little in the field of mental health. Dichotomous,
or absolute thought patterns may often be seen in depressed clients, and is best treated with a
form of therapy called Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), described in a post above (describing a
helpful book). It is not surprising that on a thread discussing depression that some reacted to Dr. E's
statements in absolutist terms.

The specialty of social workers is that they are trained to meet the client where they "are at" in terms
of a biopsychosocial perspective, also described in a post above. We look at a client's environment and
what psychological, social or biological factors are impacting a client's well-being and functionality.
Social workers have a bad rap in the mainstream (d/t ineptness and/or being untrained), but we
effectively fill in the gaps that often remain when singularly treated by medical doctors, psychiatrists,
psychologists, case managers, etc. Working in tandem w/the aforementioned professionals provides
individuals w/optimal care - IMO.

For many depressed clients, meds are heavensent, and for others, they are a source of frustration b/c
nothing seems to work well enough. When they work, it's awesome b/c then the client is able to take
action such as getting exercise, getting out and about, improving diet (which has been shown to be
effective in prison populations, i.e., using diet to increase levels of serotonin), and eventually finding
the cause of their depression - explanations don't always mean a solution, however understanding
the reason for one's depression help's one to cope better. That is the ultimate goal, also IMO -
to learn how to cope w/one's depression. Just as diabetics and HIV infected individuals do.