| First I will explain the history behind this. | | | | The National Institute of Mental Health spent |
| This is part of the cure-- understanding the | | | | millions of dollars on testing that shows |
| way your mind works. This comes from a lot of | | | | that this therapy works on depression. This |
| research done by Dr. Seligman and is | | | | book says |
| explained in his book, Learned Optimism | | | | |
| (Copyright 1990). | | | | "How you think about your problems, including |
| | | | depression itself, will either relieve |
| The back of this book says "LEARNED | | | | depression or aggravate it. A failure or |
| OPTIMISM...offer(s) a program that anyone can | | | | defeat can teach you that you are now |
| use to conquer depression...."--Kirkus | | | | helpless, but learned helplessness will |
| Reveiws. He uses the word optimism but it is | | | | produce only momentary symptoms of |
| not positive thinking. It is a very specific | | | | depression-- unless you have a pessimistic |
| thing that he developed. Learned Optimism is | | | | explanatory style. if you do, then failure |
| another book he has written. | | | | and defeat can throw you into a full-blown |
| | | | depression. On the other hand, if your |
| In the laboratory, he was able to create a | | | | explanatory style is optimistic, your |
| state of learned helplessness with people and | | | | depression will be halted." |
| animals. The researchers would give an | | | | |
| unpleasant stimulus to the animals like a | | | | One way of explaining events is if they are |
| shock at regular intervals. There was one | | | | temporary or permanent. The latter is like |
| group that could learn something to stop it | | | | saying "this kind of thing always happens." |
| from happening. The other group would get it | | | | An example of the former is like saying "I |
| no matter what they did. | | | | was not feeling well that day." The |
| | | | pessimistic style explains bad events as if |
| The 2nd group could be given new experiments | | | | they are permanent. The optimistic style |
| and learn a new way to stop the stimulus. The | | | | explains bad events as if they are temporary. |
| first group would give up trying to do | | | | The optimist also explains good things as if |
| something to stop it. They were later given a | | | | they are permanent. The pessimist explains |
| new situation, where they could easily learn | | | | good events as if they are temporary. |
| to stop it with little effort. But they would | | | | |
| not even try. | | | | Another way of explaining things is if they |
| | | | are specific or pervasive. The pessimist will |
| They had learned to be helpless. This state | | | | explain a car accident as everything in their |
| had 8 of the 9 signs of depression as | | | | life is a wreck. The optimist will explain it |
| mentioned above. It did not have the last one | | | | like "I need to get my car fixed and will be |
| about suicidal thoughts since the stimulus | | | | without a car for a few days. |
| given to humans were mild. Learned | | | | |
| helplessness "follows from the belief that | | | | Also the optimist will tend to explain it as |
| whatever you do doesn't matter." | | | | it being the other guy's fault. The pessimist |
| | | | will say it his his fault. This one is not as |
| In these experiments some of the animals and | | | | important as the other two, but this style is |
| humans could not be taught helplessness. They | | | | better for one's self esteem. But I think |
| would always keep trying. This lead to the | | | | that it only matters with people who have a |
| research on explanatory styles. This "is the | | | | lack of self-esteem, which may be most |
| manner in which you habitually explain to | | | | people. Practically everyone with depression |
| yourself why events happen." | | | | also have too much anxiety. |
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