Taking Action: The A of the BEAST

Chapter 6 explores the activity component of the BEAST model, and highlights several techniques for activities that can be used to lessen depression. This includes activity scheduling, with a particular focus on pleasant activities, identifying patterns associated with low moods, making the effort to change, and other action strategies (recovering lost activities, risk taking, graded tasks, social skills training) as well as relaxation techniques (progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), meditation, and patterned breathing).

Understanding the Impact of Emotion: The E of the BEAST

Chapter 5 discusses the emotions aspect of the BEAST model. This includes the ABC (activating event, belief, consequences) model of emotion, the importance of feelings in maintaining depression, the differences between thoughts and feelings, interventions focusing on emotion and feelings (including self-compassion and emotion, identifying and naming feelings, awareness exercises, techniques for appreciating changes in mood intensity, and the relationship between feelings and thoughts). Ways to evaluate progress are also discussed.

Final Words of Hope

Chapter 10 concludes the Taming the BEAST therapy program, reviews strategies that have been learned to cope with any slips or relapses that may occur, and how to continue the progress that has been made in the treatment sessions independently following the termination of the program.

Life Situations and Vulnerability: The S of the BEAST

Chapter 7 explores the situation component of the BEAST model. This component includes discussions of the relationship between mood and life circumstances, how to identify personal stressors and vulnerability factors, strategies to cope with difficult life situations, and prioritize stressors.

Understanding Your Body: The B of the BEAST

Chapter 4 discusses the biology aspect of the BEAST model, and explores the biology of depression, how genetics can affect mood, and how to assess the biological aspects of your depression using worksheets. The effects of lifestyle (diet, sleep, energy loss and exercise, psychoactive substances), and health problems are also explored. Finally, the chapter discusses how medication can be used to treat depression, and how to use the forms provided to track mood.

The Theory and Practice of Cognitive Therapy

Chapter 3 explores the theory of cognitive therapy (CT), the CT model, and the elements of depression from the CT perspective (the cognitive triad, cognitive distortion, schemas and assumptions).

Relapse Prevention

Chapter 9 discusses relapse prevention strategies. The chapter explores what relapse is, and common factors that cause relapse, along with techniques to develop a relapse prevention plan and a crisis coping plan, to perform continued assessments of progress that has been made, and other strategies to decrease the potential for relapse (including mindfulness).

Thoughts and Depression: The T of the BEAST

Chapter 8 discusses the thoughts aspect of the BEAST model, which explores the cognitive triad (negative views of self, of the world, and of the future), cognitive distortions (including catastrophizing, emotional reasoning, overgeneralization, disqualifying the positive, selective abstraction), how to challenge negative thoughts using cognitive strategies (including reattribution, evidence questioning, decatastrophizing, bias labelling, scaling, and replacement imagery). The use of the Automatic Thought Record (ATR) to change thinking patterns and emotional distress is also explored, along with mindfulness and meditation techniques.

Overview

Chapter 1 presents general information about depression and this cognitive therapy program to treat depression. This includes a background on the program methodology and cognitive therapy (CT), what depression is (as well as major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, bipolar disorder), how to identify symptoms of depression, thoughts of self-harm and suicidal thoughts.

Beginning Questions and Answers

Chapter 2 considers depression and its treatment in further detail. This includes how primary and recency effects impact on how you feel, the BEAST (biology, emotions, activity, situations, thoughts) metaphor which will be used throughout this program, self-enhancement assignments, the use of medication, how to record and keep track of progress, how long the program will take, and motivation for change.