About the Program
Learn more about Beating the Blues and how it can help you or people you care about.
What’s Depression?
Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease your ability to function at work and at home.
What’s Anxiety?
It’s normal to feel anxious about moving to a new place, starting a new job, or taking a test. This type of anxiety is unpleasant, but it may motivate you to work harder and to do a better job. Ordinary anxiety is a feeling that comes and goes but does not interfere with your everyday life.
Online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Online CBT is simply CBT delivered by an interactive computer programme.
The interactive programme works with you, helping you to understand the tools and learn the techniques that will modify your thinking.
A good online CBT programme will lead you through the various stages of therapy in exactly the same way a therapist would in face-to-face sessions.
An interactive online CBT programme can respond to your particular circumstances, or your problem, and ensure that the training of new ways of thinking and behaving is completed at a pace you find comfortable.
Some people prefer anonymity that can only be achieved by working on a computer.
How does it work?
Beating the Blues is made up of 8, 50 minutes sessions. It is based on CBT, effective, clinically-proven treatment for depression. Beating the blues will teach you many skills to manage your mental health. But CBT is not just about receiving information – it’s very important that you try to put into practice what you learn in every session. After each session, there will be things for you to do and think about as you go about your daily life. These prompts are not difficult and the more of this ‘homework’ you do, the better you be equipped to manage your mental health. CBT is not an instant cure but, it is much more long-lasting than drugs and other alternative treatments – precisely because it equips you with workable skills for life.
Program Layout
Helps you to identify and establish a clear picture of your problems and their causes.
You will be introduced to the 5 video case studies to help you through the 8 sessions.
Helps you to understand anxiety and depression and sets the scene for future sessions.
Weekly project – Participate in a pleasurable activity and see how this makes you feel.
During this session you will be helped to set goals that you will work towards during the programme.
You will begin to see the link between your thoughts and feelings and how you feel and behave.
You will be introduced to two new ways to deal with your individual problems – Activity Scheduling and Problem Solving.
Weekly project – Complete a thought record, work on a ‘Doing Technique’ and complete a pleasurable activity.
During this session you will see how your thinking can become distorted when you are stressed, anxious or depressed. This process is called thinking errors.
You will be guided through the process of how to check your thoughts for these Thinking Errors.
Learn quick distraction techniques.
Weekly project – Catch Thinking Errors and work on specific Doing Techniques.
During this session, you will be shown how to challenge and change any unhelpful thoughts you may have.
Weekly projects – work on Problem Solving, Activity Scheduling and challenge unhelpful thoughts.
During this session you will find out more about your beliefs to check whether they are helpful or not.
You will be introduced to the techniques for changing unhelpful beliefs in order to feel better and stay better.
Weekly projects – Record successes, work on Problem Solving and Activity Scheduling and look for evidence against your negative inner beliefs.
During this session you will look at the reasons we give for events in our lives (attributional style). Some types of reasoning lead to feelings of low self-esteem and hopelessness. Others boost self-esteem and wellbeing.
You will be introduced to the other useful techniques for dealing with your problems – Graded Exposure, Task Breakdown and Sleep Management.
Weekly projects – Attributional Style, Inner Beliefs and your final Doing Technique.
During this session you will continue to look at how to change your Attributional Style, focus on your specific problems and Inner Beliefs.
During this session you will also learn new thinking habits and further ways to deal with your problems.
Weekly project – Noting good and bad things that happen and the reasons for them and use the learnt techniques to work through these.
During this, the last session, you will review all that you have learnt in the programme and check your progress and see how well you are dealing with your problems.
You will be helped to set goals for your future life.
Helps you to make a personal action plan to build on changes you have made.