The focus isn’t on talking through unconscious reasons for your behavior. The idea is to provide you with direct behavioral changes that will help you right now by encouraging desired behaviors and discouraging undesired behaviors.

This can be really helpful if your depression is keeping you from doing necessary things in your everyday life, like going to work. Behavior modification therapy can help you address and change challenging behaviors that negatively impact your life. 

Behavior modification therapy is not normally a first-line treatment for depression, but it can be used to help relieve some of the symptoms associated with depression, like avoidance behaviors. It can also help with co-occurring issues, such as ADHD and OCD, which have some symptoms that overlap with the symptoms of depression. 

Some techniques are specific to behavior modification therapy. At the core of behavior modification therapy is the principle of adding and taking away rewards and penalties in order to change one’s behavior. 

Positive reinforcement is about rewarding good behavior. The reward is designed to create a positive association with the action taken to earn the reward. 

With positive reinforcement, it is important to change what you use to reinforce positive behavior so that the reward doesn’t lose its value. Positive reinforcement needs to be consistent. 

Negative reinforcement occurs when something negative doesn’t happen because of an action you took. For example, if you wake up when your alarm goes off, the negative consequence of being late and behind on your day is removed from your day. Your behavior is reinforced by removing a negative reaction to your life. 

Positive penalties is about adding a penalty as a consequence of negative behavior. For example, this is like putting a dollar in the jar when you say a bad word. Or going for a run because you ate a container of ice cream. It is about assigning consequences for certain behaviors to help you change them. 

An example of positive penalties within therapy can be found with aversion therapy. With this type of therapy, you learn how to associate a behavior you want to change with something that you find unpleasant or uncomfortable. The idea is that associating an undesired behavior with something else that is unpleasant will help you avoid that behavior.  

This is about taking something away as a consequence to stop unwanted behavior. For example, you may take away the ability to watch your t.v. show that night because you didn’t clean up the kitchen. It is about taking away something you enjoy until you complete the desired behavior. 

Behavior modification therapy often utilizes one or more of the treatment methods and techniques above. The exact treatment methods used depend on your unique needs. 

Behavior modification therapy can be an effective way to treat depression and other mental health issues. As behavior is learned, behavior modification therapy gives you the tools to learn how to overcome maladaptive behaviors. 

Behavior modification therapy is focused on changing your behavioral responses to situations in order to improve your mental health. The overall goal is to help you change your behaviors so that they align with your life goals and desired outcomes.  

Behavior modification therapy is generally a short-term therapy option that can produce long-lasting results, and some of the techniques may be used within other types of therapy. The exact number of sessions you need will depend on your goals and progress. 

Finding the proper treatment when you have treatment-resistant depression can be challenging. Behavior modification therapy is a broad term that describes various types of treatments that can be used to treat mental health disorders. 

Behavior modification therapy is one of the 200 treatment options our expert team will consider when putting together a custom plan for your treatment-resistant depression. 

Options MD is here to help. Text us to start treatment now. Join our Facebook community, where you can connect with other individuals with treatment-resistant depression.