Talking therapies shouldn't work if depression is biological. Also why don't medications always work. Please use verified sources if you can. Any psychiatrists or patient input would be nice!
If depression has a primarily biological cause, why does it respond well to psychotherapy?
Posted by admin on March 6th, 2012
Posted in Depression Q and A 
There's so many different types of depression you can't just label it as "biological" and that's it. The brain is a very, very complicated organ. And even if it is just a chemical imbalance, there's no cure for depression anyway. Talk therapy helps you deal with the depression and life in general so that it's easier to handle.
Depression is caused by chemical imbalances of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and other important neurotranmitters in the brain which stabilize emotions. Psychologists state that depression is a unhealthy state which we 'can' work through in order to experience greater levels of happiness. Some who daily experience deep chronic depression may require both medication prescribed by a Psychiatrist along with 'Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy {M.B.C.T.') provided by a Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapist and there are some who experience chronic-but not deeply chronic depression who work well with M.B.C.T. alone. Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn PhD along with Psychologists Mark Williams, John Teasdale, and Zindel Segal have authored an 'excellent' self-help book called: "The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness". Mindfulness, a simple yet powerful way of paying attention to your most difficult emotions and life experiences, can help you break the cycle of chronic unhappiness once and for all, that you may experience greater levels of happiness. In 'The Mindful Way through Depression', it is explained why our usual attempts to "think" our way out of a bad mood or "just snap out of it" leads us deeper into the downward spiral of depression. Through very insightful lessons-drawn from both Mindfulness and Cognitive Therapy - Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn PhD and Psychologists- Mark Williams, John Teasdale, and Zindel Segal demonstrate how to sidestep the negative habits that lead to unhappiness and despair, including self-blame and rumination so you can effectively face life's challenges with much resilience.