Burns’ Depression Checklist

Okay, so I’m currently listening to/reading a great book on depression, by David D. Burns M.D. "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy".

 

It’s a classic about Cognitive Therapy approach to treating mood disorders. Written by a well-known psychiatrist and therapist. I highly recommend.

 

However, did the first questionnaire in the book and am not thrilled with the results. To say the least. Especially, when compared with some other ppl. I’m even shocked with the results some ppl IRL have got. If anyone wants to do the checklist and reveal their score/results, I would be grateful. I’m gonna reveal my score/results if the topic gets any replies.

 

Probably will continue with some other topics from this great book in the nearest future. When I have more time.

 

Here’s the "Burns’ Depression Checklist" I found on the net. And David D. Burns M.D. website.

 

I suggest to answer the questions as honestly and accurately as possible.

 

Lots of healing in 2018 to everyone

I scored Severe Depression... but I already knew that many moons ago. Good luck in the new year Estee.

I scored Severe Depression... but I already knew that many moons ago. Good luck in the new year Estee.

 

I scored Extreme Depression. 87 out of 100. I can’t believe it. I did this checklist for myself. Been on Prozac for 1 yr 7 mos, increasing by 2,5 mg increments every month. Been on ADs for more than a decade. Pdoc wanted me to go up to 30 mg Prozac, but I couldn’t stand the sxs.

 

Other addiction pdoc said I should be on 60 mg. And that "benzos are not my chief problem." I think they are as important as everything else. Went up to 30 mg Prozac this Summer and back to 20 mg over 2 mos’ period. I rarely have mornings when I don’t want to get out of bed and all I think about is taking the damn Prozac. I decreased benzos considerably since I came here half a year ago. I registered earlier but didn’t visit the site. Added Phenergan syrup to help the taper. But this is an amount for a child.

 

He says to do this checklist every week, while reading the book. I constantly listen to self-help audiobooks on my wireless headphones, while doing stuff at home.

 

This week is gonna be tough and I’m not looking forward to the New Year 2018. But I thought I still had some hope left. He says the depression is all the result of cognitive distorsions. My pdoc has been writing me the diagnosis of dysthymia for almost 3 yrs. Since a professor of psychiatry, who saw me just several times, diagnosed me with it. Previously, he wrote "depression".

 

When I went back to benzos in 2014, he wrote me "severe depression". But that professor of psychiatry didn’t consult me then. Went to him in May 2015. He treats schizophrenics, BTW. Mother’s colleague. He’s very sharp. But I’m always more upbeat and energetic when talking to ppl. Especially those I don’t see on a regular basis.

 

I’m scared, don’t know what to think. I would never imagine I’d get such a score. Just sitting and crying.

2 - guilt 

 

But I’m 5 1/2 years out. Big difference.

2 - guilt 

 

But I’m 5 1/2 years out. Big difference.

 

Thank you, Challis. "No depression" - excellent result. Gives hope for the future. I think I was depressed while off benzos, but maybe "moderately". I don’t know how much Prozac really works, and Valium certainly exacerbated my depression to a great extent. I have some hope since I continue decreasing the dose. I put "4" to "guilt", cause I feel such an enormous guilt towards my Kitty. I know it could be irrational. It’s just unbearable. She was much happier when I was off benzos. It’s like I’ve ruined 3 yrs of her life. I’ll be trying to do the checklist every week. Maybe it will get better. Surely, more or another AD is not a solution. I only tolerate Prozac. Lots of healing to you in the New Year.

I’m scared to Estee... I’m sure many are. Especially this far out for me... I thought I would be so much better mentally than I am. I don’t really know how many are suffering from bad depression / constant feeling of dispair. I think everyone experiences depression differently... it’s hard to gauge whether or not this is really a symptom of withdrawal even though I’ve had many buddies indicate that it is. However, most things I’ve read seem to say that depression should lift from 6-12 months. Mine just seems to get worse as time passes.

 

I never know what the next day will bring. Today has been horrible... it’s my first day laying around in bed in almost 2 weeks. I was up at 6, laid here until noon, showered, ate, and came back to bed. Surely there is something seriously wrong beyond withdrawal...

Depression started later in the process for me and was the last symptom to go, colley. Maybe my physical symptoms were so bad that I didn’t realize I had depression, I don’t know.

I’m scared to Estee... I’m sure many are. Especially this far out for me... I thought I would be so much better mentally than I am. I don’t really know how many are suffering from bad depression / constant feeling of dispair. I think everyone experiences depression differently... it’s hard to gauge whether or not this is really a symptom of withdrawal even though I’ve had many buddies indicate that it is. However, most things I’ve read seem to say that depression should lift from 6-12 months. Mine just seems to get worse as time passes.

 

I never know what the next day will bring. Today has been horrible... it’s my first day laying around in bed in almost 2 weeks. I was up at 6, laid here until noon, showered, ate, and came back to bed. Surely there is something seriously wrong beyond withdrawal...

 

I tapered benzos for the first time in Oct.-Dec. 2002. In Jan. 2003 I immediately went to therapy. For recovering alcoholics, three times a week. Since there was no therapy for recovering benzo addicts. I just didn’t want to stay at home. It was strange, cause now I don’t want to leave home at all. But now I have my Kitty at home.

 

Had individual therapy (psychoanalysis) once a week. Pdoc like once a month. He put me on ADs after half a year off benzos. I was quite energetic, but had cognitive difficulties. And issues with my future husband. I was jealous of him. It was absurd. Never happened to me before or after. He didn’t do anything which justified it. We just went to a lot of AA/NA meetings or he went alone. I was scared he’d leave me for someone. I kept comparing myself to those girls at NA meetings. Probably some of them are dead by now. They were into serious stuff, liked heroin. It killed several our young friends. He stopped going to NA and that calmed me down. Finally, after many yrs, I left him. Though I didn’t really want to. I always left ppl out of fear they would leave me first.

 

Maybe it’s also the festive season. He says to do the questionnaire every week. I’m just trying to calm down. Gonna listen further to his book. I have a pdoc. I don’t get it why he doesn’t realize... A month ago, I was crying during the whole visit. I don’t want more ADs. Or any meds. I want to decrease Valium. Thought I got rid of most cognitive distortions I acquired in childhood and in my teenage yrs. Valium certainly exacerbated them. I wonder why doesn’t Prozac help. If he says to do the checklist every week, maybe it will get better. Let’s not lose hope...

Awww Estee – I’m so sorry you’re still so depressed.

 

When I hit the worst depression of my life, I thought it was because the Paxil stopped working so I tried almost everything else, per pdoc, nothing worked, went back to Paxil and tapered off.

 

Then I realized that I was in tolerance from Ativan, and that was why no AD would work anymore.

 

Crossing to Valium plunged me into the pits of hell, but once I finally got off benzos, the depression lifted noticeably. It stuck around to a lesser degree, roller coaster fashion, for a about a year and then whoosh, it just stopped.

 

When I look at the checklist, I’m shocked that only a couple of things register, but they’re job related, and I’m technically not depressed.

 

I’m so pleased to realize it, and I’m only telling you all of this because I really believe you’ll feel better once you’re off Valium.

 

Hoping you can have some hope for a much better year for you and Kitty!

 

Colley, you may be just around the corner from relief – all the best to you, too.

 

Awww Estee – I’m so sorry you’re still so depressed.

 

When I hit the worst depression of my life, I thought it was because the Paxil stopped working so I tried almost everything else, per pdoc, nothing worked, went back to Paxil and tapered off.

 

Then I realized that I was in tolerance from Ativan, and that was why no AD would work anymore.

 

Crossing to Valium plunged me into the pits of hell, but once I finally got off benzos, the depression lifted noticeably. It stuck around to a lesser degree, roller coaster fashion, for a about a year and then whoosh, it just stopped.

 

When I look at the checklist, I’m shocked that only a couple of things register, but they’re job related, and I’m technically not depressed.

 

I’m so pleased to realize it, and I’m only telling you all of this because I really believe you’ll feel better once you’re off Valium.

 

Hoping you can have some hope for a much better year for you and Kitty!

 

Colley, you may be just around the corner from relief – all the best to you, too.

 

 

Thanks for your reply, Leslie. I’m glad you’re not depressed anymore. It really confirms the fact that getting benzos out of the system relieves the symptoms of depression. And gives me hope. The problem is, I cannot imagine getting off of Valium completely. And even pdocs, addiction pdocs, don’t force me to.

 

I’m willing to taper to the least possible dose, though. I can’t see any other way out. I have this cervical degenerative disc disease. Discovered in 2014, out of nowhere. The neck and arm pain disappears for at least 30 hrs even on 1 mg Valium. Then there is insomnia, dating back to childhood. As I’m done with APs for sleep. Maybe I shall be able to sleep on 2 mg Valium. Don’t really know...

 

Valium is the most depressing psych med on Earth. I used to take different benzos in the past and never was so depressed. It’s not possible to crossover to clorazepate for several reasons. What’s funny, I never thought I’d score so high on this checklist. I didn’t tell myself: "let’s do this checklist in a positive spirit." Ignoring all my core negative feelings and the BS they’ve been feeding my brain for years. I told myself: "let’s do it exactly according to how I feel."

 

I hesitated about downloading this book, as I didn’t see depression as my chief concern. Rather washing OCD, insomnia, addiction, self-isolating. But the fact it’s written by a psychiatrist who’s skeptical about the absolute necessity of psych meds. And who believes in Cognitive Therapy. Just as I do. Convinced me. The additional fact that Aaron T. Beck wrote the preface to this book, was also encouraging. Aaron T. Beck and Albert Ellis are the fathers of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

 

I will be listening to the book and doing the checklist/exercises in the PDF version every week. I hope to see some improvements. My high score has also a lot to do with situational depression, I think. The next three weeks or even the whole month are going to be very difficult. The festive season was tough. The Winter in the North is always hard. Almost no sun at all.

 

I was severely depressed even before my psych meds, at 14 yrs old. The help was sought too late and my sickness was concealed for many yrs. I don’t think Prozac has stopped working completely. Tapering an AD to 0 is out of question. My pdoc forbids me even to decrease. The same pdoc who thought I could do without SSRIs. He’s known me for 7 yrs.

 

I tried to quit ADs twice in recent yrs. First time off benzos. Which probably brought me back to benzos. Second time on benzos, which contributed to my hospital stay. I don’t want to be hospitalized anymore. Leaving my Kitty is too traumatic and painful both for me and her.

 

I’m not willing to switch to another AD, as I only tolerate Prozac. I have yrs of experience with different ADs. I’m unable to increase Prozac, cause of sxs. Lots of other health concerns, besides the mental issues. Too many for my age.

 

I cannot lose hope and get to the point where hospital would be the only option.

 

Lots of healing and peace of mind in the New Year 2018 to you, Leslie. Let’s hope it will be better than 2017. All the best to you and the cats