Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 265 Further Interventions After Cognitive Readjustment in Depression (Not the Only Criterion)

The fact that a client has attempted suicide and that the suicide attempt has been successfully intervened does not mean that the matter is over.

On the contrary, suicidal behavior can have a variety of subsequent effects on the client.

These factors can introduce many variables into counseling and intervention.

Some visitors lose their fear of suicide, and even their awe, after their first suicide attempt.

This is a terrifying psychological shift.

Perhaps when they first cut their wrists with a razor blade or went out onto the balcony for the first time, they would struggle internally; but after this "first time," even if they only experienced some minor setbacks, they might choose suicide without hesitation.

There are many things that we cannot try.

While others hesitate about suicide, these suicide-hunting clients may think, "Oh, is that all? I've tried it before, it's no big deal to do it again."

This is why, when conducting suicide assessments for depression, "whether there has been a history of suicidal or self-harming behavior" is an extremely important indicator.

But Li Minglu's case is more like a different type of visitor.

After attempting suicide, such visitors may experience a surge of fear of suicide, and even many previously repressed emotions may resurface.

Therefore, they began to cherish their own lives and bodies.

It's somewhat like hitting rock bottom and rebounding.

Nan Zhuren didn't know if this was due to Li Minglu's personal characteristics or the effect of her own [emotional contagion] at the time.

In any case, judging from the results, the current situation is quite good.

“During our last consultation, we discussed your cognitive dissonance and found that your cognition does not match your current environment.”

"It seems you've made up your mind to change your [environment] aspect."

Nan Zhuren briefly summarized the content of the last consultation and Li Minglu's current thoughts.

For the average person suffering from depression, it may take several months and a dozen or more consultations to make this level of determination.

Li Minglu, having failed in his suicide attempt, managed to do so within two weeks.

Such a rapid shift in mindset has both advantages and disadvantages. In subsequent consultations, Nan Zhuren needs to solidify the positive aspects and eliminate the negative ones.

And to prevent other bad things from appearing.

But before that—

"Before we begin today's consultation, there is something I must tell you."

Any changes to the consultation process must be communicated to the client; this is both the client's right and the counselor's obligation.

"Today is your last consultation at the 'Yannuo Consulting Center,' which is also my last day working at 'Yannuo.'"

Upon hearing this, Li Minglu was stunned.

"Even based on my most optimistic estimate, you will definitely need counseling intervention for some time to come. I can recommend other counselors for you..."

Li Minglu interrupted anxiously, "Teacher Nan, aren't you doing consultations anymore?"

Nan Zhuren pursed her lips, seemingly deep in thought.

Finally, he smiled and said, "If you'd like, I can continue to take your consultations, but we might have to find a different venue."

Li Minglu nodded repeatedly: "Changing the location is no problem."

After saying that, he added with some hesitation, "If it's inconvenient for you, Professor Nan... any counselor you recommend will also work."

Nan Zhuren immediately knew what Li Minglu was thinking and smiled, "It's not inconvenient at all. I just wanted to confirm your intention. You can think of it as a standard procedure."

After Li Minglu appeared to breathe a sigh of relief, the preliminary preparations for this consultation were considered complete.

Nan Zhuren smiled and said, "Then let's officially begin today's consultation." ...

Seeing that Li Minglu had relaxed again.

His current situation is indeed relatively optimistic, but it is definitely not enough to make Nan Zhuren relax.

Nan Zhuren smiled and steered the conversation back to the beginning: "You just mentioned your determination, which shows that you have begun to make changes to the [environment] to restore balance to your perception. This is a breakthrough, even a leap forward."

"We need to readjust our subsequent consultation plan because of this."

Li Minglu leaned forward, appearing to be listening attentively to the information.

"As I just said, even by the most optimistic estimate, you will definitely still need counseling and intervention for some time to come. This won't end anytime soon."

Although on the surface, Li Minglu seems to be in a state where "his inner knot has been untied".

But this does not mean that Li Minglu has "recovered"—not even "close to recovery".

He is only "just beginning to recover" right now.

As mentioned before, depression is not just a psychological problem; it also involves physical disorders caused by psychological issues.

Although physical problems are also caused by psychological factors, solving psychological problems does not mean that physical problems will immediately change.

Conversely, even if the psychological problems are gone, the physical problems they caused will remain.

This means that Li Minglu still suffers from problems such as inattention, forgetfulness, and sleep disorders.

Their mood will also habitually remain in a low state for a long time, trapped in a depressive mood.

If these physical problems are not addressed, they may eventually trigger a new wave of psychological issues.

During this "recovery" process, counselors need to provide guidance on the daily routines of clients with depression and promptly address the negative emotions caused by these physical problems to prevent a relapse of depression.

That's one point.

Second.

Although Li Minglu has now undergone a change in his understanding, he no longer pins his hopes on Wang Sui to change him, but has decided to change his living environment himself.

But is this idea really sound?
Nan Zhuren looked at Li Minglu.

Making a decision is indeed very difficult.

However, compared to the actions that follow, "making a decision" is actually the easiest step.

In this process from "making a decision" to "implementing the behavior," the counselor also needs to continuously reinforce the client's cognition and provide timely support when the client wavers.

These two issues are the main reasons why most patients with depression are difficult to cure and are prone to relapse after being cured.

The purpose of a counselor is, of course, to help clients avoid these situations from occurring.

Nan Zhuren took a deep breath and began to discuss the subsequent intervention plan with Li Minglu.

“Starting today, our first task is to reinforce your cognitive abilities to prevent the progress we have made from regressing. Optimistically, this will probably take about a month.”

"Secondly, we need to rebuild your social functions and enrich your social support system—you are still maintaining basic social functions, you have been working, so this should be able to be completed relatively quickly."

"Finally, we need to establish a relapse prevention system for you. This includes simulating mild setbacks in a safe environment to train your tolerance threshold, and so on."

Nan Zhuren proposed a three-stage consultation objective.

　Different schools of thought have different intervention methods for depression, and there is no single approach.

　　If any knowledgeable readers are interested, please feel free to point out any errors in the comments section, or provide more academic and comprehensive explanations.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)