Fighting Depression

Fighting Depression with Positive Psychology

On Sunday, August 27th, the Colorado Springs North Stake had a devotional entitled "Fighting Depression with Positive Psychology" presented by Lyle J. Burrup. Br. Burrup has been kind enough to provide us with a copy of his slides:

• Fighting Depression with Positive Psychology Slides
• (Slide 3 references the Pixar Boundin' video which can be found here.)

Brother Lyle Burrup Biography:

• He and his wonderful wife Necia have 7 children and 17 grandchildren
• He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker
• He worked for LDS Family Services for 34 years
• He and his wife served a mission in the South America South Area as the mental health adviser to the missions in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay from 2013 to 2015
• He is currently a church service missionary serving as a mental health adviser to the Missionary Department and a high councilor in the Utah Sandy Crescent Ridge Stake
• He has been a BYU Education Week presenter in 2016 and 2017
• He has written two articles for the Ensign -
  • "Raising Resilient Children" (March 2013)
  • "Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders" (March 2017)

Fighting Depression with Positive Psychology Summary:

We learn from Gen 3:16-19 that we will all experience sorrow in this life. Knowing this, what is depression and how does it relate to sorrow?

Sorrow + Distorted perceptions, thoughts, beliefs, attitudes = Depression ("As he thinketh in his heart, so is he" Prov 23:7)

According to the ABC Theory of Emotional Disturbance, It is not the event, but rather it is our attitudes and beliefs about it, that causes our emotional reaction. Which explains why two people can experience the same event and have different emotional responses to that event.

The good news is that we can change our thoughts and beliefs to change how we feel, we do this by learning from our experiences ("Know...that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for they good" D&C 122:7). Br. Burrup presented two models that teach us how to do this:

Stephen Glenn’s Model:

David Burns' Model:

The 7 Habits of Highly Happy People (pursuit-of-happiness.org):

1. Spiritual engagement and meaning
2. Relationships
3. Acts of kindness
4. Physical exercise
5. Flow
6. Discover and use strengths and virtues
7. Positive mindset: optimism, mindfulness, gratitude