You can sample brief video portions of the program with RealPlayer movies. Click on the images to view the movies. Please note that video and audio quality of the program on DVD-ROM is considerably better than transmissions available over the Internet. The Good Days Ahead computer program is available only on DVD-ROM.
Warning:
If you do not have high speed internet access (DSL, Cable, or T1) there
may be a waiting period while your computer downloads the video examples
from Good Days Ahead. If your computer is taking too much
time to download the videos, close the RealPlayer window and read more
about the program. It is not necessary to view the videos to learn how the
program can help you fight depression.
*Note: Because of limitations of
videostreaming over the Internet, the brief video examples you will see on
the web are not representative of the superior quality video from the
Good Days Ahead DVD-ROM. 
RealPlayer 8.0 is
required for the videos below. If you don't have RealPlayer 8.0 you can
get it by clicking here.
How the program works - an
overview.
In this brief initial section, the Narrator, Dr. Jesse Wright,
gives an overview of the program. Dr. Wright is an internationally
recognized expert on the treatment of depression and on the use of
cognitive therapy to relieve emotional symptoms. He is the author of
Getting Your Life Back: The Complete Guide to Recovery from
Depression
–
the most comprehensive self-help book available for people who suffer from
depression and related problems.
Dr. Wright helps you
learn about the effective self-help methods of cognitive therapy and about
the many useful features of the Good Days
Ahead program. In addition to the instructive videos and
self-help exercises, the program includes a system for rating moods and
measuring progress. An electronic workbook is provided for you to store
your self-help exercises and practice putting the scientifically tested
methods of cognitive therapy into action.
Negative
thinking in depression.
A healthier thinking style.
The
main objectives of this segment are to help you: (1) Spot the kind of thinking that can lead to
depression and anxiety, (2) Understand
how thinking patterns affect emotions and behavior, and (3) Start to use cognitive therapy self-help
methods to control moods and relieve symptoms.
One of the most important basic principles is that we
all have lots of “automatic thoughts.” These are the private thoughts that
stream through our minds but we don’t speak out loud. In depression and
anxiety, these automatic thoughts are often negatively distorted or
maladaptive. If your mind is full of troubling, negative, or
self-defeating thoughts, it is hard to pull out of depression. In fact
this type of thinking usually makes your problems worse.
An important part of the Good Days Ahead program
is helping you recognize and change negative or hurtful automatic
thoughts. In the video example provided here, you’ll see Joan, the main
character in the program, visiting with her best friend Karen. It’s
immediately apparent that Joan is depressed and that she is having many
distorted, negative automatic thoughts. Initially, Joan’s negative
thinking makes her reject her friend’s offer of help. But, the scene is
played out to a much more satisfying conclusion after Joan is able to
change her thinking style.
The Basic Principles segment includes many helpful exercises that
you can use to identify some of your own automatic thoughts and to begin
to turn this type of thinking in a healthier direction. If you would like
to spot some of your automatic thoughts now you can look over one of the
checklists from Good Days Ahead.
Joan at work.
Scenes from Joan’s everyday life are used to help teach you the
most powerful self-help methods for recognizing and changing automatic
thoughts. A small portion of the first scene can be viewed in this demo.
Joan is struggling with negative automatic thoughts about a situation at
work. During the program she learns to cope quite well with the problem by
changing her negatively distorted, depressive thinking.
A negative way of taking
action.
The positive effects of taking
action.
Depression and anxiety are usually accompanied by problems in
how we act. If we become
depressed, we often think in a hopeless and helpless way, so we act that
way, too. We don’t try as
hard as we might or sometimes we get overwhelmed and give up altogether.
In anxiety disorders like phobia or panic, we can become so frightened of
a situation that we may try to escape or run away from whatever is
triggering the anxiety.
In
this segment of the multimedia program, you can learn how to “Take Action”
to reverse changes in behavior that go along with depression and anxiety.
Specific methods are included for fighting low energy, getting yourself
back on a positive track, breaking out of procrastination, enjoying your
life again, and coping with challenging problems or tasks.
Schemas - an
overview.
Schemas are the basic
attitudes or core beliefs that control our self-esteem. These rules of thinking usually
start to develop when we are children and adolescents. And, they’re shaped
by the important experiences we have in growing up.
Schemas can be positive and
help us to cope with life stresses and grow stronger. To give you a few examples, a
positive schema might be: “I’m a solid person . . . people can trust
me . . . or you can knock me down, but you can’t knock me
out.” We sometimes call these
healthy beliefs adaptive schemas, because they help us adapt better
to the challenges that we face in life.
Many of us also have
negative schemas – basic beliefs that hurt us, make us feel badly,
or interfere with how we function.
Just think of how you would feel if you had negative schemas like:
“I’m stupid” . . . “I’m a failure” . . . “I’m unlovable",....or...."I'm
never good enough.”
Other negative or maladaptive
schemas put excessive demands on us that are almost impossible to
fulfill. Do any of these
sound familiar? “I must be
perfect” . . . “Never show weakness” . . . or . . . “To be accepted, I
must be successful in everything I do.”
