How Authentic Healing Process for Depression (AHPD) Works to Help with Your Depression
Nearly one in 10 adults and one in five adolescents and teensin the United States suffer from depression, and almost 31%have treatment-resistant depression. Although medication can be an effective tool, it doesn’t work for everybody, and even when it does, it can’t — and shouldn’t — do all the heavy lifting in your depression treatment plan.
Dr. Joy Kwakuyiat Faith Integrated Psychiatryin Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, has been helping people battle depressionfor many years and has developed an innovative, evidence-based approach that builds upon existing methods and research and his own clinical experience. He calls this integrative treatment the Authentic Healing Process for Depression (AHPD), which he unfolds in his book, The Ultimate Cure for Depression: Leveraging Science and Faith for Total Healing.
Here, he explains the AHPD premise and highlights the five dimensions that enable people with depression to tap into underused resources for healing.
1. Self-efficacy dimension
Attitude matters when you face obstacles. A positive perspective and a can-do mindset are powerful motivators, whether you’re climbing a mountain or rehabilitating from an injury, and they’re just as important when you’re dealing with depression.
Dr. Kwakuyi believes that you hold one of the keys to healing within your own mind. Self-efficacy, or the belief in your own potential to heal, is the first step. He then teaches you how to harness and use that belief to boost your depression treatments. Our patients who possess a strong conviction that they canand willachieve healing are more likely to succeed than those who doubt their potential.
2. Biochemical dimension
Depression may be a mental disorder, but it has physical origins. Research has shown a link between low levels of neurotransmitters and depression. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in your brain. Dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin are the three main neurotransmitters associated with depression, but others may also play a role, including GABA, glutamate, and acetylcholine.
Dr. Kwakuyi helps you elevate your neurotransmitter levels through:
- Nutrition
- Sleep hygiene
- Herbal supplements
- Exercise
- Medicine
Increasing and balancing your neurotransmitters may alleviate your depression symptoms.
3. Spiritual dimension
Knowing that God created humans and has the power to heal them, Dr. Kwakuyi helps you understand the Creator-Creation relationship and fully experience God's unconditional love for you. Although medication and self-efficacy are critical components of the healing process, those who don’t tap into the spiritual realm are missing out on a powerful resource.
Dr. Kwakuyi has served as a pastor and Christian counselor for more than 30 years and can help you understand and connect with God and His immeasurable love and healing.
4. Social dimension
Humans were designed to live and work in community — we thrive on social interaction. But depression can cause you to withdraw from those you love, cutting you off from a valuable source of support and healing.
Dr. Kwakuyi helps you identify the people in your life that can contribute to your treatment by offering a compassionate ear, practical assistance, hugs, laughter, and authentic relationships. He also helps you learn to nurture those relationships to create a mutually beneficial connection.
5. Professional dimension
In addition to drawing support from within yourself, from God, from supplements, and from friends, you also need an experienced professional like Dr. Kwakuyi on your depression team to help you manage all the components of your treatment. He monitors your progress with regular examinations and offers Christian counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medication managementservices so you know your treatment is on track.
Using the integrative AHPD approach, Dr. Kwakuyi taps into every aspect of your being — physical, social, spiritual, and psychological — to help you achieve total healing.
Contact usat either of our Arizona locations or reach out to us online to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kwakuyi and start your journey toward complete healing from depression today.
