Aaron Beck is an American psychiatrist and emeritus professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. He is considered the father of cognitive therapy. Over the years, he has developed several innovative theories that are widely used in the treatment of clinical depression and anxiety disorders. Beck is currently honorary president of his own Institute for Therapy of Cognitive Behavior.
Early biography
Aaron Beck was born July 18, 1921 in Providence, Rhode Island. He was the youngest of four brothers and sisters in a family of Jewish immigrants who moved to the United States for permanent residence in the early 1900s. During his studies at the school, Beck was interested in the humanities. Most of all the boy was fascinated by psychology. In the local library, he read almost all books on the development of the psyche and behavior.
Later Aaron entered the American University of Brown at the Department of Psychology. In 1942, he graduated with honors and was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest alumni society. Immediately after graduation, Beck decided to try his hand at journalism. He got a job as a freelance editor for The Brown Daily Herald. In 1945, the young man received the William Gaston Prize for his excellent oratory skills.
Beck quite successfully combined his publishing duties with studying at Yale School of Medicine. Convinced that the psychology of personality is inextricably linked with anatomical features, he studied the structure of the human body every day. In 1946, Aaron received his second higher education in medicine and concentrated on practical research.
In the years 1946-1950, Beck underwent medical practice in the private psychiatric hospital Osting Riggs, which is located in Massachusetts. Here he treated patients with the latest neuropsychiatry tools. In 1952, Aaron got a job as a medical assistant in the US Armed Forces, but a year later he decided to re-engage in science.
In 1954, Beck entered the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. During training, he met with the chairman of the department, Kenneth Appel, who had a significant impact on Aaron's entire future career. Being an influential psychoanalyst, the teacher helped his student to determine the main professional direction. It was at this time that Beck finally realized that he should connect his life with psychoanalysis.
Professional career
Aaron conducted his first major study in 1959 with his colleague Leon Saul. They developed a new inventory that they used to evaluate the "masochistic" hostility of the individual. The results of their work were subsequently published in leading medical journals. Subsequently, Beck continued his observations already alone. Talking with patients in psychiatric hospitals, he realized that people who are prone to depression are most often looking for encouragement and comfort among other members of society. In 1962, the scientist wrote a new work in which he collected personal recommendations on how to properly treat depressive disorders.
In addition, working with patients suffering from depression, Beck discovered that they experienced flows of negative thoughts that spontaneously appeared in their minds. He called this phenomenon "automatic thoughts." Subsequently, the psychoanalyst found that such thoughts can be divided into three main categories: negative ideas about oneself, about the world, and about the future. Aaron said that such knowledge is interconnected as a kind of cognitive triad. And since depressed individuals devote much time to the analysis of “automatic thoughts, ” they begin to regard them as real events.
The scientist’s conclusions helped save dozens of patients in psychiatric clinics from severe forms of depression. He helped them identify and evaluate spontaneously emerging thoughts. As a result, people began to feel much better. Beck was able to prove in practice that various personality disorders arise from distorted thinking. The author of theoretical manuals nevertheless believed that life negativity could be dealt with. The main thing is every day to carefully analyze all thought processes and write them down on paper.
However, using the above methods, Aaron managed to treat not only depression, but also bipolar disorders, drug addiction, schizophrenia, syndromes of aggression and fatigue. He saved many patients with borderline personality disorder who have repeatedly attempted suicide.
In 1992, Beck received the honorary title of professor at Temple University. He still regularly participates in scientific research, holds symposia for young specialists, and also still works with psychiatric organizations.
