Each year one is six adults in the UK are being prescribed antidepressants, yet mindfulness is just as effective, and research shows that it can help people to give up the antidepressants without increasing their chance of a relapse. I found apiece from Psychology Today which suggests that Mindfulness (MBCT) training can assist patients who wish to avoid antidepressants and even better, it can help those who wish to give up the antidepressants (here). In fact, the UK’s NHS says that Mindfulness (MBCT) is “as good as drugs for preventing depression relapse”. Here's a quote from the rezl.com website that I like:
We can imagine our thoughts and emotions as a river rushing through a stretch of rapids –and we may find ourselves being tossed around… and pulled under or hitting rocks… yet ‘mindfulness’ is like being able to stand on the edge of the river bank and watch the currents and eddies within the river… without becoming overwhelmed …or starting to panic.
The problem with conditions like stress, anxiety and depression is that when people experience such an episode they establish “thought pathways” that spiral downwards… …and then, in the future, when they encounter another “trigger” situation, they slide down the same pathway reinforcing it… and so on, making further episodes more and more likely. The way out is to build up our resilience through mindfulness to that we are able to deal with triggers and so we are able to observe our emotions without immediately responding to them - so that our feelings can dilute. In this way we can break this cycle.
Please take you time to work through the Rezl Mindfulness for Resilience programme. You should also get out and enjoy natural light and avoid addictive behaviours.
So how are you? ... and have you found any ways to improve your mood? Please share you experiences here.
We can imagine our thoughts and emotions as a river rushing through a stretch of rapids –and we may find ourselves being tossed around… and pulled under or hitting rocks… yet ‘mindfulness’ is like being able to stand on the edge of the river bank and watch the currents and eddies within the river… without becoming overwhelmed …or starting to panic.
The problem with conditions like stress, anxiety and depression is that when people experience such an episode they establish “thought pathways” that spiral downwards… …and then, in the future, when they encounter another “trigger” situation, they slide down the same pathway reinforcing it… and so on, making further episodes more and more likely. The way out is to build up our resilience through mindfulness to that we are able to deal with triggers and so we are able to observe our emotions without immediately responding to them - so that our feelings can dilute. In this way we can break this cycle.
Please take you time to work through the Rezl Mindfulness for Resilience programme. You should also get out and enjoy natural light and avoid addictive behaviours.
So how are you? ... and have you found any ways to improve your mood? Please share you experiences here.
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