"One of the cornerstones of treatments for depression is getting out and moving in the world in ways that matter to the individual," says Dr. Michael Bordieri, assistant professor of psychology at Murray State University. Mindfulness can be a way to help achieve that, by becoming aware of ones thoughts and not changing them, but rather letting them go. This is the topic of the fourth conversation in our series on understanding depression: the emerging therapeutic use of mindfulness.
Mindfulness isn't necessarily new, it's been practiced in eastern medicine for centuries. New to western scientific scrutiny and development subject to testing, Jon Kabat-Zinn pioneered removing or suppressing the spiritual aspects and presenting it in the way that focuses on the relationship with thoughts and inner experiences. Mindfulness is the cultivation of a relationship with ones thoughts and experiences marked by non-judgment, simply noticing them for what they are. This contrasts with much of what we do in our daily lives, managing conflicting thoughts and self doubt.
How does one separate oneself from self criticism? Mindfulness isn't about changing the content of your thoughts, Dr. Bordieri says, but rather noticing when critical thoughts or judgments are happening and letting them go. Clients are asked to set aside 30 minutes or an hour of their day and to bring their attention to their own breath, to to practice increasing awareness of thoughts and feelings.
"It may not seem like logically how that would directly connect to depression, what we find is that individuals who go through that treatment and go through the practice show a much greater protective factor against future depressive episodes than those who don't get that training and experience."
This is the fourth in our series of conversations about depression with Dr. Michael Bordieri, assistant professor of psychology at Murray State. Dr. Bordieri's contributions to this series are strictly informational and should not be construed as any form of psychotherapy, counseling, diagnosis or treatment. Any health condition, including depression, should be evaluated and treated by a qualified professional in the context of an established professional relationship.
On Monday, November 3, listen for more about acceptance and commitment therapy.
