Learning the skills of mindful attention can put you on a slow but steady track of healing. Medication and cognitive therapy try to put you on the fast track, but the effects don’t always last. Though it may take a while to instill mindfulness in everyday life, once established it’s with you for the long […]
mind
Can the Mind Heal Depression?
How can we draw on the power of our own minds to heal depression? As I’ve tried to answer this question, I’ve had to rethink my beliefs about recovery. This is the first in a series of posts to describe what I’ve been learning. Like everything else I’ve been writing about here, this search starts […]
Why Talking to Myself Makes Sense
I’ve tried to stop talking to myself, but I haven’t had much luck. I’m referring to the silent internal conversation that accompanies almost every waking moment when my attention is left on its own. I’ve often wondered why the talking has to keep going. Listening with Awareness As part of dealing with depression, I’ve worked […]
Changing Core Beliefs of Depression
Getting well depends in part on changing core beliefs of depression that often begin to develop early in life. According to recent neuroscience findings, putting together a narrative about who you are is one of the most important parts of mental life. The narrative integrates many dimensions of mind: memory, emotion, thinking, sense perception, awareness, […]
Fear of Change in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
One of the interesting things about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is that you can’t think about it too much. You have to do it. Hence the acronym ACT, to be spoken as the word. If you try to understand it with your mind alone, you’ll get stuck because the mind has too many blinders. I […]
Resources for Acceptance and Mindfulness
Before getting into my experiences with acceptance and mindfulness, I wanted to mention the specific psychotherapies and self-help resources I’ve been working with. I’m no expert in this field, but I’ve learned a lot even from my limited exposure to the key methods and practices. I’ve become most familiar with four therapies that have been […]
Is There a Link Between Mindfulness and Hypnosis?
In looking for ideas about the power of the mind in healing, I’ve never thought about a possible link between mindfulness and hypnosis. Until now. Michael Yapko claims there is a close connection between the two in his latest book, Mindfulness and Hypnosis. I’ve learned a lot from his well-known self-help books on depression (Breaking […]
The Placebo Effect Helps the Mind Heal Depression
How is it that the mind can heal depression through the placebo effect? Placebo is a meaningless treatment that is presented as the real thing, but it can be almost as effective as antidepressants that have been on the market for years. I can’t know for sure, but I suspect that my brief recovery after […]
