In my book The Best Diet Begins in Your Mind I identify depression as one of
eight emotions I see my clients eat over the most. For those of you who suffer
from the kind of depression that is hard to shake or which comes back time and
time again I have some interesting news. Scientific research is telling us that
a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy known as Mindfulness-Based Cognitive
Therapy or MBCT for short may be helpful.
Mindfulness means noticing what’s
going on in your experience in the moment. It’s a form of focused attention. It
involves observing your thoughts and emotions without judging them or getting distracted
by them.
MBCT is currently taught as an
eight-week group program which includes mindfulness meditations, yoga, and
homework assignments.
One of the reasons why MBCT may be helpful
is that when a person engages in mindful thinking her brain uses different neuropathways
than when she is thinking depressive thoughts. This may lead to beneficial changes
in the person’s brain structure.
To learn more check out the article
on Mindfulness in the March 2015 issue of Monitor on Psychology
published by the American Psychological Association (www.apa.org)
Until next time,
Dr.
Sheila
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