Mindfulness requires one to pay attention in a particular way, deliberately and non-judgmentally, to the present moment. Mindfulness has been applied to many different conditions such as, stress reduction, chronic pain, cancer, parenting, childbirth and anxiety, etc. While this technique is useful for many conditions the primary intention of applying mindfulness-based cognitive therapy to treatment is to teach clients mindfulness-based approaches for depression. Depression is considered to be a past-oriented condition meaning that many individuals who suffer from depression dwell on the past and bad memories. Therefore; by using mindfulness a therapist is helping their client to focus on the present moment and to be freed from past and future
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Of the many methods he discussed four in particular stood out; these include: focusing on the here and now, decreasing rumination, increasing decentering and enchancing self-compassion. As previously mentioned, depression is a past focused disorder, therefore; it is essential to help those suffering to focus on what is happening in the present moment and mindfulness aims to do just that. MBCT also decreases rumination. This is when an individual continuously thinks of a situation over and over again in their mind which eventually causes their depression to worsen. Increased decentering, when a person is distanced from their thoughts and feelings, is also a goal of MBCT as individuals learn that they do not have to hold onto their negative thoughts or even believe them. When these goals have been achieved an individual will be able to accept themselves without judgment (i.e., self-compassion). Attaining self-compassion is very difficult for those with depression because they tend to be very self-critical, however, mindfulness teaches individuals to be kinder and less disapproving of themselves. Another interesting fact that professor Eisendrath mentions is that there are significant brain abnormalities in those suffering from depression. It is believed that MBCT strengthens one's attentional control, the ability for a person to choose what they pay attention to and what they ignore, to the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex and mindfulness training shifts the brain's focus to the present moment (UCTV,
Of the many methods he discussed four in particular stood out; these include: focusing on the here and now, decreasing rumination, increasing decentering and enchancing self-compassion. As previously mentioned, depression is a past focused disorder, therefore; it is essential to help those suffering to focus on what is happening in the present moment and mindfulness aims to do just that. MBCT also decreases rumination. This is when an individual continuously thinks of a situation over and over again in their mind which eventually causes their depression to worsen. Increased decentering, when a person is distanced from their thoughts and feelings, is also a goal of MBCT as individuals learn that they do not have to hold onto their negative thoughts or even believe them. When these goals have been achieved an individual will be able to accept themselves without judgment (i.e., self-compassion). Attaining self-compassion is very difficult for those with depression because they tend to be very self-critical, however, mindfulness teaches individuals to be kinder and less disapproving of themselves. Another interesting fact that professor Eisendrath mentions is that there are significant brain abnormalities in those suffering from depression. It is believed that MBCT strengthens one's attentional control, the ability for a person to choose what they pay attention to and what they ignore, to the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex and mindfulness training shifts the brain's focus to the present moment (UCTV,