Hope for adolescents with depression

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=206480

Putting one step in front of the other–a mindfulness approach to depression.

Saw this nice, brief article at Huffington Post about using present-minded focusing to overcome depression.

Focusing 0n what is just before you in a given moment is a good way to get through, as well as breaking down difficult tasks in the given moment into more attainable goals is very helpful for overcoming depression, which can make even getting out of bed something that seems insurmountable.

Enjoy the read.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elisha-goldstein-phd/mindfulness-strategies-fo_b_631664.html?view=print

First real yoga class.

I tried my first real yoga class today.  I say real in the sense that it was taught better than other ones I have had in the past.  If you can imagine a bowling ball doing poses, that was me.  I’m very out of shape, but I managed to make it through the class.  I’m trying to do this right and learn yoga from someone who knows what they are doing, not a tape or video or a class that is too large for some better instruction.

I felt MUCH better after the class and kind of rode a natural relaxed state all day.  It was wonderful.

There are uses of yoga for managing moods.  Here is a video with a yoga routine that purports to help with sadness in general.  I can’t vouch for it, but I submit it as an example of what practitioners try to do to help with depression.  Of course, the usual caveats about checking with your doctor first, etc. apply.

I am also reading a book on the treatment of depression with Yoga by Amy Weintraub:  Yoga for Depression.  So far it is pretty good, although I think it is better read by someone who has some expreience with yoga, as there is a bit of Sanskrit.  However, she writes in a clear way and it is quite understandable.  I am hoping to find pranayama (i.e. breating exercises) that may be helpful for some of my clients who are willing to try them in order to deal with depression.

Namaste.

Need one reason to get help to treat depression? Try ten.

http://www.webmd.com/depression/treating-depression-9/slideshow-10-benefits

Ten benefits of depression treatment.

A study looks at diet and depression and panic disorder.

Medical News | Health News – Eating your way to better mental health.

Your diet is not necessarily a cure for these mental health disorders, but it can be helpful.

The study found that women with a diet high in vegetables, fruit, fish, wholegrain and lean meat were less likely to have depressive and/or anxiety disorders, while those with a diet high in processed foods and ‘junk’ were more likely to suffer from these disorders.

This is iimportant as this is reportedly one of the first studies to look at depression and panic disorder and the effects of the whole diet, not just parts of it.

Eat your veggies.

A news article on a type of therapy that is effective for depression.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy is an approach that is very similar to mine in dealing with depression and anxiety.  The following is an article about it.  It has been in the news in Britain lately because it is being included among the therapies that are shown there to be effective in dealing with depression.

http://www.sidewaysnews.com/opinion/meditate-your-way-through-depression

Here is a link to a description of what MBCT is:  http://www.mbct.com/.

Here’s the skinny on why it works.  Regular cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is fine in terms of helping people change their thoughts and actions so that they aren’t as depressed, or so that they can get out of depression altogether.  Mindfulness doesn’t change the content of one’s thoughts like CBT does, but it gets at the heart of one’s relationship with one’s thoughts.  Thus, MBCT attacks on two prongs–teaching people to detach from their thoughts through meditative practices, and by teaching people to change the content of their thoughts through techniques associated with cognitive therapy.

Any questions on this?  Feel free to comment, and I’ll answer them!

News Flash–Set your video recorder now or watch this stuff on the Internet. Now.

Hi guys.

Just wanted to make you aware of a new series on PBS that you should be must be watching.

If you are a client of mine, consider it homework.

It is called “This Emotional Life” and it talks about relationships and mental health, negative emotions, and positive emotions.  Included are discussions on depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, happiness, etc.  It discusses the latest research on these issues and some of the means towards feeling happier.

For an overview, check out the video at http://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/series. Warning, it autostarts when you click on it.

Watch it.  You’ll be glad you did.  In fact, you’ll thank me for it.

Elderly fight depression with social networking on the Internet.

Study looks at social networking use of computers for the elderly.

Personally, I think that this is a great idea.  The cost of computers is really coming down and not ALL the elderly are computer-phobic.  I think, though, there will still be access problems for those who are on a fixed income.  Hmmm.  Facebook vs. food.  LiveJournal vs. medications.  Hopefully some day we will be able to better provide for our elderly.

1 in 10 Americans use antidepressants.

I am glad to see some recognition of this great reason for mental health stigma to go away.

However, I am worried that people are moving away from psychotherapy, as it has repeatedly been shown that psychotherapy and meds together are much more effective than meds alone.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/print/?id=320482

Found an interesting article in NYT about how we get into a rut in terms of being stressed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/science/18angier.htm?_r=2