When a person’s thoughts start to stray, they can tend to go in one of two directions. Sometimes people find themselves dreaming of an upcoming vacation or looking forward to a get-together with friends . . . . . . or, maybe they’re distracted by worries about approaching deadlines or unpaid bills. Even though the […]
A Better Night’s Sleep with Mindfulness?
One of the problems with antidepressants is their side effects, such as fatigue, anxiety, loss of libido, and sleep disturbance. Dr. Willoughby Britton and her research team at the University of Arizona wanted to find out whether mindfulness could help with sleep disturbance – one of the most common side effects of antidepressants. Researchers randomly […]
Could Mindfulness Be Just as Effective as Medication in Treating Recurring Depression?
To test this theory, Willem Kuyken, PhD, and his team at Oxford University, first needed to come up with a safe and ethical protocol for working with participants having a history of depression. You see, it wouldn’t be either ethical or safe to randomly select some people and ask them not to take their medications […]
How Does Mindfulness Change the Brain?
Mindfulness has been shown to be effective in relieving symptoms of depression, anxiety, and even chronic pain. But how does that happen? The other day, I told you about a study that looked at how mindfulness can change the anxious brain. As it turns out, scientists have confirmed another brain connection, with a surprising twist. […]
A Mindfulness Program That Works for Mild to Moderate Depression
Many of the mindfulness studies that I come across examine either healthy volunteers or patients who have severe clinical conditions. But what about people whose symptoms fall somewhere in between? Could mindfulness practice be effective with them too? That’s why this recent research study done by Wendy Pots, DClinPsych from the University of Twente (Netherlands), […]