Positive Approach - Therapy: Mindfulness Flashcards
what are the 3 main components of mindfulness
- Gaining control of mindfulness
- meditation and mindful breathing
- Informal practises of mindfulness
outline what the first component (gaining control of mindfulness) is + an example
- normally our minds are too focused on the past (going over old feelings) or too busy contemplating the future (worrying needlessly)
- it makes us focus on the present, to become aware of all incoming thoughts and feelings and to also accept them
- the goal of this it to gain greater awareness of how these negative thoughts dominate us, in order to gain control over them and spend less time stressing
- therefore, by avoiding automatic negative thoughts, it can help with depression and anxiety –> empowering the individual to notice this and alter their reaction
- an example of this is MBCT
outline what the second component (meditation and mindful breathing) is + an example
- helps to focus on the present through meditation and breathing
- correct body posture + breathing exercises –> “tune out” distractions and focus on body sensations (e.g. ‘body scan technique’)
- sitting in a comfy position, spine straight, direct attention to breathing
- then focus on body sensations, thoughts and emotions
–> this all prevents the intrusion of negative thoughts - it helps to: reprocess internal experiences + helps to accept that the thoughts (and emotions that follow) are impermanent
- in this way, an individual learns not to react in an automatic way to their thoughts
- an example would be MBSR
outline what the third component (informal practices of mindfulness) is + an example
- can be applied in everyday life
- in everything we do (except multi-tasking)
- it is making the conscious decision to focus on one single task
- e.g. taking a shower (focusing on smell, sound, feeling, what you see, etc…)
what is MBSR
- mindfulness-based stress reduction
- developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn (1970)
- individual is trained by a certified instructor (8x2.5 hour classes over 8 weeks)
- participants are given educational material + practise mindful activities (meditation or yoga or etc)
- also given home practise assignments
- also encouraged to incorporate it into every day things
- increasing mindfulness = reduces emotional reactivity + deeper sense of calm –> reducing stress/anxiety/pain
what is MBCT
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy
- uses all the techniques from MBSR + principles of cognitive therapy which help you to recognise and reassess negative patterns of thinking, replacing them with positive ones
- the combination of mindfulness and cognitive therapy is what makes MBCT so effective
- mindfulness = helps identify your feelings
- cognitive = teaches you to interrupt automatic thought processes and work through feelings in a healthy way
- it’s successful in reducing depression reoccurrence and severity of symptoms
how does the first assumption link to mindfulness
mindfulness encourages people to be more aware of their own thoughts and feelings and be accepting of them so they have control. You need to be able to self-regulate and control your attention to focus on the present
How does the second assumption link to mindfulness
mindfulness helps people to learn to focus on the present moment instead of worrying about the past or future. Whilst carrying out meditation = fully engaged and absorbed
how does the third assumption link to mindfulness
mindfulness aims to develop signature strengths through ‘acceptance-based’ methods which encourage virtues like gratitude, flexibility and optimism
why is mindfulness effective
- supporting research:
1) Teasdale et al (2000)
2) Reibal et al (2001) - appropriate for all
- highly accessible
why might mindfulness not be effective
- doesn’t remove the cause
explain why the first supporting research proves mindfulness to be effective
- Teasdale et al (2000)
- tested effectiveness of MBCT among 145 recurrently depressed patients
- they were randomly allocated two conditions
1) treatment as usual (TAU)
2) TAU + 8 classes of MBCT - MBCT showed greatest help to those who suffered the most number of previous episodes
- however not he most effective on those with only 2 or 3 episodes
explain why the second supporting research proves mindfulness to be effective
- Reibal et al (2001)
- tested effectiveness of MBSR for those suffering long term chronic, painful, terminal illness
- MBSR was found to be successful in reducing anxiety and depression in patients who underwent an 8-week MBSR course
explain why being appropriate/accessible for all proves mindfulness to be effective
- can be used in workplaces, prisons, help pregnant women
- research suggest that mindfulness is adaptable
- e.g. in schools: ‘Mindfulness in school project (2007)’
- it was a 9 week course applied in 12 different countries
- it showed to improve wellbeing and children began learning and concentrating better
- Kuyken (2013) found that children who practise mindfulness have increased wellbeing and reduced stress
explain why not removing the cause proves mindfulness to be not effective
- traumatic childhood experiences or life stressors cannot be removed
- if we accept thoughts without dwelling on them, we then don’t actually address them, then we can’t challenge them, then we can’t change them
- It is also not suitable for all mental disorders, e.g. schizophrenia
