A Classic Natural Antidepressant Practice

At some point in life, everyone will be touched by depression, whether their own or someone close to them. In the United States alone, approximately 19 million people go through periods where they face symptoms like a loss of pleasure or interest in their usual activities combined with a sense of heaviness and exhaustion, becoming either overly emotional or numb. Not to mention the relentless stream of negative and self-critical thoughts that can keep invading our minds.

The more periods of this "depressed mood" we experience, the greater the chances we'll fall into it again. Why does this relapse happen, and how can mindfulness practice offer some hope?

Falling into depression is a traumatic event, and just as being bitten by a dog makes us fearful and hypersensitive to dogs in general, our minds and bodies become hypersensitive to associations with depression, causing us to react to the slightest sign of it.

Feeling in a bad mood is normal for anyone. But if we've experienced depression in the past, it can become a trigger for thinking that depression is about to start again.

If we feel tired or sad, the mind produces worry: "Wait a minute, this is how I felt when I was depressed, so maybe I'm getting depressed again." Our minds begin to enter a mode overwhelmed by negative and self-judgmental thoughts, like "I'm a failure" or "I'm useless, I'm weak." Then it tries to solve the mystery of why we're becoming depressed again, and the more the mind tries to unravel that puzzle, the deeper it sinks into depression.

Think of a judgmental and worried person trying to help you solve your problems right when you're not feeling well. That's probably not what you're looking for.

Notice that the problem here isn't the bad mood itself, but the way we get stuck in the habit of identifying with that bad mood. This is what pours fuel on the fire, with our minds continuously fanning the flames through rumination, leading us into a fully burning depression.

How can mindfulness practice help us?

Mindfulness practice teaches us a new way of relating to our thoughts, feelings, and emotions as they arise. It's about learning to recognize whatever is happening in the present moment without our "judgment lenses" getting in the way, simply staying with what emerges rather than avoiding it or needing to fix it. It's the mind's attempt to escape and fix things in that moment that fuels the bad mood.

If sadness is here, in this moment, instead of trying to fix it or understand it, we can simply recognize its presence and let it be. If some kind of self-judgment arises (for example: I'm weak, I'm a loser, etc.) because of the sensitivity that comes from a depressive state we experienced before, we can recognize that these are associations from the past, let them be, and then gently bring ourselves back to what we were doing. By doing this, we stop the rumination cycle that can happen between thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations, which in turn can keep alternating with each other and end up leading us into a new relapse.

Of course, this is easier said than done, which is why practice is necessary.

Here is a classic natural antidepressant practice

One way to practice mindfulness is by using the breath as an object of attention. You can direct your attention to the tip of your nose or to your belly. During the inhale, simply recognize the air coming in, and during the exhale, simply recognize the air going out. Do this as if you were greeting and saying goodbye to an old friend.

When the mind wanders, as it always will, simply tell yourself: "wandering." And then gently bring your attention back to the breath, just noticing the movement of air flowing in and out. Most of us end up having to repeat this process billions of times, so know that it's normal for the mind to wander constantly. You can do this for just 1 minute or even 30 minutes or more.

Practice this during moments when you're feeling well, and it will be easier to recognize when the mind starts to wander into rumination and self-judgment during those times when you're not feeling well. If you feel bad and the mind begins to ruminate, in the same way you practiced with the breath, simply label that movement as "rumination" and then gently bring your attention back to what you were doing.

By becoming more present, you can also develop the ability to become more flexible and thus be able to take actions like calling a friend or doing something that brings you pleasure or helps you connect with others during those moments of relapse. This is an act of self-care that helps us interrupt the rumination cycle and cultivates greater patience, compassion, and peace.

It can also be helpful to follow practices guided by audio or in person. But you can certainly practice on your own just as well.

Warmly,
Dr. Elisha Goldstein.

Originally published at psychcentral.com