Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy
Mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is an effective treatment method formulated by John Teasdale, Zindel Segal and Mark Williams for the patients suffering from repeated and extreme depressive states.
The system is designed by combining the methods of cognitive therapy with mindfulness practices to establish a deeper sense of relief from various mental noises experienced by the patients of chronic depression.
Mindfulness exercises used in this therapy is derived from the teachings of Buddhist meditation practices that help a person to become more aware of his thoughts, sensations, feelings, emotions etc.
MBCT is an improvised form of the famous mindfulness based stress reduction program that was created by John Kabat.
Cognitive Therapy
One half of this whole system is the very old treatment for various mind related problems, i.e. cognitive therapy, which was introduced by a well known American psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck.
Beck explained that our thoughts, feelings and behaviors are all related, hence he focused on making his patients to work on these three aspects of their mental health.
A person is taught to first identify his various mind states and then actively change it to produce desired outcomes.
For example, an individual is taught to become aware when they get involved in negative thinking, distressing emotional responses, destructive behavior etc. and then they take a step forward to alter all these unconscious patterns using their conscious efforts.
Mindfulness Methods
While cognitive therapy educates you about the various involuntary mind and body behavioral patterns so that you could identify and change it deliberately, mindfulness methods provide a better solution for dissolving such harmful thoughts, emotions, behaviors and feelings.
Trying to alter your mind states using your will power can probably backfire sometimes, which makes the whole situation even worse, however mindfulness meditation takes an approach which is very easy and effective in helping you to improve your unconscious destructive mind states.
Some simple mindfulness exercises enable you to become an observer of your thoughts, bodily sensations, emotions and feelings whenever you get into a negative mind state, doing this will detach you from that particular state and this is a natural way to escape some very troublesome emotional issues like depression.
MBCT Program
MBCT is an 8 week program that takes you through different levels from understanding the process to performing it appropriately.
The majority of the task in this course is done by the participants during their usual hours by applying the lessons they learn in the class which includes various mindfulness activities and meditations, whereas the classes are held for a few hours only on a few targeted weekly days.
The course also involves some Yoga and breathing exercises that helps one to develop an increased present moment awareness.
MBCT has been significantly successful in treating the patients of depression and many studies have supported the health benefits and effectiveness of this course.
I am not a therapist to give you a professional advice on this, but from my experience I have learned that mindfulness exercises are best for dealing with depression and other mind related problems.
I hope you enjoyed this post. You may also be interested in knowing a few methods to become a more happy person.
What do you do to get rid of the negative thoughts and feelings? I would love to hear your opinion on this, so please do leave a comment before you leave.
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