[M]indfulness is the opposite of experiential avoidance…It allows us to feel the urge to have an alcohol drink arise and pass rather than heading to the bottle, to get on the airplane and feel the fear rather than stay grounded, to be with the tight muscles and violent imagery of anger rather than shut down in depression, and to feel hurt rather than escape into delusion…[M]indfulness practices can help us loosen our preoccupation with ourselves.

John holds certain values quite dear and believes he is violating those values when he doesn’t quite live up to them. He is plagued with the shoulds: I SHOULD work harder; I SHOULD be a better husband/father/son/sister/community member. Every time John perceives that he is failing to live up to his exacting standards, he criticizes himself. He always feels he is lacking in one important area or another. John doesn’t have a psychiatric disorder. He isn’t suffering deeply. On the other hand, though, he doesn’t have peace of mind…

And here, a PT blogger provides a simple antidote: “I wish…” “I’d prefer…”

“When a person who has enjoyed socializing and whose mood normally is positive becomes depressed, friends and family often don’t recognize it. Depression is inconsistent with the expectations that people have…”

[T]he four interventions that helped people break the cycle of negative thoughts about self-worth and how people perceive them were the most effective at reducing loneliness. Studies that used cognitive-behavioral therapy, a technique also used for treating depression, eating disorders and other problems, were found to be particularly effective.

If you’re further west or south, I also see people in Beverly Hills, 90211, at an office near Olympic and Robertson.

Call (323) 610-0112 to discuss your situation and make an appointment.

Researchers are investigating how the emotionally soothing effect of music can augment the treatment of depression and the management of physical pain…This could make it possible, within a few years, to develop computer programs which identify pieces of music that will influence a individual’s mood (e.g. to motivate them when exercising or when studying for exams), meet their emotional needs and help them cope better with physical pain.

One established [treatment] method is called Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, or P.C.I.T. Originally developed in the 1970s to treat disruptive disorders — which typically include violent or aggressive behavior in preschoolers — P.C.I.T. is generally a short-term program, usually 10 to 16 weeks under the supervision of a trained therapist, with ongoing follow-up in the home. Luby adapted the program for depression and began using it in 2007 in an ongoing study on a potential treatment. During each weekly hourlong session, parents are taught to encourage their children to acquire emotion regulation, stress management, guilt reparation and other coping skills. The hope is that children will learn to handle depressive symptoms and parents will reinforce those lessons.