The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness

Kabat-Zinn Ph.D., Jon; Williams Ph.D., Mark; Teasdale Ph.D., John; Segal Ph.D., Zindel

ISBN 10: 1591796652 ISBN 13: 9781591796657

Publisher: Sounds True, 2008

Synopsis

If you’ve ever struggled with depression or know someone who has, take heart: mindfulness practice is a simple, powerful way to naturally break depression’s self-perpetuating cycle.

With The Mindful Way Through Depression, four leading researchers present insightful lessons drawn from both Eastern meditative traditions and cognitive therapy about how to triumph over this illness―and, more importantly, how to prevent it from striking again. Join these uniquely qualified experts to discover the power of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, including:

The "quicksand effect" of depression―why our attempts to think our way out of depression can backfire, and the strategy we can use for true freedom
· The biology of depression―how meditation can rewrite neural structures and heal chemical imbalances
· What to do when you’re not depressed―techniques for cultivating an abiding sense of joy that will protect you from recurrence
· A full CD of guided mindfulness meditations for health and happiness, narrated by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Even successful treatments for depression too often stop short of providing you with a way to protect yourself from falling back into the downward spiral. With The Mindful Way Through Depression, you will develop the tools you need to understand the core mental habits and patterns that lead to depression―and learn a proven method for creating genuine change that lasts a lifetime.

Course objectives:

Identify ways feelings, thoughts, the body, and behavior interact to trigger depression
· Summarize basic concepts of mindfulness and awareness
· Recognize the difference between thoughts and the truth
· Describe the difference between doing mode and being mode
· Identify ways awareness counteracts depression
· List several kinds of mindfulness meditation practices
· Practice guided mindfulness meditation exercises

About this title

About the Author:

Jon Kabat-Zinn
Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, is the founder and director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and associate professor of medicine in the Division of Preventative and Behavioral Medicine. His clinic was featured in 1993 in the public television series Healing and the Mind with Bill Moyers. Jon Kabat-Zinn is the author of Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life and Full-Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness.

Mark Williams
Mark Williams, PhD, is professor of clinical psychology at the University of Oxford and Wellcome Trust Research Fellow, and co-author with Drs. Segal and Teasdale of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, a bestselling book for professionals.

John Teasdale
John Teasdale, PhD, has held senior research appointments in the department of psychiatry at the University of Oxford and in the Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge.

Zindel Segal
Zindel Segal, PhD, is the Morgan Firestone Chair in Psychotherapy in the department of psychiatry at the University of Toronto and head of the Cognitive Therapy Unit at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

Review:

"Using mindfulness training to prevent and treat depression is a novel strategy in the West, though it is a traditional application of Eastern meditation practice. Whether you struggle with depression or simply want to understand your mind and emotions better, you will find this book accessible and useful. Depression is epidemic in our society, and I would love to see this sensible treatment approach gain ground." –Andrew Weil, MD, author of 8 Weeks to Optimum Health and Healthy Aging "A revolutionary treatment approach. For depression sufferers, this is a truly useful guide to achieving emotional balance. For mental health professionals, it should be mandatory reading. I recommend this book and companion CDmost highly." –Daniel Goleman, PhD, author of Emotional Intelligence "An invaluable resource not only for those who suffer from depression, but for anyone familiar with the downward spiral of negative thinking and self-doubt. The authors of this book explore the reasons for depression and give us guidance and support, along with useful tools to find a way through it." --Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness "If I could select one group of individuals for people to really pay attention to when grappling with chronic unhappiness, I could not think of a better group than these authors. Not only are they consummate scientists, but they are each personally immersed in the moment-to-moment mindfulness that they teach. This book brings together the practices of both science and insight meditation in an effective fashion that is understandable to the ordinary person--no esoteric practice or mental health background is necessary. Read it and see for yourself!" –Marsha M. Linehan, PhD, ABPP, University of Washington

"Williams and his international team of authors provide insight into the healing power of so-called 'awareness' through which people can escape the wearisome ruminations of the obsessed mind, befriend alien feelings, and come more alive in themselves. The book is accompanied by a CD with meditations that can help the listener enter the present moment, own more fully their physical context, and stand back from the flow of their thinking and feeling....A practical volume that bears the authority both of contemporary psychology and the age old spiritual practice of meditation." (New Directions 2007-06-04)

"An invaluable resource for patients who suffer with depression. In addition to psychotherapy, psychopharmacology and CBT, it provides another resource to patients and another way of looking at their struggle, a way of trying to understand what's happening and a way to learn a technique of self-help; a way of attempting to break through a cycle of chronic unhappiness. The book is accompanied by a CD with a series of guided meditations, making it a unique and useful package for the clinician to use in a comprehensive treatment program....A book of this sort is invaluable in that it provides a series of take-home exercises for the novice and provides a step-by-step guide to patients or clinicians interested in effective noninvasive therapeutic techniques." (Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic 2007-06-04)

"The book is well written and easy to read....People who are prone to depression, dysthymia, or general unhappiness will find this a helpful new way to reframe their thinking about their issues, and practitioners may also find it a useful basis for counseling." (Drug and Alcohol Review 2007-06-04)

"Composed by a star-studded team of scientists and practitioners, this powerful book is the best self-help title to arrive since David Burns's seminal Feeling Good. Williams, Teasdale, and Segal previously collaborated on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, a well-received text for mental health professionals. Add to the mix Jon Kabat-Zinn, a luminary in his own right, and the result is a useful lay reader's guide to incorporating mindfulness techniques in everyday life. Providing a realistic eight-week program, this wonderful guide and its accompanying CD offer invaluable practical strategies for banishing depression and regaining one's life. Highly recommended. (starred review)" (Library Journal 2007-06-04)

About this edition

• Publisher: Sounds True
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1591796652
• ISBN 13: 9781591796657
• Binding: Audio CD