New research finds that a breathing-based meditation practice helped alleviate severe depression in people who did not fully respond to antidepressant treatments. Investigators from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania discovered breathing practices associated with Sudarshan Kriya yoga significantly improved symptoms of depression and anxiety. Read the Story.
Yoga Breathing May Help to Reduce Depression
Study: Vast Majority of People Who Are Depressed Do Not Seek Help
National Public Radio reports that of the estimated 350 million people affected by depression globally, the vast majority of them don’t get treatment for their condition either due to stigma or a lack of knowledge, according to a study of more than 50,000 people in 21 countries. Harvard Medical School and the World Health Organization found that in the poorest countries, one in 27 people with depression received minimally adequate care for their condition. Even in the richest countries, only one in five people with depression sought care. Read the article.
How Standing Up For Yourself Helps You Fight Depression
Depression the most common mental health disorder in the United States with nearly one in 10 U.S. adults experiencing some form of it. Depression is affecting younger and younger generations, and sadly, it is on the rise. According to the World Health Organization, by the year 2020, depression will be the second most common health problem in the world. With October being Depression Awareness Month, I’m probably not the first to bring this subject to your attention, but what if we took pause to think about what these numbers really mean?
Once we recognize the real impact of depression, not just on a broader world health level, but on the individual lives that it affects every day, we must abolish whatever remains of the stigma that depression is something to be ashamed about, or that it’s just a bad mood, so “snap out of it.” And we must start thinking about what works in terms of treatment, a subject I’ll talk more about in a free Webinar “Empowering Strategies to Fight Depression.” How can each of us take up arms against this painful condition and offer ourselves, our children, and our loved ones their best chance at overcoming depression?
When it comes to finding ways to empower ourselves against depression, I believe that one of the most important things to consider is the effect of the “critical inner voice.” The critical inner voice represents a damaging internal thought process, a form of destructive self-talk that perpetuates feelings of shame, self-hatred, negative rumination, and low self-esteem. Studies have shown that low self-esteem predicts depression. Even in toddlers, a negative self-concept has been found to be associated with depression.
Although, most of us experience low self-esteem and are familiar with the commentary of a critical inner voice, for those who are depressed, this critical inner voice can have a powerful, debilitating influence on their state of mind. The critical inner voice can cause people to dwell on perceived problems or sorrows. It can also make it even more difficult to take actions that would help individuals emerge from a depressive state. This voice is often critical and highly distorted. In a blink of an eye, it can fill our heads with thoughts like: “You’re so pathetic. You’re just a drain on everyone. You’re worthless/ stupid/ ugly. Why can’t you just be normal? You don’t really have anything to look forward to. There’s nothing to feel good about.”
The critical inner voice is also tricky, as it can seem both self-soothing and self-punishing. It lures us into engaging in actions or situations that then perpetuate our anxiety and depression. “Just go home and be by yourself,” it suggests. “You should just have a drink and relax. There’s no point in trying to be active. Why go through all the trouble of going out and seeing those people?” When we give in to these “voices,” our inner critic is then there to punish us. “What’s the matter with you? All alone again. What a loser. You never succeed at anything. No one wants you around anyway.” This type of cyclical thinking turns us completely against ourselves and leaves us at the mercy of a mean and ruminating inner enemy. To combat depression means taking on this inner voice or “anti-self.”
My father, Dr. Robert Firestone, created Voice Therapy as a therapeutic approach to conquer your critical inner voice, and in our book of that tile, which I co-authored with my father, we discuss specific ways people can start to challenge this inner enemy. Here are some of the valuable steps that can help people to start to recognize and counter these destructive thought processes.
- Identify the negative thoughts and beliefs you experience. Notice the events and circumstances that trigger these “voices” and the feelings that arise.
- Write the thoughts down in the second person as if someone is talking to you. So, instead of writing “I don’t have anything to offer,” write “You don’t have anything to offer.” This allows you to shift perspective and see the voice as an external enemy instead of your own point of view.
article continues after advertisement
- Respond rationally and compassionately to these “voices,” as you would to a friend, except this time, write your responses in the first person, as “I” statements. “I have a lot to offer. I have many qualities that people appreciate, and I care about others. I am fine the way I am.”
- Talk to a close friend who tends to have a more optimistic outlook. This can help you align with your real self and counter the negativity of your anti-self.
- Make yourself engage in activities that you have enjoyed in the past. Even if you don’t feel like it right now, taking these actions will help reinvigorate you and interrupt the destructive thought process that’s taking place.
One of the most important principles you can adopt in facing off against this inner critic that fuels depression is to practice self-compassion. Research findings have consistently shown that greater self-compassion is linked to less anxiety and depression. Despite the fact that people who suffer from depression may have lower levels of self-compassion, studies also show that practicing self-compassion can reduce symptoms of depression, in large part because it helps us not get stuck in our negative thoughts.
Dr. Kristin Neff describes three key elements of self-compassion: 1) self-kindness over self-judgment, 2) mindfulness over over-identification with thoughts and feelings, 3) common humanity versus isolation. Self-compassion asks us to value ourselves as human beings without judgment or evaluation. It allows us to notice our suffering and to feel compassion for ourselves without getting caught up in the rumination that comes with assessing ourselves or our state of being. Dr. Neff’s research has confirmed the benefits of this practice when fighting depression. One of the rewards of self-compassion is that it’s proven to better help us to achieve change in our lives.
Depression is a real disorder, but there are real ways to fight it. And when we do, no matter what treatment approach we take, we must be on our own team. We must see our critical inner voice as the enemy it is and reconnect with our real selves, the part of us that embraces our basic human right to live our lives on our terms.
By Linda Firestone, Ph.D.
Dr. Firestone is the Director of Research and Education at The Glendon Association. An accomplished and much requested lecturer, Dr. Firestone speaks at national and international conferences in the areas of couple relations, parenting, and suicide and violence prevention. Dr. Firestone has published numerous professional articles, and most recently was the co-author of Sex and Love in Intimate Relationships(APA Books, 2006), Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice (New Harbinger, 2002), Creating a Life of Meaning and Compassion: The Wisdom of Psychotherapy (APA Books, 2003) and The Self Under Siege (Routledge, 2012).
Follow Dr. Firestone on Twitter or Google.
5 Positive Things I’ve Gained on My Journey With Depression
From the website The Mighty, depression blogger Rob Harper writes: “Now, don’t get me wrong. Depression is a hole — a deep, dark place of isolation, loneliness, and confusion (amongst countless other negative things). But does this mean nothing good can come from having depression?” Read the rest of his blog.
Coping With Stress: Trudging Through the Drudgering
From the Attorney At Work website, lawyer Ruth Carter blogs: “How do you cope with stress?” That was this month’s question from my Attorney at Work editors. At first, I laughed at the question, but the gentlest response I can give is, “Not gracefully.”I’ve been open about my issues with depression and anxiety, and these are things that impact me every day. My officemate frequently hears me making non-word noises at my computer screen like “blah aa aah,” and taking deep breaths that help quiet the constant mental chatter.” Read the rest of her blog.
How Exercise Might Help Keep Depression at Bay
The New York Times reports that a review of by scientists of studies about exercise and depression showed that exercise, especially if it is moderately strenuous, such as brisk walking or jogging, and supervised, so that people complete the entire program, has a “large and significant effect” against depression, the authors wrote. People’s mental health tended to demonstrably improve if they were physically active. Read the rest of this article.
The 2 Big Beliefs Linked to Depression
Psychologist, Ellen Hendriksen, Ph.D. writes in Scientific American, “In our psychological backpack, we all carry around beliefs that shape how we move through our days. The heaviest weight in our backpack is the beliefs about ourselves. And when it comes to setting the stage for depression, a 2009 study in the journal Cognitive Therapy and Research found there are two biggies that are particularly devious.” Read the rest of her article.
Is This Depression? Or Melancholy? Or . . .
Therapist Will Hall writes, “One of the great sadnesses I encounter in my work is when people, struggling to find their own language, have adopted the language of others, or doctors, or the media in a way that only obscures and confuses the sense of who they are. Their very description of self has been usurped. I don’t have contact with the person, I have contact with a cloud of terms and jargon repeated from someone else. But just using the word “depression” does not always have to mean someone else’s language – sometimes people have their own definitions that are clearly personal and intimate revelations of their direct experience.” Read the rest of his blog.
Can Daylight Saving Time Cause Depression? New Study Says Yes
A new multinational study involving researchers from the United States and Denmark revealed last week that daylight saving time clock changes have another potential disadvantage to them, and a serious one at that. Based on their findings, shifting to standard time leads to an uptick in depression cases in the fall. Read the News.
What Effect Does Caffeine Have on Depression?
In tea and coffee, caffeine is often part of a daily ritual that helps people through the day. The medical world is divided, however, when it comes to the benefits and risks of caffeine. Its impact on mental health is hotly debated. Many believe that caffeine can relieve depression, while others warn it can make it worse. This article will seek to look at both sides of the debate while also looking at the effects of other foods on depression. Read the News.
Featured In:
Built by Staple Creative