Further down, we read: “A disciplined mind leads to happiness.”
Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD of the University of Massachusetts is a molecular biologist and meditation teacher. In his new book (with three co-authors), “The Mindful Way Through Depression,” Dr Kabat-Zinn urges cultivating awareness by not taking our thoughts so literally and by “disengaging the autopilot.”
Mindfulness, say the authors, “is the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to things as they are,” rather than as we want them to be.
Through mindfulness, I had essentially learned how to walk and chew gum at the same time, and other useful things. But that was before my diagnosis. Mindfulness, back then, had been no match against my runaway brain. Ultimately, I had been forced to acknowledge reality and throw in the towel and seek help.
But now my mindfulness was far more focused. For one, sleep and energy levels were on my radar. So were various concerns that caused stress in my life. So were the slightest shifts in my moods. Even had I never heard of mindfulness, I was already practicing it. So, probably, are most of you reading this.
If I felt myself becoming unduly agitated, I would typically take a “time-out” from my routine. If I felt myself starting to feel sorry for myself or getting depressed, I would make it a point to get out of the house. On and on it went, all the little coping tricks. Things we do all the time.
But there was this twist: We typically employ mindfulness to AVOID the worst. But what about MANAGING the worst? Suppose, for instance, even on a full meds dose, I were to cycle up or down past my safety zones? And what about all those situations you can’t avoid, such as a relationship breakup or a personal loss? For that matter, what about those moments you wish you could put in a bottle and savor forever, such as winning a major award or falling in love?
Could I mindfully negotiate my way through the crushing burden of having ten tons of bricks dropped on my head, or alternatively, defying gravity?
I had a book coming out in the fall of 2006. Little did I know I was due for a marriage breakup a month later. My mindfulness was about to be tested to the extreme.
Reminder: Low dose meds strategies are not for everyone. Many are best off on high doses. Any decision needs to be the result of a meeting between the minds between you and your psychiatrist.
To be continued ...
