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The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness | 
| Authors: J. Mark G. Williams, John D. Teasdale, Zindel V. Segal, Jon Kabat-zinn
Publisher: The Guilford Press
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $12.28
You Save: $7.67 (38%)
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Rating:  29 reviews
Sales Rank: 472
Media: Paperback
Pages: 273
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 0.8
ISBN: 1593851286
Dewey Decimal Number: 362.25
EAN: 9781593851286
ASIN: 1593851286
Publication Date: June 1, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
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Product Description
The Mindful Way through Depression draws on the collective wisdom of four internationally renowned cognitive therapy and mindfulness experts, including bestselling author Jon Kabat-Zinn, to help you break the mental habits that can lead to despair. This authoritative, easy-to-use self-help program is based on methods clinically proven to reduce the recurrence of chronic unhappiness. Informative chapters reveal the hidden psychological mechanisms that cause depression and demonstrate powerful ways to strengthen your resilience in the face of life's misfortunes. Kabat-Zinn lends his calm, familiar voice to the accompanying CD of guided meditations, making this a complete package for anyone looking to regain a sense of balance and contentment.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 24 more reviews...
 Waking Up to Your Life Again: A Brilliant Guide to Understanding Depression September 5, 2008
Enamorato (Rockville, MD United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was actually led to seek out information on meditation as a treatment for depression through a book called Surviving America's Depression Epidemic by psychologist Bruce E. Levine. That book takes a highly insightful approach to investigating the sociological and personal genesis for depression and I credit it for saving me from succumbing to this condition. Afterwards, I bought "The Mindful Way through Depression" to supplement Levine's more brief explanation of meditation as a therapeutic modality.
Three psychologists - J. Mark G. Williams, John D. Teasdale and Zindel V. Segal began investigating why it was that people who became depressed once would experience constant relapse even after treatment. They eventually were led to the work being done by Jon Kabat-Zinn who had been researching the benefits of meditation at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
The approach they eventually created is called Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (or MBCT), which begins with the understanding of human psychology branching out of the Buddhist contemplative traditions of ancient India. This understanding of reality is then applied to findings of Western cognitive-behavioral therapy. Despite its Buddhist influences, the practice is completely secular. There is no mention of Buddhist concepts such as anatta, dharma or nirvana but the essence of the contemplative traditions is still present. The meditations in the book and on the CD are focused on experiencing the present moment as it unfolds here and now. This is what is meant by mindfulness.
Some of the reviews on this page mention "curing" depression. Yet, like Dr. Levine, the authors of this book redefine depression - not as some inherent chemical or genetic fault that needs to be eradicated with psychotropic drugs - but as a habitual reaction towards our unpleasant feelings. Taking a poignant insight from Buddhist philosophy, the authors realized that much of our suffering is due to an aversion towards our own unpleasant feelings. (Note: Depression is NOT unpleasant emotions themselves. Negative feelings - sadness, fear, anger, anxiety, etc. - are benign in and of themselves. It is a pattern of reactions towards these feelings that is the depression.)
Feelings - both the pleasant and unpleasant - are important messengers which contain vital information about whowe are and the state of our lives. However, when depressed, we often become paralyzed by our unwillingness to be with our fear, sadness, anger, anxiety, etc. This initial aversion cycles into depression in a complex interplay between our emotions, thoughts and behaviors. This is why we often find ourselves sinking deeper into depression the more we try to "think" our way out or just "snap out of it." At worst, these attempts only serve to further estrange us from our emotions or cause us to start ruminating, cementing our depressed thoughts. At best, they serve only as a cosmetic and temporary solution.
I was happy to discover that MBCT addresses some of the shortcomings of traditional CBT that Levine criticizes in his book. CBT has a preoccupation with thoughts specifically - neglecting the nuanced relationship between our external circumstances, our emotions, thoughts and behaviors. Likewise, I found CBT tends to be exhausting. Who can stand to analyze their thoughts constantly, especially when they don't have an understanding of where those thoughts are coming from to begin with? The mindfulness practices in this book place thoughts in the wider context of life itself and bring us out of our own heads. The "Body Scan" that begins the CD is an excellent way of bringing one into the entirety of the body and opening to the physical, sensory experiences most of us have come to ignore.
Eventually, what these practices serve to do is awaken one to the true nature of living. Depression itself can be seen for what it is - a pattern of thoughts, feelings and behaviors - that we eventually learn to transcend. If you are currently depressed, this may all sound highly dubious. I myself was skeptical at first. But, having nothing to lose, I read through the book, practiced the meditations as described and suspended judgment for the eight weeks recommended by the authors. Within the first two weeks, it started making more sense. I felt I was living more "in the moment." When depressed, our days often feel monochromatic - everything runs together in a big jumble of anxiety, numbness, inaction, etc. Weeks go by and we feel like we haven't actually LIVED through them.
Mindfulness completely transformed this familiar experience for me. My days feel longer and more varied. I started noticing tiny details like where I hold tension in the body, when I needlessly and repetitively feed anxieties with negative thoughts, and started to notice things in the world around me more. Many people construe "curing" depression with banishing all unpleasant emotions. However, this is neither possible nor desirable. These sorts of emotions will always arise. However, the aim is to learn to be open to them instead of becoming overwhelmed by them. I can't really explain exactly how different this feels, but it felt like being a child again: awakening to the newness of each and every moment, as a child experiences the world, is really the heart of mindfulness.
This book and CD would certainly do fine as a stand-alone if you are just interested in feeling better. The insights into the workings of the mind and emotion are remarkable and all supported by the latest research. The CD narrated by Kabat-Zinn is extremely helpful as well in setting up a regimented practice and commitment to yourself to get better. If, however, you are also interested in learning about depression as a cultural, sociological and historical phenomenon, I highly recommend Bruce Levine's "Surviving America's Depression Epidemic" which touches on many topics not dealt with here, including the role of schooling in teen depression, shyness or social phobia, abuse and neglect, the role of depression for artists and musicians and loss of community in modern-day society. Both are excellent books, however, that deal with different aspects of the same topic.
book review August 15, 2008
antonius (carmel, ca)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
although i only skimmed the book today - i got too many others to read first. the book i received was brand new, discounted, came with a cd that coordinates with the chapters and the book has some good reviews by current holistic leaders.
Excellent book for depression August 7, 2008
Mary Crombie-Geer (Connecticut)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book is very good, anyone who has suffered depression should read it. The program, if you choose to follow the program that the book outlines, is demanding, but perfectly doable - - requiring 45 minutes per day. I think it's worth it - - have just started doing the 45 minutes of meditations myself, and hope it will help.
A GREAT book for dealing with depression, anxiety, and stress August 7, 2008
Mark Waldman (Counseling offices in Camarillo, Agoura, Woodland Hills, CA USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is simply one of the best self help books to be produced in a decade. And it's useful for nearly any form of psychological issue that you may be struggling with. What makes this book a gem is the CD which will guide you through various meditation and relaxation exercises. As a neuroscience researcher exploring the effects of meditation on the brain (see Newberg and Waldman's forthcoming book, How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Leading Neuroscientist, I am convinced that this is one of the best ways there is to substantially reduce depression, anxiety, and stress in anyone. Even if you don't read the book, listen to the CD. It will definitely change your brain, and your life.
The Mindfulness Way Through Depression July 14, 2008
Readaholic (Dallas, Texas)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A new approach to dealing with depression that offers hope for those who have had little success with other therapies. What is new is the idea of combining techniques that are known to work rather than relying on single approaches. Learning to live in the moment removes many of the triggers that lead to depression. The best book I have read on this topic. I bought 5 copies. I have given away all of them to people who have expressed interest in the book. All of these people have had positive reactions to the book.
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