"I will praise the one who's chosen me, to carry you"
-Selah: I will carry you

Monday 27 August 2012

Fighting back against depression (CBT part 1)


As many of you by now know, I have just started a self help CBT course (just a book to begin with, and I will see how I go). I decided I needed to do something.......I am aware that I am getting into  negative thought patterns, and that I am showing signs of slipping back into depression.  I am also aware that I need to try to change my mindset, but that I don't have the tools to do that on my own.  So, I thought I would give this a try.

As a few people have asked me to let them know how I get on, and some of my readers may be facing similar problems, I thought I'd start a blog-within-a-blog to report my progress.  I will mark these CBT blogs in the title, so anyone not interested in this part of my journey can avoid reading them.

Part one then: After lots of introduction into how our minds work, and specifically, how depression works (cue lots of nodding and recognition of symptoms from me) my first exercise: mindfulness.  My first task is to focus on the present, and try to stop my thoughts from wandering off...but if they do, I am to be kind to myself, just bring my attention back to the now without being annoyed with myself for wandering off.  I have always been useless at this.  When I used to do yoga, I would spend the whole 10 mins relaxation at the end trying desperately to quiet my mind and stop my thoughts spinning, not very relaxing! Still, I am prepared to give it a go, so I will try. I have had a little head start with this one, by doing my nightly relaxation mp3s, I have got used to relaxing my mind now...as long as I have something to focus on...so, I will need to choose a mantra to keep repeating....."om" never quite did it for me!

1 comment:

  1. Update......managed this quite well today, did a few 30 seconds pauses during the day and managed on the most part to keep focused on my mantra and my breathing. Amusingly, when I did find my mind wandering, it was to thoughts of what to say in my blog! Haha.....well will keep at it for a while longer before trying the next step. I do feel more positive today though, doing these little exercises has kept me from getting into downward thought patterns, and therefore kept me feeling happier. I can see already how this is something that needs to be practiced, it is not a do it and fix yourself thing....it just works whilst you are doing it.

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