Mindfulness and Meditation Therapy

It is an auxiliary treatment method that has been verified by nearly 50 years of evidence-based research and has been included in the clinical psychological intervention guidelines of many countries. It has a clear improvement effect on chronic stress, mild to moderate anxiety, chronic pain, and sleep disorders. However, it is not a metaphysics that can cure all diseases, nor does it only count as "getting started" by buying courses worth several thousand yuan and sitting cross-legged. The suitable groups of different schools are very different, and there is no need to deify it or sneer at it.

When I was a visiting scholar in the clinical psychology department of the Municipal Mental Health Center two years ago, I followed the teaching teacher and came into contact with a programmer who had suffered from tension headaches for three years. I tried acupuncture and painkillers, but they could only provide temporary relief. Later, I followed the eight-week MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) group prescribed by the hospital. I took classes and practiced in groups twice a week. I usually took 10 minutes every day to do breathing awareness at home. In the third month, the frequency of headache attacks dropped from four or five times a week to less than once a week. The pain level also dropped from having to take ibuprofen to being relieved by rubbing my temples for a few minutes. Don't tell me, when we compiled the follow-up data, there were quite a few similar cases. According to the evidence-based data, the relief rate of MBSR for chronic pain can reach about 30%, which is no worse than some conventional physical therapy.

Of course, I can completely understand that many people call it an IQ tax. If I were to see the "seven days to cure depression" and "the underlying logic practiced by people who make millions a year" on social platforms, as well as the meditation camps that sell tens of thousands of yuan and say they can open up chakras and cure cancer, I would also roll my eyes. This kind of sickle is purely commercially packaged and has nothing to do with regular clinical mindfulness therapy. Many people associate it with "spiritual practice" and "Buddhism". In fact, when Kabat-Zinn first founded MBSR, it was done for chronic pain patients in hospitals who had failed to respond to conventional treatments. It didn't add any mysterious things. The core essence is to teach you to focus on the present from "regrets of the past" and "anxiety about the future", and don't repeatedly compete with your own brain.

Don’t get hung up on “What is the difference between mindfulness and meditation?” To put it bluntly, mindfulness is a type of meditation, and the methods of playing it in different directions are very different. There is no need to pursue any “orthodoxy”. If you are just trying to catch a fish at work and want to relieve your brain jam, just search for a 5-minute breathing guide on Site B and it will be enough. You don’t have to spend thousands to sign up for an eight-week course. ； If you are a patient with depression who has had more than three recurring episodes, it is best to find a qualified consultant to practice MBCT (mindfulness-based cognitive therapy). This is supported by global research data and can reduce the recurrence rate of depression by about 40%, which is much more reliable than practicing blindly on your own. ； There are also some people who practice traditional vipassana and meditation, and their pursuit is spiritual growth, which is not the same track as clinical intervention at all, so don’t confuse them together. I met a little girl before who signed up for a meditation camp worth several thousand dollars and required me to meditate for 8 hours a day. In the end, instead of reducing her stress, her waist became protruding while sitting. It was really unacceptable.

Not everyone is suitable for practicing mindfulness. Many psychiatrists I know are clearly opposed to practicing mindfulness for patients who are experiencing severe mental illness. For example, during an acute schizophrenia or severe manic episode, if you ask him to close his eyes and focus on his inner feelings, it may aggravate auditory and visual hallucinations, or even induce more serious symptoms. There are also some PTSD patients who have not undergone trauma assessment. They practice body scans on their own, which can easily trigger trauma flashbacks. I once had a client who was choked and scolded by his parents when he was a child. When the body scan scanned the throat for the first time, he couldn't breathe and cried for almost half an hour on the spot, so it is really not a "universal cure".

I have been practicing by myself for almost four years. I was stupid at the beginning. I had to find a quiet room, sit cross-legged, light incense, and scold myself for being so unfocused. Sitting down for half an hour was more tiring than working overtime for a whole day. Later I realized that the core requirement of mindfulness is "non-judgment". If your mind wanders, it will wander. I discovered that just bring your attention back to your breathing. Even if your mind wanders for nine and a half minutes in ten minutes, the half minute you bring it back is still useful. When I'm busy working on a manuscript, I just stare at the mug in my hand, feel the temperature of its porcelain surface, smell the burnt aroma of coffee, and count three breaths. It doesn't even take a minute, and my mind immediately becomes clearer. There are so many rules.

In fact, the current controversy over mindfulness is essentially led astray by those who engage in commercialization. It is just an ordinary tool. There is no essential difference between drinking a cup of energy drink when you are tired or standing and stretching when you are sleepy. If it is useful, you can use it. If it is not useful, just switch to something else. It is not the same as arguing over a tool.