Depression can be normal; one out of 14 people will experience the condition sometime in their life. It can also be invisible; many people dealing with depression expend much of their energy appearing like nothing’s wrong. Depression also has a chameleon-like quality. It shows up differently in different people, ages and genders, making identification and diagnosis sometimes difficult.
For men, depression shows up as fatigue, lethargy and irritability. For women, sadness, guilt and low self-esteem. In children, mood swings are common. Sometimes self-harm is involved. Teens can sulk, abuse drugs or exhibit risky or violent behavior. While older adults may experience sadness, anxiety and problems sleeping or making decisions.
Recently a treatment called “mindfulness based cognitive therapy” or MBCT has been shown to be effective for assisting patients to understand and manage their thoughts and emotions and achieve relief from depression. The foundation of MBCT is called the “3-minute breathing space”, a simple 3-step exercise that’s as easy as it is effective.
Minute One: Attend to individual feelings thoughts and sensations and label each one with words.
Minute Two: Narrow attention to the inhale and exhale with the breath.
Minute Three: Widen attention from the breath to a head-to-toe awareness of physical sensations in your body.
You can use the 3-minute breathing space anytime and anyplace. The technique is guaranteed to deactivate autopilot angst and it can get you through the most challenging of depressive situations.
