Who can benifit from reading this- Q and A
Do you have an introductory comment?
Medications can help many of the mental health problems discussed, safely and sometimes very quickly , but only mindfulness can address the residual suffering not reachable by pharmacology or the usual psychotherapies. I want you to know what I know about these and appropriate mental health diagnosis, to help your anxieties, and help make you a truly informed consumer.
Who can benefit from this series?
I divide people into three classes, “the well”, “the suffering well” and “the not so well” all can benefit from increased knowing about mental health problems, their diagnosis and treatment with medications, and the use of Applied Clinical Mindfulness.
Who are these three classes of people and how can they benefit?
The “not so well”, are people in treatment who may not be getting better, or have not had optimal results from their treatment. They need to know more about their diagnosis, other diagnoses they may not be aware of, and get a new approach to their problems.
The “suffering well” are people who are doing well by most people’s standards but have excessive unnecessary suffering because they may have some unrecognized mental health problem, which causes more distress and stress, than impairment at work, school, play or in relationships, however they may even do better if their problem was treated, sometime with medication , sometimes using non biological treatment like mindfulness.
The “well” are people who have no diagnosable mental health problem, but may be at risk for one because of life’s stresses or genetics and family history, they are well now who knows what the next day will bring. Also the “well” who are doing usually very well, may actually do better if they just had a little more concentration, could pay attention better so they wouldn’t make those careless mistakes, were calmer, their body more relaxed, and could handle the everyday aches and pains, and the usual emotions and negative thoughts without fueling them with more thinking or needing occasional use of medications , or alcohol, instead they could use a daily dose of mindfulness in and out of a meditative practice.
Why are you focusing in on two treatment modalities that seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, medications representing biology, and mindfulness a non biological “psychological” approach?
First let me address the brain chemistry or medication part. For biologically based mental health problems medications offers a safe and relatively quick treatment, and if properly done can reduce not only symptoms, but relapses, complications, and offer close to optimal results in terms of aliening distress and improving functioning. These medications are widely prescribed mostly by non psychiatric specialists, who are physicians, but also physician extenders such nurse practioners and physician assistants. Because of limits of time and knowledge concerning mental health problems, their diagnosis, and practical clinical psychopharmacology, it is in the best interest of everyone to become an informed consumer. Being such one can better aid these practioners in knowing what they need to know about the correct diagnosis of problems and the medications used. Knowing a little of what I know can help you in this way.
Why the other emphasis on Applied Clinical Mindfulness?
Even with the best of medication management , and the appropriate use of non biological treatments like psychotherapy in all of its forms, there are always residual symptoms, causing mental and physical symptoms, and some impairment in functioning effecting the person at work, school, or in their relationships. This results in suffering that may in fact be unnecessary because it may be make more bearable, lessen in intensity, and may even by eliminated by applying simple mindfulness techniques. Where as the medication prescribing requires knowledge and skills by the practitioners, mindfulness is a kind of “self therapy”, that can be used anywhere, anytime, and can be learned by anyone regardless of age and intellectual abilities. It also can work on the symptoms not addressable by medications and the usual therapies, at the deepest core of the mind where mental health problems are in part caused, driven and fueled. It is never biology vs. the mind, both must be considered. It is a false and therapeutically ill fated belief to try to make a diagnosis and attempt treatment without considering everything that impacts on the person and their problem.
Are you now talking about the nature vs. nurture split, or psycho-social-biological vs. “the mind”?
Mindfulness also helps take away this confusion about a problem being caused by the mind, or brain chemistry, or the environment, the nature-nurture dichotomy, because it sees everything as interconnected, there is no either or, but everything has to be evaluated and treated, the environment, brain chemistry and the mind itself.
How does a mindful approach and attitude differ and help one with mental health problems?
Mindfulness puts a heavy burden of relief of the suffering on the individual, not the just the helping person, takes the emphasis away from labels and identifying with them which causes a new kind of problem, and puts the focus on dealing with the core emotions, body symptoms, and negative thinking that if not causing some of the mental health problem is perpetuating it, and may play a part in relapses. We have little control at times of our environmental stressors, or the body and brain chemistry we have inherited. We have the most and ultimately the only control over how our mind responds to life and its problems, and here is where mindfulness can help the most. One may not be able to stop the pain, but one can learn to respond to it, in a way that results in less suffering.
You make it sound like mindfulness can help anything?
If properly and consistently applied anything can be helped just by its general properties. Anything experienced with mindfulness is made better, the negative and painful, will have less suffering, the not so interesting , the neutral or the boring will become more interesting and show unexpected positives, and the what is positive will be enjoyed with greater satisfaction. So if you want to be less bored, have less suffering and have more satisfaction learn about and apply mindfulness to your problems and daily living.