A diet of happy thoughts


Filed Under A diet of happy thoughts, Media | Dec 21, MST 9:11 am

 
It’s important for people who are suffering from depression, anxiety, and stress to be aware of the thoughts they entertain. I recently discussed the power of mindfulness meditation and I’ve touched on how keeping a gratitude journal can do wonders for your long-term mental health. The fact is, the thoughts we have play a large role in the way we feel about the world.

For that reason, I’ve decided to start posting videos that I find particularly inspiring, the kind that will bring a smile to most peoples faces — even hardened cynics. I want my readers to get in the habit of seeking out positive experiences. Think of it as a cultural diet of sorts. Whenever you catch yourself
feasting on negativity, make a conscious effort to consume some happiness. Seek out thoughts that make you smile.

Take this video of Matt, a man who has literally danced his way around the world. There’s a good chance it’ll make your face break into a grin.

Misery Around The Web


Filed Under Round-ups | Dec 15, MST 1:16 pm

 
The American College of Physicians recently released guidelines for treating depression, and it hasn’t gone down well with psychiatrists.

Newsweek reports that the rate of suicides among young black men went up 83% over the eighties and early nineties.

Recent research shows that people are better at spotting fake smiles after they’ve been rejected. More proof that the worse you feel, the more realistic your world view.

New York magazine reports that urban loneliness might be a myth, according to researchers. It’s long been assumed that people in cities are lonelier than people living in more rural environments,  but this assumption of urban alienation may not hold under closer inspection.

Coronary heart disease and depression are a deadly combo, and a recent study suggests that this deadliness is tied to behavioral changes in those afflicted by the pair. Being depressed causes people to stop taking care of themselves, which increases their chance of dying.

In a study of 102 female and 50 male African Americans teenagers, researchers found that mothers who played mental games increased the presence of depressive symptoms in their daughters. The boys showed no changes in wellbeing.

Daily meditation stops wandering thoughts


Filed Under Media, Overcome Depression | Dec 11, MST 9:29 am

In a study of twelve zen meditators and twelve control subjects, brain scans revealed that those who practiced daily meditation for a period of at least three years were faster at clearing their mind of distractions than those who had never meditated.

The scientists who performed the study suggest that this area of research is clinically relevant for conditions that involve excessive rumination — like depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, and anxiety disorders.

I have to agree with them on that point. People who learn to let go of their thoughts, who are quicker at releasing them, are much less likely to be held ransom to their demands.

Unfortunately, at this point in time, though we’re becoming aware of how meditation can be used to counter these conditions, we’re still not entirely aware of why it works. More research is needed before psychologists are able to devise a foolproof therapy which incorporates meditation — though, mindfulness based cognitive therapy comes close.

For now, we know this zen study shows that daily meditation creates a swifter, quicker brain. I can’t see many down sides to that, so for people who have the time, I would recommend taking up a zen habit. At the very least, in a few years, you’ll be better at managing your thoughts.

Zen isn’t a cure-all

Zen meditation is, of course, not a cure-all for depression, or other mental disorders. This story of a woman who turned to zoloft after failing to find peace through Zen testifies to that fact.

However, it’s another tool in the quest to wrest control of our minds away from the devils that often plague it. It won’t save people from depression on its own, but it might make the process of being saved easier.

How to practice zazen

For those of you who would like to start practicing zen meditation, otherwise known as zazen, this following ten minute clip from teacher Gudo Nishijima will show you the basics.

Quackery, Pseudoscience, and You.


Filed Under Various | Dec 8, MST 11:59 am

Quack Attack
Ben Goldacre is in the business of challenging quackery. In one recent post of his, he takes on the braingym movement. It’s a wonderful read, and I invite all of you to saunter on on over and digest what he has to say.

Mister Misery is a mental health website with a particular focus on depression, anxiety, and stress. We often cover conditions that tie into the preceding big three mental states — things like diabetes, heart disorders, anorexia, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, and the likes. Though this site isn’t necessarily focused on debunking quackery, it’s important to cover the topic now and then.

A Gullible Species

Human beings are, as a rule, a gullible species. We gloss over scientific studies while placing a premium on testimonials, we place faith in products and therapies that have little proof to back them up, and we often believe nonsense despite a mountain of overwhelming evidence disproving our pet theories and causes.

We aim to provide a balanced view on this website. We offer no guarantees about anything covered on Mister Misery, and in some cases we’re fairly skeptical about some of the therapies, studies, and theories that we present to our readers. We write under the assumption that our readers take everything they read with a grain of salt, and that they always explore multiple arguments before deciding on whether they agree with whatever it is they’ve read on this site.

Controversial Treatments

People who are depressed are often in a tight spot, which leaves them open to predatory practices of quacks and charlatans. It’s important for them to be very careful with the treatments they take on. For example, personally, I’ve had excellent success with certain NLP exercises, but I’m very aware that those exercises have never been the subject of rigorous scientific study. As a whole, NLP has fared poorly under scientific scrutiny. Frankly, there’s a strong argument to be made against the quality and scope of the studies that have been done, but that doesn’t make up for the fact that there is still, as of yet, limited scientific evidence in favor of NLP as a form of therapy.

I think there’s very little harm in people trying certain NLP exercises on their own — in my case, it helped. However, I would strongly caution people against spending thousands of dollars on weekend NLP seminars. If, against their better judgment, they decided to take those seminars, I’d ask them to be very careful not to sign up with a snake-oil instructor. Some NLP teachers are trained psychologists with University backgrounds, but others are simply quacks preying on the weak for a quick buck.

I use NLP as an example of a controversial therapeutic treatment that we’ve covered on this blog. It’s a field that is full of quackery, though I do believe that buried under the bullshit, there’s some solid things it has to offer the world. However, there’s still plenty of bullshit to dig through before we find any gold. That requires a discerning mind that approaches new information from a variety of angles.

Practice Cautious Skepticism

We expect our readers to practice a certain cautious skepticism, even when they assume it’s unnecessary. We’d rather that they be safe then sorry. Reading a site like Goldacre’s is a step in the right direction.

A healthy skepticism is an excellent antidote to the gullible tendencies that are part and parcel of human nature. The more reluctant you are to buy into what you read, the more insistent you are on exhaustively researching the pros and cons of the therapeutic treatments you are considering, the less likely you are to be taken advantage of by unscrupulous snake oil peddlers.

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)


Filed Under Media, Overcome Depression | Dec 4, MST 8:36 am

 
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy is one of the newest tools in the fight against depression. MBCT combines meditation and cognitive therapy to create an awesome, life enriching cocktail. How life enriching?

A recent study of 123 depressed patients shows that MBCT is just as effective as medication in preventing relapses in the depressed, and more effective in improving their quality of life.

The simple act of practicing a few mental exercises a week can radically alter the way people experience the world. MBCT shows us how potent our mental habits are. Change those habits, and you change your reality.

The great thing about MBCT is that it provides people with an easy, simple alternative for taking back control of their lives. I’m a strong supporter of psychotropic therapies, however I believe that they should only be turned to after having exhausted more natural alternatives.

If you’re interested in learning about the neuroscience of mindfulness meditation, and how the practice can be used to improve the lives of those suffering from anxiety and depression, I recommend watching this video from the Google Tech Talks series. In it, Philippe Godin, a scientist that heads the Clinically Applied Affective Neuroscience group over at Stanford University, discusses the research that’s been done on the subject.

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