Improve Anxiety and Depression in Iranian Chronic Pain Patients with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindful meditation can help ease psychological stresses like anxiety, depression, and pain.” – Julie Corliss We all have to deal with pain. It’s inevitable, but hopefully it’s mild and short lived. For a wide swath […]
Reduce Pain with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Meditation (which is the ‘formal’ practice of mindfulness) actually changes the way the mind perceives pain (2) so that it’s more bearable. It is a natural and effective way to ease physical pain.” – Melli O’Brien We all have to deal with pain. It’s inevitable, […]
Reduce Addictions with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “it’s tempting to conclude that mindfulness is the “best new thing” for addiction treatment, but that in reality, further study is needed. “It absolutely has promise, we have a lot more to learn. This is the beginning.” – Sarah Bowen Substance abuse […]
Improve Pain Responding in Adolescents with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindfulness was a significant predictor of both real-world and experimental pain outcomes. Adolescents who were more mindful tended to experience less interference in their day-to-day life as a result of pain. Additionally, . . . more mindful adolescents reported less […]
Reduce the Psychological Distress Produced by Chronic Pain with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “When it comes to chronic pain, the key is learning to live with it rather than vainly trying to avoid or eradicate it; a regular meditation practice is the best ongoing foundation for working with pain.” – Christiane Wolf […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “What kind of therapy is beneficial? What are the specific components of therapy most applicable to people with chronic pain? I can tell you that mindfulness, CBT, and ACT based interventions are definitely part of the equation, i.e., they are always helpful. In fact, mindfulness practice is […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Hence, the ultimate goal of ACT is not to reduce symptoms or pain (although other simultaneous therapies may well be aimed at achieving this). Instead, its goal is to improve functioning by increasing psychological flexibility and the ability to act according to personal values, even in the presence […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “If you move into pure awareness in the midst of pain, even for the tiniest moment, your relationship with your pain is going to shift right in that very moment. It is impossible for it not to change because the gesture of holding it, even if not […]