Reduce Opioid Dependence in Chronic Pain Patients with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “meditation involves endogenous opioid pathways, mediating its analgesic effect and growing resilient with increasing practice to external suggestion.” – Haggai Sharon Substance abuse is a major health and social problem. There are estimated 22.2 million people in […]
Reduce Current Depressive Symptoms with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Depression is not only the most common mental illness, it’s also one of the most tenacious. . . But a growing body of research is pointing to an intervention that appears to help prevent relapse by altering thought patterns without side […]
Improve Smoking Abstinence with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindfulness training (MT) may decouple the association between craving and smoking, thus facilitating smoking cessation.” – J. Kim Pemberthy “Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of death and disease in the United States.” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). So, […]
Mindfulness Improves Depression in Real-World Healthcare Applications By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Rather than try to avoid or eliminate sadness or other negative emotions, one learns to change their relationship with these emotions by practicing meditation and other mindfulness exercises.” – Psychology Today Clinically diagnosed depression is the most common mental […]
Mindfulness Training Improves Major Depression after One but Not Two Years By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Depression is not only the most common mental illness, it’s also one of the most tenacious. Up to 80 percent of people who experience a major depressive episode may relapse. Drugs may lose their effectiveness over […]
Improve Bipolar Disorders in Low and Middle Income Countries with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy appears to have lasting benefits for people with bipolar disorder, , , incorporating mindfulness practices and mindful breathing into daily life on a regular basis was associated with better prevention of depressive relapse.” – Mahesh Agrawal […]
Improve Response Inhibition to Quit Smoking with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindfulness home practice significantly predicted reduced smoking behavior, even after controlling for initial craving and cigarette use. In fact, every day the participants meditated meant 1.2 fewer cigarettes, and every day they were mindful with their cravings and in […]
Improve Thinking in Substance Abusers with Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “When people take substances, they’re seeking a certain experience, whether it’s escapist or transcendental or just wanting a different psychological state, to get away from whatever is making them unhappy. Yoga is an alternative, a positive way to generate a […]
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 […]
Relieve Major Depression with Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “for many patients dealing with depression, anxiety, or stress, yoga may be a very appealing way to better manage symptoms. Indeed, the scientific study of yoga demonstrates that mental and physical health are not just closely allied, but are essentially equivalent. The […]