Mindfulness

[nailit]

A New Age fad, or is there something in it? (if there is I'm failing to see it)

For the past couple of months Ive been attending a course run by the local mental health services, once a week. The main focus seems to be on 'mindfulness'. Every session incorporates some time on 'focusing on the breath' and 'being here now'.
We get shown YouTube vids week after week about being 'present in the moment' etc and having 'practice sessions' and been asked how we feel now!.

Amongst a group, who various in size each week, Ive been a constant attender. I seem to be the only one who has said that I DONT find it helpful or useful but am willing to persevere. I find it all a bit puerile and not actually attending to the individuals needs, circumstances, or mental health...a panacea.
Ive asked how is this supposed to help me when faced with very real problems such as the fact that I could lose my flat due to government sanctions etc and basically been met with a blank stare. I once asked how 'mindfulness' could help a cold and hungry homeless person? Still don't know.

Mindfulness, fad or fact?

Damned if I can see anything in it....Though God knows Ive tried to!

[bainbrig]

It helps, nailit. No, as jack and nomercy have said, it doesn’t change reality - that WOULD be a good trick.

But it does help you face the horrors of life with calmness, which just might help you find a way through.

I wish you luck, and if possible happiness.

BB

[rowanwitch]

Just being aware of how you are feeling in that moment,can help you clarify if the thoughts and feelings are proportional and appropriate to a situation. For example I know that I can sometimes become very angry when another feeling like sadness would be the feeling to accept. If I then focus on why I am angry for example because I can't change a situation I can acknowledge I have those feelings and try to set them aside. I can then allow myself to be sad or whatever then focus on the best way to move forward. If life is poop angry might feel appropriate, but is the real underlying feeling powerlessness, vulnerability or fear. Does that make sense?

[ferlew]

I haven't read this thread through, I just wanted to add that quite honestly, I think among mental health professionals, it's the byword of the last couple of years. I had all this palaver for over two years taking my son to his sessions for his mental health problems. It just seemed to me that it was a way of salving their conscience about their 'duty of care' towards him. They even got me going to some of the sessions.
We were both already pretty *** mindful of all that was happening.
I can't say, in all honesty it helped at all, but they were well pleased with themselves and discharged him!
I felt he was being passed over to me to deal with from then in.
I'll go and read the thread now, and wait.....

[cassa333]

Do you just do the mindfulness exercises just when you are there or practice at home daily?

Depending on how often you do it might have an impact on effectiveness.

[nailit]

Thanks for additional answers.
I did a similar course a few years ago, which was solely a mindfulness course but I was told that this course was a group kind of thing for dealing with anxiety and other issues but its just more of the same. As ferlew points out, it just seems to be the byword of mental health services at the moment.
Cassa, yes ive been practicing at home (they gave us a CD for this purpose)but I'm beginning to find it irritating TBH.
Will persevere though and try and finish the course.

[rowanwitch]

It should be part of a group of strategies, the best one is exercise even a half hour walk everyday preferably somewhere green, swimming is great as it is almost meditation on its own. Diet can be surprisingly helpful. My psychiatrist told me to incorporate foods high in tryptophan and a nutritionist warned me to avoid all energy drinks that contain taurine as it can affect serotonin levels. Combining that with a fairly low dose of an ssri anti depressant has kept me reasonably stable for about six years the longest I have gone between serious spells in the black pit.

[kvalidir]

My Dad who suffered a huge amount of mental health issues found that mindfulness, exercise, meditation and diet made a tremendous difference to him. He's a very high functioning and happy person most of the time now with a lot of energy to deal with any problems whereas in the past that was really not the case for him always.