Article 1

All of us go through times of stress, sadness and irritability . For those who have been affected by depression , though, the downward spiral of anxiety , exhaustion and despair will be all too familiar.As we described in Dawn’s story above, what can begin as an ordinary bout of low mood can quickly tailspin into a full – blown depressive episode.

One of the most common strategies we use to make ourselves feel better is to try to think our way out of our problem or mood . When it doesn’t work , this can become an endlessly looping tape and we start asking ourselves questions such as , ‘Why can’t I just get on with it? What is wrong with me ? Why am I such a failure?

This looping rumination is the mind’s understanable attempt to solve our emotional problems and feel better, but it usually has the effect of making us feel worse.

Article 2

No matter how hard we try to use thinking to fix things, no matter what we tell ourselves , nothing seems to work , at least not for long. Indeed , our attempts to find a cure for our depression often drag us further away from the happiness that we want – and that other people seems to grasp so easily. Cognitive therapy and mindfulness can both help us use our minds in a constructive way , to respond to negative thinking.

Research has shown that at least 50 per cent of those who have experienced depression find it comes back. After a second or third episode , the risk of further episodes rises to between 80 and 90 per cent . Why is this the case? Simply put , depression creates a pathway in the brain between sad mood and negative thoughts that spiral into depression.

For people with a history of depression , this can happen extremely quickly and lead them to feel quite helpless . Miindfulness provides a way of becoming aware of , and stepping out of , these patterns.