I have realized over the past few years that I have ADD.  I am in my 40s now.  I used to think that my attention problems were caused by depression.  Now I know that there is more to it than depression because I have had treatment and my depression is much better.  I want to cope better with my ADD symptoms and I do not want to take medication.  Would mindfulness meditation training be helpful for me?

-T. R.

Dear T.R.,

Thanks for your question.  It is fairly common that  people not to realize that they have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) until they are adults.  The good news is that you can learn to control how you pay attention.  Training for this can help you to stay focused better and help you overcome some of the limitations caused by ADD.  There is a lot that you can learn to do that will be helpful without taking medication.  Mindfulness meditation training could help you to improve your attention skills.  This book will be published soon and it can give you some useful advice:  The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD: An 8-Step Program for Strengthening Attention, Managing Emotions, and Achieving Your Goals by Lidia Zylowska.

Mindfulness training can be challenging for people with ADD but the training would help you feel more in control and  be more productive.

I’ve been living with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia for a number of years. Recently my doctor suggested that I should start meditating. How can meditation help me? Do you have any advice on how I should get started?

Thank you,

C.F.

Dear C.F.,

I have helped many people who have been living with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.  Your doctor has made a good suggestion for you.  Training in mindfulness and meditation can certainly help you to better deal with these problems.  If you would like to learn how and why meditation can be helpful, have a look at this video Lessons from Mindfulness Meditation & FM/CFS Research. More resources for fibromyalgia can be found here (MSN article) and here (PDF article from Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics). For chronic fatigue and mindfulness, take a look at this journal article.

Information in the links explain what mindfulness is and how it can help people who have fatigue and pain problems.  You are also welcome to contact me if you would like a consultation about how mindfulness training might add to what you are doing now to take care of yourself.

If you would like to get a taste for mindfulness meditation, try one of the free meditation instructions on our website.  The 30 minute guided meditation might be a good one to try.

I know that your problem can be frustrating.  You can trust that it is possible for you to learn and use meditation to help you suffer less and begin to do more day to day.

All the best,

Dr. Kelly

These days I am worrying about a lot of things and my friends tell me that I am tense and nervous. I find myself worrying about things all the time—even little things. I want to get over this problem without relying on pills. Could your clinic help me?

-G.A.

Dear G.A.,

I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been having these problems. Psychotherapy combined with mindfulness training can be very helpful for the kinds of problems that you have mentioned.

If you would like to start with some self-help reading for your problem, I would suggest that you read The Mindful Way Through Anxiety: Break Free From Chronic Worry and Reclaim Your Life. The authors are Susan M. Orsillo, PhD. and Lizabeth Roemer, PhD.

This book provides good information about how to understand fear and anxiety, and about how to cope with these problems so that you can be more content and overcome your anxiety.

You might find that reading the book will give you enough tips to get started making the changes you want to make in your life. If you would like some help in addition to what the book offers, feel free to give us a call. Our therapists can help you learn how to master and benefit from the techniques that are described in the book. They can also work with you to develop a personalized therapy program so that you can focus on the techniques that will be most beneficial for you. Feel free to contact me at The Mindfulness Clinic if you would like additional information. If you would like to talk more about your options, we can also offer you a free telephone consultation.

Dr. Simon Young looks into how mindfulness meditation might alter brain chemical levels.

A recent article by Dr. Simon N. Young in The Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience looked at whether Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) might have an effect on Serotonin levels, to see if meditation could be used to prevent depression in people who are at risk.

We know that the neurotransmitter Serotonin, a common chemical in the brain, is related to certain traits in people with depression (like rumination, negative thoughts, and controlling one’s mood). Since meditation also alters these traits, Young speculates that MBCT could have an effect on Serotonin, and that we could use this knowledge to help people before they ever even develop depression.

Young looks at the research that has been done on MBCT and its effects on the brain. Most of the research to date has looked at brain structure and function, and shows that areas of the brain related to attentional control, Dopamine release, and mood regulation are improved after an 8-week mindfulness course. These internal changes are in line with the fact that many people report feeling better after doing an MBCT course.

source: everystockphoto

Young recommends an MBCT-based depression prevention study that measures Serotonin levels in participants. This could help us understand how meditation helps people feel better and aid in designing mindfulness-based prevention measures against depression. In other words, if we understand exactly why and how MBCT works, we can design programs for people who are at risk of becoming depressed and, hopefully, prevent it from ever happening.

It is clear that mindfulness can help people feel better once they have already become depressed; Young proposes that mindfulness might also be able to prevent depression in the first place. We look forward to future research in this area!

The Globe and Mail recently highlighted the growing body of scientific research on mindfulness meditation, underscoring the benefits of regular practice for many areas of life. The article discusses the following research findings and expert opinions on mindfulness:

One study found that meditation practice actually changes the grey matter in your brain.People with no prior meditation experience showed increased grey-matter density in a number of brain regions, including those devoted to emotion regulation and memory, after an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program.

Other research found that people who took part in an 8-week MBSR course were more likely to use the part of the brain that senses the here-and-now and less likely to use the part that senses worry. Mindfulness-based groups are also highly effective in treating chronic pain and stress-related illness.

Though mindfulness meditation is rooted in Buddhist tradition, mindfulness-based groups are taught and practiced in a secular way, designed for ongoing health maintenance. Mindfulness teaches you to learn to pay attention to the present moment, not getting caught up or distracted by thoughts or emotions.

The benefits of mindfulness tend to be proportional to the regularity of practice—a daily practice will lead to more permanent grey matter changes more quickly than sporadic practice.

If you are interested in learning more about mindfulness meditation, check out our free meditation downloads or call us at 416-847-7118 to find out more about the mindfulness-based groups we offer.

At The Mindfulness Clinic, we understand how important it is that our therapists and instructors have strong personal meditation practices. We create regular opportunities for practice at the Clinic for our staff, as well as members of the community.

We meditate every day at the office for an hour in the afternoon. We offer Meet, Eat, Sit and One-Day Retreats to health professionals and students in the community who are interested in learning more about mindfulness meditation or trying meditation out for the first time. We also learn about upcoming local meditation retreats, and sometimes are able to take part in them.

Dr. Kelly, the Clinical Director of The Mindfulness Clinic, generously sponsored five of our staff members to participate in a seven-day meditation retreat in Guelph, Ontario in November, 2010, which included fourteen hours of silent meditation each day. I sat down with three of the retreatants–Dawn Stephenson, Laurisa Dill and Sarah Housser–to talk a little bit about their experiences.

H.K.:		Laurisa and Dawn, this was the first retreat for both of you. What was it like?
L.D.:		I was open to any kind of experience. I didn’t have any expectations about it being a particular way. The first three days were a little bit lonely. The middle two days were excruciating (I experienced a lot of impatience and anger), and the final three days were better—the anger and impatience resided. Overall, I learned a lot about how repetitive the dialogue is in my head—the common themes. For me, these included the self-critical and other-critical story.
D.S.:		The thing that stood out for me was the realization that there is a difference between ‘not speaking’ and ‘being silent.’ Not speaking was relatively easy, but remaining silent—quieting my mind and not allowing myself to become attached to the thoughts that arose—was infinitely more difficult.
H.K.:		Sarah, you’ve done a ten-day retreat before. Did that help you at all with this one?
S.H.:		On my first retreat, I hadn’t had any prior meditation experience, so now, after 7 years of a personal practice, I was curious to see how it would be different. This time, I had more of an understanding that all things arise and pass away, so when difficulties (both emotional and physical) would appear, I started to be able to stand back from them, knowing they’d pass without me having to interfere or solve them.
H.K.:		How were you feeling before the retreat? Did you do anything to prepare? What advice would you give someone thinking about going on a retreat for the first time?
S.H.:		I knew enough from my first retreat to not “look forward” to it in the giddy, excited sense. I was looking forward to the experience of it now that I’ve had some meditation experience, but I knew it would be challenging. I’d been meditating a lot for the year leading up to this retreat—I have a daily practice—and I also did one 4-day retreat about 4 months before this big one, so I had some preparation. As for advice, I think it is easier on you if you can have some meditation experience, whether it’s a weekly group or a shorter day-long or weekend retreat to lead up to the longer one. Also, I would advise anyone trying this for the first time to stay with it, even when it seems difficult. Just stay with it.
L.D.:		To prepare, I consulted others who had been on retreats to find out what their experiences were like. If it’s your first one, maybe go for a shorter one than a whole week!
H.K.:		What was the most difficult part of the retreat for you?
D.S.:		Having dinner in silence was a lonely and awkward experience. For me, coming together and sharing food is a very social event—mealtime is usually filled with laughter and lively conversation. Although I never got used to eating in silence, eating mindfully really made me appreciate the effort it took to prepare the meals.
S.H.:		One difficulty was that old patterns of thinking came back. I was surprised and even discouraged by the fact that they had returned. I spoke about this with the retreat teacher. After our talk, I was able to meet the old thought patterns with more perspective, sometimes doing a loving kindness meditation or focusing more closely on my body sensations until they passed away. They always passed away.
H.K.:		What did you learn from this retreat?
S.H.:		This retreat reconnected me in a very deep sense with the understanding that no matter how difficult things are, they pass. I also learned that my body is a trusted ally. By sitting and being with my body for 7 whole days, I could feel things arising. Thoughts and feelings would correspond to sensations in my body, and it was very clear to me that if I can feel something in my body, it’s worth listening to.
L.D.:		Before I recognized the patterns of my thoughts, the same old repetitive patterns, I actually believed everything I was saying to myself. Then, I realized, that these judgements were just thoughts, and the same story over and over.
D.S.:		I realized just how much time I spend being busy and chaotic and erroneously labelling this “productive”. I’m beginning to recognize the possibility of a clearer, more efficient and grounded way of moving through my days.
H.K.:		How did you feel on the seventh day, when the retreat was over?
D.S.:		A few hours after returning to the city, I was far more aware and mindful of the world around me and very sensitive to all the stimuli. I did everything more slowly and I spoke from a calm and grounded place. It was unsettling to find how easy it was to let my old un-mindful ways seep in and take hold.
L.D.:		Just grateful. Grateful for the experience, and really more committed to the practices than I had been before.
S.H.:		I felt very open and connected to my heart. It was easy for me to feel warmth for others. I felt at ease in a way that I don’t always feel. The feelings of openness lingered with me for awhile—I remember being back in Toronto at the mall during the holidays, and I was almost overwhelmed by the colours and lights and sounds because my senses were so open.
H.K.:		Any final words about the retreat?
S.H.:		It was wonderful to experience this retreat with my colleagues from work. The staff here are so great, and to do it with them was really rewarding. Even though we weren’t able to talk to one another at the retreat, there was definitely a sense of support and community which I really appreciated. We’d all like to thank Dr. Kelly for allowing us to partake in such an enriching experience.

Online Mindfulness groups sound convenient but I’m skeptical about learning meditation online. How does it work? Do people get the same results as the groups in person? What if I’m not very good with computers?

-E.S.

Dear  E.S.,

Thanks for your question. We have started to offer online groups, as well as individual counseling sessions by Skype, because people have been telling us that it is often inconvenient or not possible for them to come to our office in downtown Toronto. Some of these callers also explained that they live in communities outside Toronto and that they had no way to attend a mindfulness group, or to receive therapy from a psychotherapist who understands mindfulness, in their home area. Our Skype sessions and online group programs are designed for people who need or prefer to receive assistance from their homes.

Even if you are not very good with computers, you can still join one of our online groups or work with a therapist on Skype. We will walk you through setting up the webcam and video software over the phone one-on-one, so you can work out any technical difficulties before the therapy actually begins.

Online counseling and group sessions can be as effective as face-to-face meetings with a therapist. Research has demonstrated that people can benefit as much from online groups and psychotherapy as from in-office help. If you call us we can help you decide if our online service will work for you. Some people have problems or circumstances that require in-office help and, if we think you are one of those people, we will give you advice about how best to take care of yourself.

To view a demonstration of one of our groups in action, you can watch this brief video.

Please feel free to call us if you would like any more information about our Skype therapy sessions or our online groups.