Anxiety and Depression

Two people can be faced with identical facts and see things very differently.  We do not think like computers, weighing up every detail against rules, rather we interpret what we see and hear with the filter of experience.  When these experiences are disproportionately negative, simple events can become frightening scenarios.  Our thinking has a natural negative bias to protect us from danger, meaning that we more strongly store negative memories in our learning.  For many, the continual pressure to make decisions becomes a dripping tap of worry, which leads to a state of permanent anxiety.  Unchecked anxiety leads to depression, a sustained sense of hopelessness and loss of control.

As we spiral into depression, we get trapped into a cycle of negative thinking, reinterpreting our history with the negative filter set to maximum.  Having trashed our self-esteem, we turn the filter to the future and can see only disaster ahead.

The combination of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with Mindful Meditation is a powerful weapon to break this cycle and lead us to a better way of thinking.  By gently confronting and understanding deep-rooted assumptions and interpretations, practitioners find that the causes of their anxiety become less intimidating and of reduced influence.