🌿🌷《靜觀如何能夠減低焦慮抗抑鬱》作者：黃瑋姸醫生 🌷🌿
面對生活的轉變及不確定性，身體會視之為壓力。短暫及適度的壓力能令我們進步和成長。但若壓力的強度和維持的時間超出了我們承受能力時，身體及情緒健康便會出現問題。自身的生理因素，性格及減壓方式等也影響着患上情緖病的比率。在生活節奏急促，工時長的香港，13.3%的成年人正面對着焦慮、抑鬱等常見的精神健康問題。
近年有關靜觀的科學研究，發現其練習能有效減壓，減低焦慮及抑壓症的症狀及復發風險 。因此無論在醫學上的心理治療，自助書籍及坊間的身心靈活動當中也越來越普及。
「靜觀」英譯為Mindfulness。「靜觀減壓課程」（Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction)創始人喬、卡巴金Jon Kabat-Zinn 教授解釋「靜觀」為「有意識地、不加批判地、留心當下此刻而升起的覺察，籍以瞭解自己，培養智慧與慈愛」靜觀並不高深。靜觀的心態與能力是每人與生俱來的，但往往我們會在忙碌及充滿競爭的城市生活當中忘記了它。你有沒有試過因為感到「只要我/我的孩子/我的父母/我的伴侶能夠得到/變成⋯⋯，我才能感到快樂/不再焦慮」，而盡一切努力去達到目標？為人生目標努力當然並沒有不對，問題在於把自己的幸福感甚至價值跟某些條件掛勾。
若結果與期望一致時，會有短暫的歡愉或壓力舒緩。可是這些感覺並不持久，因為心裏通常已經有下一個要達到的目標，也有其伴隨的焦慮及不滿足感。有更多時候，結果並不如我們預期，情緒便陷入失望、自責等負面感覺。而且，無論結果是正面或負面，若果習慣了這樣有條件性地追求幸福感，我們會把生命中一切與「追求目標」無關的人與事視而不見。長久地心不正焉而活，便會錯過不少可貴的時刻。請記得，生命並不只是一張「人生目標清單」。
想獲取更多關於精神健康資料，請瀏覽我們基金會精神健康資訊平台 👉 www.eplatform.hkmhf.org
特別鳴謝：
捷成集團慈善基金 支持
精神科專科 黃瑋姸醫生
文章參考資料:
Lam, L. C.-W., Wong, C. S.-M., Wang, M.-J., Chan, W.-C., Chen, E. Y.-H., Ng, R. M.-K., Hung, S.-F., Cheung, E. F.-C., Sham, P.-C., Chiu, H. F.-K., Lam, M., Chang, W.-C., Lee, E. H.-M., Chiang, T.-P., Lau, J. T.-F., van Os, J., Lewis, G., & Bebbington, P. (2015). Prevalence, psychosocial correlates and service utilization of depressive and anxiety disorders in Hong Kong: the Hong Kong Mental Morbidity Survey (HKMMS). Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 50(9), 1379–1388. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-015-1014-5
Hofmann, S. G., Sawyer, A. T., Witt, A. A., & Oh, D. (2010). The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Therapy on Anxiety and Depression: A Meta-Analytic Review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78(2), 169–183. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018555
Tang, Y.-Y., Hölzel, B. K., & Posner, M. I. (2015). The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nature Reviews. Neuroscience, 16(4), 213–225. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3916
How Mindfulness can help reduce Anxiety and Depression
Author: Dr. Wong Wai Yin Elisabeth
Our bodies perceive changes and uncertainties as stressors. When stress is short-term and of low to moderate intensity, it motivates us to improve and grow. Yet, when the intensity and duration of stress exceed our ability to cope, physical and emotional health will suffer. Our individual physiology, personality, and stress coping strategies all modulate the likelihood of developing mental health problems. In a fast paced city like Hong Kong where working hours are long, 13.3% of adults are experiencing common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression (Lam et al., 2015)
Recent scientific studies on mindfulness have shown positive effects in stress reduction while lowering the risk of anxiety and depression recurrence (Hofmann et al.,2010) The practice of mindfulness, therefore, has become increasingly popular in medical psychotherapy, self-help books, and body-and-mind activities in the community (Tang et al., 2015)
Professor Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, described mindfulness as ” ‘the awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally …in the service of self-understanding and wisdom.”. Practicing mindfulness is not difficult, as the ability to be mindful is innate in all of us. However, we easily forget about it in the midst of our busy and competitive lives. Have you ever tried doing everything you can to achieve a goal with the belief that “I can only be happy/not anxious if I/my child/my parents/my partner can get/become…”? While there is nothing wrong with striving towards your goals in life, making your life satisfaction contingent upon achieving such goals is problematic.
When things go our way and we achieve what we set out for, we certainly experience pleasure or relief. However, these feelings, like all feelings, do not last. Our minds will already befocusing on the next goal to achieve, and measuring ourselves between where we are, and where we would like to be. This inevitably creates a vicious cycle of anxiety and dissatisfaction. More often than not, results fall short of our expectations and we might feel disappointment or even self-blame.
Another shortcoming of the making our happiness contingent upon outcomes is that we would be blind to all the people and things in our lives that have nothing to do with our “pursuit of goals. . When we live mindlessly, we miss the opportunities to notice and savour the precious moments in life. . Life is so much more than a checklist of goals. The present moment is all we have to enjoy the richness of life.
For more information regarding mental health, please visit our Hong Kong Mental Health Foundation Information Platform.
eplatform.hkmhf.org
Acknowledgements:
Supported by the Jebsen Group Charitable Fund
Psychiatry Specialist Dr. Wong Wai Yin Elisabeth
Reference:
Lam, L. C.-W., Wong, C. S.-M., Wang, M.-J., Chan, W.-C., Chen, E. Y.-H., Ng, R. M.-K., Hung, S.-F., Cheung, E. F.-C., Sham, P.-C., Chiu, H. F.-K., Lam, M., Chang, W.-C., Lee, E. H.-M., Chiang, T.-P., Lau, J. T.-F., van Os, J., Lewis, G., & Bebbington, P. (2015). Prevalence, psychosocial correlates and service utilization of depressive and anxiety disorders in Hong Kong: the Hong Kong Mental Morbidity Survey (HKMMS). Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 50(9), 1379–1388. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-015-1014-5
Hofmann, S. G., Sawyer, A. T., Witt, A. A., & Oh, D. (2010). The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Therapy on Anxiety and Depression: A Meta-Analytic Review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78(2), 169–183. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018555
Tang, Y.-Y., Hölzel, B. K., & Posner, M. I. (2015). The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nature Reviews. Neuroscience, 16(4), 213–225. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3916
