When depression takes hold, it can become an insidious loop from which patients struggle to break free. But what if we could help them create an “anti-depressant brain”?
Below, you’ll find out one way to help clients initiate brain change to alleviate depression, courtesy of my friend Elisha Goldstein, PhD.
Elisha is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice, Co-founder of The Center for Mindful Living in LA, and author of the new book Uncovering Happiness: Overcoming Depression with Mindfulness and Self-Compassion.
Depression is the brain’s ultimate avoidance strategy.
For over 350 million people worldwide, it saps the ability to engage life and creates resistance around doing things that matter. Whether you want to work on a new project, get out and exercise, or sit and meditate – whatever it is that is in the direction of growth – the resistance of depression comes alive.
In Uncovering Happiness: Overcoming Depression with Mindfulness and Self-Compassion, I explore some of the neuroscience behind what keeps a person stuck in a depressive loop and how to get unstuck. In the process, we discover a host of natural anti-depressants.
Not only can we create an anti-depressant brain, but we can also lay the tracks for a more enduring happiness.
Understanding how depression impacts the brain gives us clues about our natural anti-depressants. For example, studies have shown that a depressed brain has significantly more activity in the right prefrontal cortex than the left prefrontal cortex (PFC).
1. The right side is associated with avoidance, negative emotions and stuckness.
2. The left side is associated with approaching, positive emotions and resiliency.
Relapse prevention is about resiliency so . . .
. . . The natural question is what creates a left prefrontal shift?
Science has shown two key natural anti-depressants that create this shift: mindfulness and compassion.
The science behind mindfulness has shown that it can cut down on depressive relapse significantly. While compassion can be implicit in mindfulness, often people who have been depressed have such a low degree of self-compassion that it’s essential to make the practice of it explicit as a form of scaffolding.
Self-compassion is a skill that allows us to intentionally turn the volume down on rumination and activate the self-soothing states of the brain to provide an experience of safety, courage and resiliency. As a bonus, self-compassion has been correlated with a deeper set of well-being traits like hope, gratitude, joy, patience, forgiveness, connection, and wisdom.
Here’s a practical acronym to begin igniting the natural anti-depressant of self-compassion. Play with this, see what you notice and allow your experience to be your teacher.
S.A.F.E. – A Self-Compassion Practice.
SAFE is a simple acronym from Uncovering Happiness that just happens to be fitting to what we all ultimately need to feel happy. When we don’t feel safe, our brains fall into a fear mindset and don’t allow for our natural states of joy, calm and happiness to arise.
I’ll often have people just play with this in any moment to see what they notice. Or I’ll have them visualize a recent or upcoming difficult moment to get in touch with more uncomfortable feelings of shame, fear, guilt, sadness or anger to bring alive the natural anti-depressant effects of the SAFE practice.
S – Soften into the feeling. This implies a type of gentle recognition of the feeling, maybe even naming it. “Breathing in, opening to the vulnerability that is there, breathing out, softening into it.”
A – Allow it to be as it is, without resisting or clinging to it.
F – Feel into the emotion that is there with a kind attention. In doing this we can still drop
in the questions, “What does this feeling believe” and “What do I need right now?” When we discover this we might send that internally. For example, if we sense that we need to feel loved and to feel safe, we might say, “May I feel loved, May I feel safe, etc…”
E – Expand awareness of all people who also experience this vulnerability. The fact is this vulnerability of resistance, depression or any difficult experience is also a human experience. This is a core component of self-compassion. Here is where we understand that we are not alone and that in this very moment there are thousands if not millions of people who are experiencing this very same feeling. The “E” of SAFE is where we inspire connection with the rest of humanity. In this practice we can also take what we learned from the “F” of SAFE and send it outward saying, “May we all feel loved, May we all feel safe, etc…
Some people find it helpful to do this with a hand on their heart, stomach or both.
While mindfulness and self-compassion are fundamental natural anti-depressants, the neuroscience and practice
of purpose, play and confidence also reveal key natural anti-depressant effects that are essential for uncovering a more enduring happiness.
I believe deeply in the science and practice of Uncovering Happiness and for a limited time as a special “Thank You” for pre-ordering it you’ll get three important bonuses: 1) A 90-minute training video in Uncovering Happiness, 2) 10 Luminary Interviews and 3) Audio Meditations to get you started.
As always please share your comments below. Your interactions create a living wisdom for us all to benefit from.
The comments section is rich with information today! I love Elisha Goldstein’s article about mindfulness and compassion creating a shift in the brain. I am a trained Mindful Self Compassion teacher and I have seen great improvement in my students ability to sooth themselves in times of stress, greatly decreasing anxiety and depression. The acronyms are great until the practice becomes second nature. We now have STOP from MBSR; RAIN popularised by Tara Brach; FACE from Chris Germer; HEAL from Rick Hanson; and SAFE from Elisha Goldstein. I look forward to adding his book to my arsenal of healing! His MBSR workbook is a wonderful tool as well!
A wonderful job. Super helpful inarnmftioo.
I don’t know if this would make sense to anybody but is this another reason why on the right side of my body I have more pain? I have pain in my right knee, between my armpit, I usually get more headaches on my right side. Right now, my throat hurts on my right side! I have always had these pains more severe on my right side than my left. I wonder if anyone else experiences this as well. Very interesting information! Thank you!
I have more pain and trouble on my right side as well
There is usually a structural reason to feel more pain on one side of the body. An original problem on one side can cause a cascade of problems on the same side even though your conventional physician doesn’t recognize it. For example, connective tissue is changed in one area, but is in effect one continuous web in and though your body that will make adjustments in other areas.
Ya hoo! Now Yapko, Erickson, Phillips ,Siegels, Porges, Bucziynski, Parnel,Rajinder hullon, etc makes sense. Thank you.
Kimberly J Mildenstein
I just preordered your book. Sounds like a silly question but how vital is it to do a psychological assessment on a patient to learn his/her degree of depression? Can some therapist assess simply by observation in their weekly appts. with patient?
Hi Jeanne,
Wonderful!
I absolutely believe a skilled therapist can assess a patient on their degree of depression. It can often be helpful to be a part of a consultation group or get supervision even when licensed.
Stay connected as you go.
Warmly,
Elisha
Wow! great information I’ve learned today! So simple, so natural to help depressed individuals but, not easy to understand for the patients. . as explained above;
1.The right side is associated with avoidance, negative emotions and stuckness.
2.The left side is associated with approaching, positive emotions and resiliency.
I have been doing this to my depressed clients in simple ways. . what I have learned from this article will surely motivate me more as a Life Coach! thank you so much!
curious what herbs were you referring to for the brain rewiring
Very interesting. Minfulness is such a great tool for healing.
If people will try it and keep up with the practice.
Interestingly it might explain why the most creative people struggle with addictions, depression or a lack of motivation to create.
Thank you for this excellent article. Will pass it on
I find it fascinating to learn that mindfulness and self-compassion shift brain activity from the right pre-frontal cortex to the left pre-frontal cortex. I have clients who struggle with depression, but do NOT want to take antidepressants, so these natural ways of shifting might be very helpful for them. One more reason why mindfulness and self-compassion are important things to practice.
The avoidant vs. approaching parts of the brain is very interesting and useful information.
I work more with clients with anxiety than depression. Does the same hold true with regard to the right and left prefrontal cortex in anxiety disorders?
I have practiced mindfulness and Metta for many years and find that they definitely strengthen self-compassion and self-soothing. Mindfulness is also useful with people in 12 step recovery programs as a way of learning detachment with love. In the A part of SAFE, I have also found it helpful to invite in a higher consciousness which stimulates the brain in a positive and calming way. It can also increase a sense of safety, connectedness and access to resources beyond our own.
After my fourth or fifth clinical depression I found myself desperate to find answers. I hid it most of my life. I didn’t know what it was. What I did know is I never again wanted to be in that state of mind. Yet, the probability and genetics looked grim.
Thank God and everyone else for the Internet … Knowledge…. Self awareness…. Brain science!
Elisha Goldstein caught my web eye right away.
He is genuine, humble, and willing to share his wisdom.
Through daily NOW moments, STOP breaths, and SAFE giving…. I am empowered and have my tools should those depressive chemicals creep up …
I am enough… I don’t want my fear…. So I FACE it and tell it I don’t need you anymore…go away NOW..
Fly, fly, fly…. I tell others…the ripples begin
Give to someone or something every day…. Even is all you can do is muster up a Buddah half-smile..
Half a smile looks better than half a frown… Feels better too! Thank you!
I love this Suzy, that is so touching…
I also love the way you said , “Through daily NOW moments, STOP breaths, and SAFE giving…. I am empowered and have my tools should those depressive chemicals creep up…”
You’ve given me a gift today.
Warmly,
Elisha
Amen Sister!
You’re the grateest! JMHO
Thank-you for this information, it is so important and comforting to hear that compassion is underscored as a vital component for the practise of mindfulness. I know from my own personal experience with a history and struggle with depression, the images of incidences of falling short can be the most distressing, and replay in my mind……not just a verbal story plot, but the actual images and sounds are replayed. I use a very calming and soothing practise of compassion. I put my hand on my heart and offer my self the Hawaiian shamanic prayer of forgiveness, with the words; I am sorry, please forgive me, thank-you, I love you. It seems to silence the inner critic that is bent on punishment when I do “wrong”
It seems to be one of the protectors job, ironically, to keep me safe…condemn. I am grateful for all the great work you do Ruth, and the depth of knowledge and wisdom shared here. You make it easy for a lay person, whom has benefited greatly from your offerings, to offer the best of me to my family, friends, colleagues, & clients. Happy New Year!
I just did the shamonic prayer and felt relaxation immediately … Thank you for sharing. It’s a quick fix !
This practice is called Hoʻoponopono in case anyone wants to google it. I love this practice – also useful when we encounter a challenging situation with another [helps keep us from blame, judgment]
I need this for me self!
Without calming strategies, hence a calm(er) mind, a person would have a more difficult time accessing and acting upon options, in the world of spousal abuse. With practice, that calm, quality thinking space has given my clients confidence to move forward and make decisions that are in their best interests, not just habitual fear-based reactions to violence of any form.
This article is brilliant and compassionate. It supports my work as a therapist, because I need to continually manage my own thoughts and options, with a clear, focused mind, and the reminders are invaluable. Thank you for sharing this information, Ruth.
Good stuff – reminds me of Tara Brach’s RAIN concept. Focussing on the brain helps folks feel less like they are deficient people, access their self-compassion with greater ease. Happy new year!
wonderful information …Thanks
Excellent article and one I’ll be sharing with many clients. Thank you.
What a lovely and informative article to begin the new year. ( I was thinking the topic might lead to some discussion about supplements!)
Every new year I choose a word, or a few words, to focus on for the year. This year it’s ” choosing a positive mind set,” This SAFE practice is a natural and enhancing way of supporting my annual goal. I had heard about it awhile ago, and welcome it back into my repertoire.
Also, I am finding Rick Hanson’s ‘Foundations of Well-being’ to be amazing in creating a New Year’s healthy, happy brain!
Thank you all!
I use the present moment technique – “here in the room, safe from harm in this moment, supported by the chair, supported by the breath, just softly using the senses to listen to what actually IS RIGHT NOW, acknowledging thoughts, breathing into feelings”. Difficult for those strongly processing but, using a longer visualized body scan focussing on the word SUPPORT : support of the chair on all appropriate body parts, support of the therapist, support of the therapy, support from others, usually the client can notice even just a second of time of feeling ok….this is the precious ‘seed’ of safety that forms the basis for future healing. Sometimes it takes two to three sessions of the visualisation, timing and length of which is carefully calibrated for each client, but if the exercise is approached as an experiment and we contract to give it a chance and try it three times, it can work. Careful timing and sensitive respect of client’s material imperative!
How do you help patients – who are patently unsafe (and do not have a ‘safe place’ to retreat to in their minds) feel safe?
Someone asked what to do if the fears are environmental Here’s one path, especially with spousal abuse but in any case of present danger: identify the danger, define and understand it, learn what has already happened that is dangerous, do not minimize it, develop a safety plan, assess all the obstacles to the safety plan, solve those when possible and ALWAYS lean on the side of identifying and validating all fears. calming strategies are helpful to reduce anxiety while assessing danger. Never minimize the danger. Never simplify the process of extracting the client from the danger. The most dangerous time in the experience of spousal abuse is the time of leaving. Couples counseling, negotiating, ultimatums, refusals all result in heightened danger. Calming strategies are fine but they do not stop violence.
Thank you Esther. I’ve been working exclusively with victims of domestic violence for 19 years and thought your response was priceless. And when that survivor is physically in a safe place, mindfulness and most especially self-compassion are vital to recovery from the trauma. I really appreciated the article. Thanks Ruth for making such resources available.