Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) involves a pattern of unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges known as obsessions that create significant anxiety or distress. In response, a person may feel driven to engage in repetitive behaviors or mental acts, called compulsions, in an attempt to reduce that distress or prevent something bad from happening. While compulsions may…
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT for short, is a type of therapy which uses mindfulness techniques like diffusion in the service of living one’s values. The idea here is that when we are struggling to stay in the present moment, for example by becoming overly focused on our thoughts and emotions, (what ACT calls…
When it comes to mindfulness there seems to be an ongoing debate in the research community, about how effective mindfulness works and how effective it is for conditions like depression, anxiety, and stress reduction to name but a few. Perhaps part of the issue with determining whether mindfulness can be considered an evidence based practice…
It doesn’t take a whole new routine to instill a dose of happiness into your day—but it does take a little self awareness. 1. Be grateful for the good & the bad. Research shows, grateful people are happy people. It’s also important to understand that happiness is not the absence of negative feelings. Gratitude is…