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Being Well · January 29, 2024 · 48m

Mindfulness for Depression, Pain, and Suffering with Dr. Danny Penman

Danny Penman on mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression — how an 8-week mindfulness program reduces depression relapse by 43%, comparable to antidepressants but with lasting effects.

Canon

Penman presents MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy) as a form of mental training with clinical evidence comparable to pharmaceutical interventions. The 43% reduction in depression relapse is one of the strongest findings in psychological science.

Highlights

Mindfulness doesn't prevent sadness — it prevents the secondary suffering of ruminating about sadness
Penman distinguishes primary suffering (the sadness itself) from secondary suffering (ruminating about why you're sad, catastrophizing about the future, berating yourself for feeling bad). Mindfulness targets the secondary suffering.