John R. McQuaid

Peaceful Mind: Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Psychology to Overcome Depression Authors: John R. McQuaid, Ph.D., Paula E. Carmona, R.N., M.S.N. Publisher: New Harbinger Publications Price: $14.95

Mindfulness is a heightened awareness of the present moment and the ability to be fully engaged in the here and now. Those who practice it can observe their own negative thoughts and think about them without an emotional attachment. When used in conjunction with cognitive behavioral psychology-one of the few psychological practices that is proven to reduce depressive feelings-the results are difficult to ignore.

In 2001, psychologist John McQuaid and colleagues conducted a study at the Veterans Affairs hospital in San Diego, California. His team found that specific mindfulness techniques such as meditation and body scanning helped to reduce depressive symptoms, improved social functioning, increased attention to the positive facts about life, and decreased the focus on harmful, depressive thoughts.

In Peaceful Mind, John McQuaid teams with Paula Carmona show readers how to make the process of mindfulness work for themselves. These techniques have helped men and women of all ages, including people-who have struggled with other medical problems and drug abuse.

The authors show readers who experience depressive thoughts how to rework their emotional reactions to reduce depression and how to combat depressive symptoms as they occur.

This book offers a solid foundation for mindfulness and lists simple ways to enhance everyday feelings of awareness. Readers will be able to recognize how depression changes thinking and how to tell the difference between depression and sadness.

The authors present an excellent way to learn how to accept what happens and to keep depression from invading our lives.Peaceful Mind: Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Psychology to Overcome Depression… (more)