Dale Winton suffered from depression for many years. Can mindfulness help people in his situation?
Weekend Word, BBC Radio Wales, 20.04.18
The news that Dale Winton died on Wednesday, aged 62, has shone a light on the troubled life behind his popular TV persona. He lost his father early; his mother died of an overdose; and he had a long struggle with depression. For several years he couldn’t leave the house.
It’s a sad reminder of the impact of depression and other mental health problems on so many lives. They’re often hidden away, but we know that a tenth of British adults experience depression in any given week and nearly half of us experience mental health problems at some time in our lives.
Although my background is as a Buddhist teacher, over the years I’ve become involved in this area as psychologists have increasingly drawn on Buddhism’s understanding of the mind, incorporating practices like mindfulness and meditation into mainstream NHS treatments like Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy.
Many things can contribute to depression and if anyone experiences mental health problems they should follow their doctor’s advice. It’s acknowledged now that many things can help including the right medication, talking therapy, connections with other people, exercise and a sense of purpose. But most psychologists agree that how we think is also important.
Many of us feel we aren’t good enough and that can prompt us to turn over our ideas about what’s wrong with us in our minds. That’s called ‘rumination’ and it can lead us deeper into feelings of depression. The practice of noticing our thoughts and feelings without being carried away by them is an important part of what Buddhism calls mindfulness. If we do that we’re better able to respond to the difficult things we may experience with a sense of acceptance.
That’s easier said than done, but anyone who’s experienced something like depression knows that our minds can lead us into great suffering. That’s why in Buddhism we talk about training the mind. That doesn’t just mean meditating. Whether or not we’re affected by depression, it’s important to put down the things-to-do list sometimes and spend time doing what nourishes us.
We often hear that life’s becoming more stressful, and I think that connects with problems like depression. The more they grow the more we need kindness, and that starts with ourselves.
