Designed mostly for people who suffer from depression or past-trauma Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a form of talk-based therapy that combines ancient wisdom teaching of mindfulness with 21st-century psychology. When it comes to its uses with BPD it mostly targets the extreme emotional swings symptoms, but depression is also part of having BPD anyway. Read on to learn a lot more about this therapy and why you might want to have it…
What is Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)?
Developed by Philip Barnard and John Teasdale in 1991 it is mostly about “accepting and allowing what is” rather than teaching you what your emotions are and why they happen. Put simply it is about ignoring them, rather than treating them, but of course, there is a lot more to it than that. Consider this form of therapy a journey about what is happening to you and what environmental aspect might be causing it bu looking beyond the reasons rather than directly at them.
Does Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Work?
As with most talk-based therapies, the percentage of people with BPD that it works for is significantly lower than most other mental health conditions. When it comes to those of us with BPD you are talking about a 30 – 60% chance of the subject gaining control of their emotions, so not very high at all. That success number raises significantly if you mostly suffer from depression. But when other therapies like CBT have failed you, maybe this one is still worth a go.
How Can I Get Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Here in the UK?
While I have heard of a handful of NHS mental health authorities granting people access to this sort of therapy the best way it to go private. It is an 8-week program, so it’s not like you will be doing this forever. A quick search online saw several online companies offering this sort of therapy, but I feel it will much better delivered in person with face-to-face meetings.
While the success rate for those of us with BPD are not exactly encouraging this might be something you will want to explore if depression is causing you problems beyond what BPD does. Using self-help books and audiobooks you can do this therapy in the cheap, but I would consider trying many other types of therapy first. If you want any extra help or advice relating to BPD do drop us an email via the contact us page and one of our writers will answer it ASAP.
