), and overall generalized anxiety disorder (Oltmanns, & Emery, 2010). The "obsessions" in OCD have to do with intrusive thoughts that sufferers cannot simply ignore or write-off as something unusual, and manifests the "compulsions," which are really a form of ritual to erase these thoughts away (Siev, Hubbert, & Chambless, 2010; Wilhelm et al
" The main groups of beliefs are, "inflated responsibility, overestimation of threat, overimportance of thoughts, need to control thoughts, need for certainty, and perfectionism." (Wilhelm, 2005) There are many forms of therapy for OCD, such as Desensitization and Exposure, Exposure and Response, Relaxation and Retraining, Cognitive Therapy, and medication (Oltmanns, & Emery, 2010)
In addition, while MBCT may be based upon an eight-week program, it is important to realize the MBCT is not a closed-end process in many scenarios. "Having a support network is crucial to continuing along the path of practice and recovery" (Bowen et al
The goal is not necessarily to alter relationships in a radical way. Instead, "through seemingly subtle shifts in relationship with experience, radical new perspectives emerge" (Crane, 2009, p
Moreover, as these programs become "increasingly sophisticated and better integrated into comprehensive psychological interventions," one expects continuing improvements in efficacy. "(Donohue et al
Scientific Evidence Limiting the Application of MBCT One of the limitations of MBCT is that it seems to be more specific than other group interventions and methods. For example, CBT administered by paraprofessionals has not proven as effective as professionally-administered CBT (Drossel, 2008, p
Therefore, the default setting suggests that assertiveness is appropriate, and understanding this approach to personality is critical to understanding the role that personality plays in MBCT. "Implicit in the discussion of assertiveness is the suggestion that assertive behavior is the universally preferred behavioral alternative, and that assertive behavior necessarily leads to preferred outcomes" (Duckworth, 2008, p
Approach to Human Development One of the misconceptions about MBCT, and a critique of CBT, behavior therapy, and cognitive therapy is that it ignores the impact of development on the human process. In fact, because of the way that CBT has been used to treat anxiety and anxiety-related disorders, some people believe that it has traditionally targeted the symptoms without examining the life behind the symptoms (Eifert et al
There is no way to ignore the impact of childhood and development on cognition. "Child learning occurs as a function of repetition followed by changes or contrast in child experience" (Friman, 2008, p
Approach to Personality Furthermore, some might suggest that MBCT does not focus on interpersonal relationships, and, as such is fundamentally flawed because interpersonal relationships serve as the foundation for so much that is healthy and functional in life, and also so much that is unhealthy and dysfunctional in life. As a result, it is important to realize that outside relationships will impact the efficacy of MBCT, particularly for those people who are extra-sensitive (Gardner-Nix & Kabat-Zinn, 2009, p
Whether this change in treatment target is limited to MBCT is an academic question. For example, Steven Hayes believes that behavior therapy is in the process of undergoing a structural reorganization (Hayes, 2004, p
This reflects a broader change in CBT, which may or may not increase treatment efficacy. In fact, "regardless of terminology, a number of CBT models have emerged over the past decade that highlight efforts to accept, rather than directly change, distressing experiences, including thoughts, beliefs, feelings, memories, and sensations" (Herbert et al
By changing how a person pays attention, one can change how that person perceives the world, how that person's brain is structured, and not only change the behavior of the person, but the impetus behind that behavior. Moreover, it is important to understand that MBCT proponents believe that mindfulness can be taught and that "paying attention is a trainable skill, capable of ongoing refinement" (Kabat-Zinn, 2012, p
On the contrary, "Subjective thoughts, images, and feelings are rooted in the enduring attitudes and assumptions, or schemas that the individual develops from prior experience. Human experience is automatically filtered through these cognitive structures existing in the brain, by which input is categorized and evaluated (Laird, & Metalsky, 2008, p
In other words, they express support for the idea of unconditional positive regard for the patient. "Symptoms are thought to be maintained via cognitive and behavioral pathways, not by laziness, lack of motivation, or weakness" (Ledley et al
Finally, while MBCT is effective at relapse prevention in depression and addiction, there is increasing support for its efficacy in other areas. For example, in recent times its use has expanded "to other behavioral problems, including eating disorders and sexual offending" (Newring, et al
This is based upon the notion that emotions are neither solely internal nor solely external, but the result of the individual interacting with the world. "In recent decades there has been an unfortunate trend away from a philosophical understanding of behavior therapy to a more technique- understanding," but the background philosophy is a huge part MBCT (O'Donohue & Fisher, 2008, p
Instead, target populations almost have to be willing in order to be successful in the process. "An essential part of willingness is that we are willing because having these experiences allows us to move towards something that matters to us" (Orsillo & Roemer, 2011, p
Instead, target populations almost have to be willing in order to be successful in the process. "An essential part of willingness is that we are willing because having these experiences allows us to move towards something that matters to us" (Orsillo & Roemer, 2011, p
It can be used to treat people with lower levels of mental distress, who may not actually be experiencing mental illness, but who are seeking improvement in their daily lives. Moreover, MBCT can be used to treat disorders that may initially seem to be non-psychiatric disorders, such as insomnia, but many people fail to seek treatment for those types of disorders (Pigeon & Perlis, 2008, p