Warning: There are a few spoilers in here if you’re not caught up on the current season of Homeland.
If you’re watching the second season of Homeland, then you’ve noticed that Carrie Mathison has been a bit more of a mess than her usual breakdowns and bouts of crying. And one of the ways she’s attempting to get herself back on track is through exercise and meditation.
In the first few episodes, Carrie explains to friends and colleagues that she is using meditation to cope with the stress of the job, but also as an alternative to taking medication for bi-polar disorder.
Elle gets doctors to weigh in on Carrie’s alternative treatments. The doctors are not encouraging about Carrie getting off of her medication, but they do give meditation a pretty good review.
The article mentions a study suggesting that mindfulness therapy can reduce relapse in patients with depression better than medication alone. Dr. Susan Evans, a psychologist and director of the Cornell Cognitive Therapy Clinic at New York-Presbyterian Hospital talks about mindfulness this way: “[Mindfulness therapy] involves training your mind and brain to be right here, right now in the present moment. It involves meditation in the form of a body scan, using your breath, and some light Hatha yoga.”
To read the blog, click here.
