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Gabrielle J. Melin, M.D.
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Gabrielle J. Melin, M.D.
Gabrielle J. Melin, M.D.
Dr. Gabrielle Melin, board certified in general psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine, is looking for ways to empower patients and families dealing with chronic mental illness. She encourages patients to commit to working together with their physicians and health care teams.
Dr. Melin completed medical school at the University of Minnesota. She completed both her psychiatry residency and consultation-liaison fellowship at Mayo Clinic before joining the Mayo Clinic staff in 2001. She is medical director of Mayo Clinic Psychiatry Emergency Services in Rochester, Minn. She has special interests in emergency psychiatry, adult psychiatry and addiction psychiatry.
"Instilling hope is one of the most important things we can do for patients and families. Mental illness can be chronic and significantly impacts lives. Our goal is to provide the best treatment and education so that patients can manage their symptoms more effectively," she said.
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Depression blog
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May 13, 2009
Blog: Using meditation for depression
By Gabrielle J. Melin, M.D.
What is meditation?
| Need more help? |
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6 comments posted
July 10, 2009 10:56 p.m.
Thanks so much for the article. I am a psychiatric nurse who uses meditation in the hospital with people who are severely depressed. Here is what I advise my patients: when we are being plagued by negative thoughts, trying to simply "breathe deep and clear your mind" is nearly impossible, and worse, may make you feel even more bad about yourself because you "failed meditation". Beginners should instead start out trying body relaxation meditation that is guided by an instructor. Free CDs & DVDs are available at the library and can be downloaded from the internet: just search for "guided body relaxation meditation" and you will get thousands of results. Some instructors will have voices or music that you don't like - that's ok, just try others. Also, you will rarely get through a whole meditation without your mind wandering - that's ok (people who don't have depression also regularly find that those pesky thoughts try to interrupt their relaxation time) - just let the instructor's voice bring you back into focus. Let meditation be that special 20 or 30 minutes each day that is just for you. It will not magically "cure" your depression, but it is a coping skill that most people who are willing to give it a try find to be a very helpful tool to manage their symptoms.
- Anne
July 9, 2009 8:57 p.m.
I suffered from severe depression and anxiety for years. Each medication I took seemed to work for a time and then stop working. I learned about passage meditation from an acquaintance and have been practicing now for seven years. I have been able to stop taking medication and have not had any episodes of depression or anxiety for these seven years. I remember how horrible those episodes were. I hope this information will be of help to someone.
- J in Georgia
June 9, 2009 6:09 p.m.
Here is a technique to separate oneself from the continual mind chatter. Imagine yourslf in a tree or other observation point. You are looking at yourself sitting near a stream. 'See' all the mental chatter floating down the stream. You are watching yourself watching the chatter float away. We may not be able to stop the chatter but we can send it on its way.
- Smith
May 24, 2009 1:41 a.m.
meditation plays a vital role in overcoming depression. It is not the ultimate solution butit contributes to well being. There are many methods that can eliminate the negative thoughts that keep following you. One technic is "creative imaging".
- cila
May 19, 2009 5:11 p.m.
the proplem is that during my meditation time,the negative thoughts keep following me and i end up worth.??What can i do?
- Zimo
May 18, 2009 6:18 a.m.
I have found if I use an object to focus my gaze on, that helps to keep my mind on meditating!
- No name given
6 comments posted