Mindfulness can mask deeper issues, experts warn

Mental health experts caution that over-dependence on mindfulness techniques can lead to emotional avoidance. Ramanan Balamukundan reports.

Like many people grappling with demanding workloads and tight deadlines, Isabella George, an accountant, turned to mindfulness techniques to manage her work stress.

Initially, these practices offered her some relief, but over time, she found herself feeling more emotionally detached rather than centred and calm.

“It helped me at first, but over time, I felt detached, and it was like watching a movie of my life, where I could observe my emotions but could not truly feel them,” George says.

“My therapist recognised this and combined mindfulness with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) by using mindfulness techniques like deep breathing to keep me present and grounded during emotionally intense moments in therapy and then incorporating journaling and somatic exercises to help me explore and process my emotions safely, which helped me reconnect and achieve deeper emotional healing,” she says.

George’s experience highlights an issue some mental health professionals say is becoming more widespread: individuals turning to mindfulness as a quick fix, only to find that it may delay addressing the root causes of their emotional distress.

Owen Lello, a clinical psychologist, says, “Emotional avoidance is a psychological symptom that occurs when individuals use mindfulness techniques like meditation, positive affirmations, or breathing practices to superficially address emotional distress without delving into the root causes.”

“While mindfulness practices can temporarily soothe symptoms of stress or anxiety, they can also create a barrier that prevents individuals from exploring underlying issues such as trauma, grief, or unresolved conflict,” he says.

A study by Guste Juozelskyte and Jon Catling, titled ‘Assessing the Mindfulness Predictors of Mental Health’, found that mindfulness practices did not significantly predict reductions in depression or anxiety, contradicting prior research that suggested otherwise. This finding supports Lello’s point that mindfulness practices might be addressing symptoms at a surface level, rather than resolving underlying emotional problems.

According to a report by Worldmetrics.org, the mindfulness industry is projected to reach $7.4 billion by 2027, driven by a 187% surge in app downloads. It is evident from this report that more individuals are turning to mindfulness practices as a quick fix rather than addressing deeper emotional issues.

 “As mindfulness practices gain popularity, it is crucial to recognize the risks of emotional avoidance that can arise from overreliance on mindfulness practices; additionally, these mindfulness techniques need to be applied thoughtfully with an understanding of their limitations.

Otherwise, they risk becoming yet another way to avoid confronting deeper emotional issues and hinders genuine healing,” Lello says.

A recent study by Eiichi Togo, which evaluated the effect of mindfulness breathing on the mental load of college students using time series data analysis, showed that mindfulness breathing initially increased relaxation. However, these effects were inconsistent and non-linear over time. This unpredictability highlights Lello’s point that mindfulness needs to be integrated carefully with an understanding of its limitations.

“Emotional avoidance can have severe long-term consequences, such as unresolved traumas resurfacing later in life or manifesting as physical health issues. I have seen cases where clients who relied heavily on mindfulness practices to manage their depressive symptoms ended up developing severe psychosomatic symptoms, like chronic pain and digestive issues because their underlying trauma was never properly addressed," Lello says. 

According to the Center for Advance Trauma-Informed Healthcare, individuals with unaddressed trauma are 2 to 2.3 times more likely to develop heart disease, cancer, or stroke, 1.4 times more likely to have diabetes, and 3.2 times more likely to suffer from chronic respiratory disease, this supports Lello’s statement that emotional avoidance can lead to severe physical health issues, as the body manifests unprocessed emotional distress into chronic conditions​.

Sarah Christensen, a psychotherapist, says, “Mindfulness can sometimes give a false sense of progress, where individuals feel they are actively working on their mental health but are, in fact, circling around the deeper issues. Without integrating more targeted therapeutic methods, mindfulness might lead to emotional stagnation, where feelings are acknowledged but never truly transformed or healed.”

As per a recent thesis by Neufeld titled ‘The Body, Mind, and Trauma: A Case for Trauma-Sensitive Somatic Mindfulness’, some mindfulness offerings fail to incorporate body-oriented practices effectively, lack proper trauma-informed context or do not communicate the significance of these practices.

This supports Christensen’s quote that mindfulness alone is not enough to address deeper psychological wounds, as failing to integrate body-focused approaches can limit the effectiveness of healing and may lead to emotional stagnation.

“By focusing solely on the present moment, individuals might unknowingly sidestep difficult emotions or past traumas, creating a sense of temporary relief. This can result in unprocessed grief, fear, or anger lingering beneath the surface, leading to emotional numbness, and making it harder to resolve these suppressed emotions,” Christensen says.

“In some cases, overusing mindfulness can even cause a phenomenon called depersonalisation, where individuals feel detached from their emotions and surroundings, especially those with unresolved trauma or complex emotional histories,” she says.

As per a recent research report titled ‘Integrating Choice Points into Mindfulness Training for the Dissociative Subtype of PTSD’, approximately 15–30% of individuals with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) experience high levels of dissociation, such as depersonalisation, and while MBIs are often suggested for PTSD, their potential to increase emotional detachment in these cases remains a concern if not applied carefully. 

This supports Christensen’s point that overusing mindfulness can lead to feelings of detachment and make it harder to process suppressed emotions, especially in those with unresolved trauma or complex emotional histories.

Mental health professionals suggest that mindfulness can be an effective tool when used alongside other traditional therapeutic modalities. Lello emphasizes that mindfulness is not a replacement for traditional therapies and should not be used in isolation for deep-rooted issues like trauma or severe anxiety.

“Mindfulness should be integrated into a comprehensive treatment plan where sessions begin with mindfulness exercises like body scans to create a sense of calm. This helps clients regulate emotions before engaging in deeper therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or trauma-focused methods such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR),” Lello says.

“This approach allows clients to remain present during difficult moments, preventing emotional avoidance and making it easier to revisit and process traumatic memories safely, ultimately promoting deep emotional healing,” he says.

Christensen suggests a unique approach called Mindful Narrative Integration (MNI).

“MNI blends mindfulness practices with narrative therapy by encouraging clients to practice breathing exercises before reflecting on specific memories and emotions. Clients then journal or verbally reconstruct their experiences while maintaining a mindful awareness of their body’s sensations and emotional responses,” she says.

“This process helps them observe their emotional patterns and triggers in real-time, facilitating a more integrated understanding of their trauma and promoting emotional release without becoming overwhelmed,” Christensen says.

Plus, she says: “The goal is to use mindfulness to foster awareness and self-compassion while actively engaging with emotions instead of detaching from them. By blending it with traditional therapeutic interventions that promote self-exploration and emotional expression, we can ensure that clients do not just find temporary relief but move towards long-term and deep emotional healing along with self-understanding.”