‘Meditation Can Effectively Treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder’

Anxiety disorders impact psychological and physical health. Meditation can efficiently mitigate PTSD symptoms.

Meditation can provide relief from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, says a study. 

(Photo: iStockphoto)

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is a type of anxiety disorder which mostly develops in people after they’ve witnessed or experienced horrifying events like war, homicide, natural disasters, accidents and any violent assaults.

Conventionally, methods such as prolonged exposure therapy have been employed to treat patients suffering from PTSD. These involve confronting and re-experiencing trauma instead of avoiding it.

A study published in the Lancet Psychiatry Journal revealed that transcendental meditation can prove to be a viable option to lessen the severity of PTSD symptoms, thus providing a good alternative to the conventional prolonged exposure-based treatments.

Transcendental meditation is an effortless technique of consistently thinking of a mantra and eventually settling at a peaceful state of mind.

The study was conducted through a randomized controlled trial on 203 war veterans in the US, diagnosed with PTSD resulting from active military service.

According to co-author Dr Sanford Nidich, Maharishi University of Management Research Institute, USA, PTSD can negatively impact cardiovascular health, occupational functioning and even memory.

PTSD harms veterans’ mental, physical, and financial well-being, and there is also growing evidence of links between PTSD and cardiovascular health, occupational functioning, metabolic function, and possibly even dementia risk. Our findings indicate the feasibility and efficacy of transcendental meditation as a potential therapy for veterans with PTSD and encourages future research to explore the durability of the benefits and applications to other populations with PTSD.

Dr Sanford Nidich, Maharishi University of Management Research Institute

The research spanning three weeks showed that meditation is as effective as traditional treatments, and even more than health education classes. Notably, drop-out rates were also low for those indulging in the former.