If meditation has many virtues, a study reveals that it would be as effective as drugs to treat anxiety.
A disorder that can strike at any age, including teenagers,anxiety is becoming a real scourge. If it is still poorly understood by specialists, the causes of anxiety are multiple. Beyond the environment and the personal problems of each, other factors such as aspartame or public transport would favor its development.
To treat anxiety, several options are possible. The most common remains medication but it is not without risks for the patient. Fact, non-drug alternatives and original methods are sometimes prescribed. Thus, it can be recommended to play the piano to reduce anxiety and stress.
But a study conducted by French and American researchers would have brought to light another very effective treatment. Indeed, they found that meditation would have the same virtues as drugs on mental disorder.
Breathing exercises and mindfulness sessions recommended
The study in question lasted for two years and involved 208 volunteers. To determine the real impact of meditation on patients’ minds, the researchers divided the volunteers into two groups.
The first group of 102 people was trained in meditation. These had to perform mindfulness sessions lasting an average of 45 minutes. Exercise had to be performed daily. While the second group received antidepressants. Then the researchers analyzed the CGI-S score of the volunteers.
If this term seems complex, it actually refers to a measurement scale focused on mental disorders. More specifically, it measures the intensity of all the symptoms associated with each disorder. Gold, the impact of the two treatments was almost similar with a drop of 1.43 points for medication and 1.35 points for meditation.
Meditation, beneficial both mentally and physically
Such results thus open the way to new treatments for the patients concerned. Moreover, the benefits of meditation are not limited to the reduction of anxiety and stress. Studies have shown that meditating would reduce the feeling and the discomfort caused by persistent pain.
Thus, patients who are too sensitive to drugs or who wish to opt for natural alternatives can now opt for meditation. Be careful, however, to master the sessions in full consciousness so that they are really effective.