Mindfulness meditation is as effective as LEXAPRO at relieving anxiety, the study finds

Trending mindfulness practices are as effective as medication at relieving anxiety, a study has found.

People who meditated every day and did yoga once a week saw their anxious thoughts and feelings decrease by almost a third after six weeks.

In the first head-to-head comparison, a second group given Lexapro — which works by increasing levels of the “happy hormone” in the brain — saw similar results.

It’s the latest evidence that mindfulness – once written off as a fad – can have significant positive effects on physical health.

Mindfulness is thought to lower levels of the hormone cortisol — nature’s built-in alarm system — which in turn reduces inflammation in the body.

There are also no side effects, unlike Lexapro which can cause drowsiness, insomnia and impotence or other sexual problems after prolonged use.

dr Elizabeth Hoge, a professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University in Washington DC and first author of the latest study, said: “A major benefit of mindfulness meditation is that no clinical degree is required to train someone to become a mindfulness coach.

“Additionally, sessions can be conducted outside of a medical setting, such as in a school or community center.”

It comes after a leading panel of doctors recommended that all Americans over the age of eight be screened for anxiety – even if they have no symptoms – amid fears the Covid pandemic is leaving millions suffering in silence.

In the latest study, 102 patients completed a comprehensive mindfulness program and 106 took the popular antidepressant Lexapro. After two months, people in both groups saw their anxiety levels drop by about 30 percent (file image).

Lexapro works by increasing levels of the “happy hormone” in the brain

Researchers in Georgetown recruited more than 200 patients from three cities.

Participants either receive an initial dose of Lexapro or follow a widely used mindfulness program that includes two and a half hours of weekly classes, 45 minutes of daily practice at home, and a full-day retreat weekend course in weeks five or six.

After two months, anxiety symptoms, measured on a severity scale, decreased by about 30 percent in both groups and continued to decrease over the following four months.

The study was published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry

The eight-week program some of the participants adhered to was called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), which dates back to the 1970s and includes mindfulness meditation, body scanning, and simple yoga postures.

Mindfulness has become a broad term that encompasses a range of activities designed to strengthen a person’s emotional health, including meditation, yoga, tai chi and other gentle martial arts, and breathing exercises.

The goal of engaging in mind-body activities is to identify and correct bad behavior patterns, as well as regulate emotions, reduce stress, reduce anxiety, and relieve symptoms of depression.

Anxiety is intense, excessive, and persistent concern and anxiety about everyday situations. It often leads to a rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, and fatigue.

Over 40 million US adults, approximately 19 percent, live with an anxiety disorder, making it the most common mental health problem in the country.

When practicing mindfulness, people are advised to pay attention to any intrusive thoughts that come in and knock them away, and refocus the energy on the breath and body, according to Dr. high

Instead of dealing with those intrusive thoughts, “say, ‘I have this thought, let it go for now,'” said Dr. high

With practice, “when not meditating, it changes the relationship people have with their own thoughts.”

Olga Cannistraro, a 52-year-old who participated in a previous study with Dr. Hoge said the program helped her significantly: “It gave me the tools to spy on myself. Once you are aware of an anxious reaction, you can decide how to deal with it.

It’s not a miracle cure, it’s a form of lifelong training. Instead of my fear going further, it went the other way and I’m very grateful for that.’

A growing body of scientific research points to the mental and physical benefits of mindfulness practice.

A 2014 meta-analysis reviewed 47 studies involving meditation in 3,515 people. The practice was associated with “moderate signs” of reduced stress, anxiety, and depression within eight weeks.

Mindfulness has also been shown to be effective in lowering blood pressure. A recent study by Brown University researchers concluded that people with high blood pressure who participated in a mindfulness program for six months saw a nearly six-point drop in their systolic blood pressure — the highest number on any blood test.

People in the control group who received the usual care, which consisted of a home blood pressure monitor, blood pressure education materials, and access to a doctor, saw a drop of just 1.4 points.

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk