Mindfulness Is Just As Good As Medication In Fighting Depression

There’s medication for everything these days, and with depression being an ongoing debilitating problem for so many people, of course there are strong meds for that too. Around 15 million Americans suffer a relapse into depression, the most common way to treat it? Antidepressants. At least, that’s how it’s been until now.

A new study presented here in Huffington Post,?illuminates just how effective mindfulness meditation can be. While meditation has been used for thousands of years, and even more recently has seen a spike in usage and scientific studies backing its effectiveness, this new study effectively tells us that it’s equally as good as the drugs in preventing relapses. Imagine that, relaxing in a crossed-legged pose with a little light concentration,?as a replacement for powerful drugs.

Researchers asked half of the participants to stay on their medications, while the other half tapered off medication and underwent a course of MBCT. Those in the MBCT group attended two-hour-plus weekly group sessions for eight weeks, consisting of guided mindfulness practices, group discussion and other cognitive behavioral exercises. They were also given daily home practice and, after the group sessions ended, had the opportunity to attend four follow-up sessions over the course of the next year.

Regular assessments for major depressive episodes over the following two years found similar relapse rates among the MBCT group (44 percent) and the antidepressant group (47 percent).

Depression is a harmful?disorder that affects the lives of millions, but is still not well understood. It’s been looked at from both inside and outside of the brain, and even in the stomach with probiotics. For no, there’s no magical cure, but at least we have something to help fight it that doesn’t require chemicals or negative side-effects. Read the post to find out more.