Evidence shows 1 in 3 women take antidepressants

A new report claims that victims of stress can benefit from Transcendental Meditation. The technique is said to be effective on stress sufferers plagued by anxiety, who may in turn struggle with alcohol dependency, excessive eating and drugs.

The exercise involves sitting quietly for 20 minutes with your eyes closed twice a day in a bid to ‘dissolve stress’. Transcendental Meditation is said to leave the patient in a state of ‘quiet, restful alertness’, experiencing what would be the opposite of fight-or-flight syndrome, which is usually provoked by mental overload.

The method of Transcendental Meditation is taught by the Maharishi Foundation in the UK. Charles Cunningham, spokesperson for the foundation, has said that unlike other complex forms of meditation, ‘Anyone that can experience a thought can practise Transcendental Meditation’. 

He added, ‘Becoming an expert only takes a few lessons – typically, a more integrated, calm style of brain activity is measured within 30 seconds of meditation’.

Evidence claims that 1 in 3 women in the UK take antidepressants, with a further 15m people said to have suffered from mental health problems. 

Research, conducted by Charles Drew University in Los Angeles, found that depression patients who had undergone Transcendental Meditation reported that their symptoms had halved within three months. The research also noted that these benefits were maintained during the year long study.

By Jade Desumala