Categories
Wellness

Meditation and Medication

Our book “Meditation and Wellness: Perspectives from Japan” examined the scientific underpinnings and practical problems of building mental resiliency.

The book presented both the academic support for taking up meditation, and the stumbling experiences of the author.

Recent research (1) has investigated the relative benefits in treating anxiety disorders with a) mindfulness-based stress reduction methods and b) the common antidepressant drug escitalopram.

The study concludes that meditation is as effective as medication.

Neuroscience news interviewed the authors. To quote from that article:

Anxiety disorders can be highly distressing; they include generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder and fear of certain places or situations, including crowds and public transportation, all of which can lead to an increased risk for suicide, disability and distress and therefore are commonly treated in psychiatric clinics.

Mindfulness increases the options that sufferers can access.

References:

  1. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction vs Escitalopram for the Treatment of Adults with Anxiety Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial, by Elizabeth A Hoge, Eric Bui, Mihriye Mete, Mary Ann Dutton, Amanda W Baker, Naomi M Simon, JAMA Psychiatry, November 2022

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By Peter Eadon-Clarke

Advisor, Conceptasia Inc.
Peter Eadon-Clarke is a specialist in J-Wellness, product and technique trends, wellness tourism and the Stress Check Program. Peter has extensive experience managing complex multicultural teams; roles held during 14 years at Macquarie Capital Securities (Japan) limited included branch manager, global head of economics and Tokyo head of research. Previously, positions included UBS Trust and Banking in Tokyo as chief investment officer, CIO at Sumitomo Life Investment and CIO for the Pacific Basin at GT (now Invesco).