Jahnavi Sarma
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Written By: Jahnavi Sarma | Updated : August 26, 2020 8:40 AM IST
Generalized anxiety disorder is a common, impairing, and under-treated condition, currently affecting an estimated 6.8 million Americans. While most people feel anxious from time to time, it is considered a disorder when worrying becomes excessive and interferes with day-to-day life. Cognitive behavioral therapy is considered the gold standard first-line treatment. Medications, including anti-depressants and sometimes benzodiazepines, may also be used for treating anxiety symptoms. Yet, not everyone is willing to take medication which can have adverse side effects and there are challenges with accessing CBT for many, including lack of access to trained therapists and long waitlists.
Keeping this in mind, researchers from NYU Grossman School of Medicine looked at alternative therapies that may effectively treat this condition. This new study found that yoga is very effective for generalized anxiety disorder than standard education on stress management However, they also saw that it may not be as effective as CBT, the gold standard form of structured talk therapy that helps patients identify negative thinking for better responses to challenges. But still, their findings demonstrate that yoga, which is safe and widely available, can improve symptoms for some people with this disorder and could be a valuable tool in an overall treatment plan. JAMA Psychiatry published this study.
For the purpose of the study, researchers looked at 226 men and women with generalized anxiety disorder. They were randomly assigned to three groups - either CBT, Kundalini yoga, or stress-management education, a standardized control technique. After three months, both CBT and yoga were found to be significantly more effective for anxiety than stress management. Specifically, 54 per cent of those who practiced yoga met response criteria for meaningfully improved symptoms compared to 33 per cent in the stress-education group. Of those treated with CBT, 71 per cent met these symptom improvement criteria.
Yoga is a scientific therapy that works towards mental and physical wellness. It is a relatively low-risk, high-yield approach to improving overall health. According to researchers, many people already seek complementary and alternative interventions, including yoga, to treat anxiety. They say that at least short-term there is significant value for people with generalized anxiety disorder to give yoga a try to see if it works for them. Yoga is well-tolerated, easily accessible, and has a number of health benefits. Kundalini yoga, which included physical postures, breathing techniques, relaxation exercises, yoga theory, and meditation/mindfulness practice, work the best.
Yoga can reduce the impact of exaggerated stress responses and may help in the treatment of both anxiety and depression. It is just like other self-soothing techniques like meditation, relaxation, exercise, or even socializing with friends. By reducing stress and anxiety, it can also modulate your stress response systems. This, in turn, slows down the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and eases respiration. Yoga practices also help increase heart rate variability, an indicator of the body's ability to respond to anxiety more flexibly.
Yoga is a safe wellness practice. However, remember that some of the asanas may be strenuous and, therefore, not appropriate for everyone. Elderly patients, people with mobility problems and those with underlying illnesses must always check with a doctor before starting this practice.
(With inputs from Agencies)
