MEDITATION
An individual who has experienced Dysthymia knows that it can cause anxiety, personal dissatisfaction , despair and a feeling of emptiness. Even if you manage to get out of it, it tends to return at some point of time and looking for lasting happiness seems like an impossible task.
However people who practice Yoga or meditation claim that it is a road to lasting happiness and peace.
Meditation helps you reach at peace with yourself and your insecurities. It can have a powerful impact on improving mental well-being and reduces the chance of relapse into the cycle of hopelessness and despair.
In cases of severe depression meditation can be used as a complementary practice, however in cases of milder depression such as Dysthymia meditation can be used alone as a form of treatment.
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The article talks about how medication can be replaced by meditation and how it helps reduce symptoms and reach a calmer state of mind.
In a research done at Cambridge, there was a study on the effectiveness of mindfulness on Depression sufferers.
The study was done on individuals who practiced meditation along with their prescribed medication and individuals who only stuck to their medication (Headspace, n.d.)
The research found that
In an article by the Dailymail on Meditation as an alternative to anti-depressants, there were some anonymous quotes by patients such as
"Rather than relying on the continuing use of antidepressants mindfulness puts me in charge, allowing me to take control of my own future, to spot when I am at risk and to make the changes I need to stay well." (Mail Online, 2015)
In the control group, only 22% didn’t relapse whereas in the mindfulness group 64% didn’t relapse. In fact, mindfulness practitioners were 3 times more likely to avoid depression over the following year. (Headspace, n.d.)
Over a six-month period, 75% of the mindfulness group completely discontinued their medication. Furthermore, they had lower rates of relapse and more enhanced quality of life in comparison to those on anti-depressants. (Headspace, n.d.)
I think the reasons for Dysthymia might vary from one person to other, however most people find ways to avoid medication by adopting alternative treatment methods that fight the core symptoms.