A new study just out in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry shows the benefits of yoga practice for trauma survivors with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It details how symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder are reduced by a practice.
This quote from the discussion section of the abstract is powerful:
“Yoga significantly reduced PTSD symptomatology, with effect sizes comparable to well-researched psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacologic approaches. Yoga may improve the functioning of traumatized individuals by helping them to tolerate physical and sensory experiences associated with fear and helplessness and to increase emotional awareness and affect tolerance.”
The existence of clinical evidence is both new and monumental. With more “science” to back up what our bodies already know about yoga, perhaps more funding will be available for those wishing to become trauma-sensitive teachers and more insurance companies will cover yoga classes.
The study reported results comparable to therapy and medication. Maybe yoga will become a primary treatment of PTSD and/or supplement other traditional and non-traditional approaches.
I know yoga and writing are even more powerful.
It’s nice to have some “good” trauma news!
Time to go smile it up in downward dog.
You Matter Mantras
- Trauma sucks. You don't.
- Write to express not to impress.
- It's not trauma informed if it's not informed by trauma survivors.
- Breathing isn't optional.
You Are Invited Too & To:
- Heal Write Now on Facebook
- Parenting with ACEs at the ACEsConectionNetwork
- The #FacesOfPTSD campaign.
- When I'm not post-traumatically pissed or stressed I try to Twitter, Instagram & Pinterest.
I need to get back to the mat 🙂
Pretty motivating, isn’t it?
I always have a big problem with the phrase “affect tolerance.” All survivors have learnt to tolerate far stronger and more frequent and more complex painful feelings than the non-traumatized. We do not need to learn to tolerate feelings, we need to stop tolerating them and feel better. As yoga is as effective as therapy, this is evidence that therapies that require survivors to spend years in agony with the accompanying poor functioning in life are not necessary.