Post Traumatic Stresses (PTSD) shows up in a variety of ways because of personal circumstances (assaults, accidents, sudden loss of a loved one, systematic or racialized discrimination etc.) to global situations (wars, natural disasters, etc.). Regardless of what the cause or reason, individuals suffering from PTSD are vulnerable to various mental and physical challenges, including chronic health conditions, possibly due to over activation of certain parts of the brain (especially amygdala) which controls emotional and physical reactions to threat, fear and others distress signals.
Previous research has suggested that systematic practice of mindfulness reduces grey matter density in the amygdala (the threat perception system of our brain) thereby reducing the severity of stress reactions in day to day life. A current meta- analysis (a combination of multiple studies to check the effectiveness of an intervention) published in the journal of Clinical Psychology Review further suggests that mindfulness training is effective in ameliorating the symptoms of PTSD and that, “…moderator analyses indicated that interventions with longer mindfulness training were more efficacious in reducing symptoms of PTSD.”
In addition to the indication that mindfulness is effective in improving symptoms of PTSD and its related symptoms such as fear, it should also kept in mind that regular home practice of the mindfulness techniques is very important in seeing the continued improvement.
So, folks, regardless of your intentions and challenges, keep up the home practice.
