A new article has just been published in one of the top yoga journals, Elephant Journal. Dr, Scott Terry, Ed.D., LCPC, LMFT, Ch.T., has 25 years of practice as a doctoral level clinician, supervisor, professor, and clinical and currently executive director of five different practices and David Shapiro, M.A. founding President of PTSD Relief Now Corporation and Alliance for PTSD Recovery ( both 501C3’s) show how Transcendental Meditation is highly effective at reducing depression.
For Michael Phelps, depression is both a problem that many athletes face and also a personal challenge. Despite being the world’s most decorated swimmer and the Olympian with the most medals of all time, with 28 Olympic medals (23 gold), he has faced depression over and over.
In 2004 Phelps got his first DUI (arrest for Driving Under the Influence); in 2008 Phelps is photographed taking bong hit; and in 2014 Phelps received a second DUI. The days following his second DUI were the lowest point in his life. Phelps explained that he was on the brink of ending his life in those days between his arrest and court date. “I’m somebody who’s gone through at least three or four major depression spells after [Olympic] Games that, you know, I’ve put my life in danger,” he recounted.
He has asked the United States Olympic Committee ( USOC) to help athletes who suffer depression, but complains: “The USOC in my opinion hasn’t done anything to help us transition after an Olympics.”
Other top athletes, including fellow swimmers Allison Schmitt and Missy Franklin have both spoken about their struggles.
Depression is a debilitating mental condition of overwhelming sadness and disinterest in activity. The victim may feel hopeless, tearfulness, lack of energy to engage in even the smallest tasks, worthlessness, anxiety, anger, restlessness, and have trouble focusing and may even have frequent thoughts of suicide.
Peter (name changed to protect the client), an emergency room doctor, is a patient of Dr. Scott Terry, clinical psychologist. Peter told his story:
“Prior to learning TM, I had struggled with depression off and on for several years. Sleep would frequently be difficult. That led to low energy level and lack of focus at work and at home. I took medication and saw a therapist, but during these bouts of depression I would still sometimes feel hopelessness and little desire to get up in the morning and go to work. At these times, I would feel especially tired. I thought I was doing well.”
If one has been in a traumatic event, depression often accompanies Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It can also be understood as one of the symptoms of PTSD.
Without support, each episode of depression may be a painful, prolonged and possibly life-threatening time.
An estimated 16.2 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode (2 weeks or longer). This number represented 6.7% of all U.S. adults.
People from all walks of life struggle with depression. Actor Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson explained: “Struggle and pain is real,” he said of that dark time. “I was devastated and depressed.
“I reached a point where I didn’t want to do a thing or go anywhere,” he added. “I was crying constantly.”
The standard treatments are psychotherapy and psychopharmacology.
According to the National Network of Depression Centers (www.nndc.org/facts) Depression costs the U.S. $210 billion per year and is the leading cause of disability In the US among citizens 15-44. They also state that 2/3 of people with depression either do not seek help nor receive adequate help and that only 41% of adults in the US with mental health conditions receive help.
Psychopharmacology is commonly used, but may produce unwanted side effects. It is often ineffective in not only solving one’s original depression or in preventing the next depression. And with extended long-term use, the side effects may have devastating health effects.
Complementary medicine may make mental health care more accessible, without risk of severe side effects. It includes such approaches as taking herbs (e.g. St. John’s Wort, Valerian, or S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe)), improving sleep, diet, exercise and adding yogic postures, as well as effective, evidence-based meditation, among many possibilities.
One highly effective, evidence-based meditation is Transcendental Meditation (TM). Ten scientific studies show that TM produces systematic reduction in depression and even PTSD-related depression.
With TM (tm.org), practiced twice a day every day, the brain chemistry improves and EEG shows a regular rise in brain coherence. In addition, TM helps improve sleep. With improved rest from sleep, people tend to feel less impulsive and eat in a more balanced way. Because they feel more settled, they can plan for their future and implement daily exercise regimes. So TM acts as a basis for a life shift towards more inner balance and stability, away from causes of depression.
Our E.R. Doctor, Peter, continues his story: ‘Since starting TM, I have stopped medication and have never felt better. My mood has improved and stress has lowered as I have a great tool deal with it more effectively. TM has helped with my sleep and overall energy level. I feel better about myself leading to a more positive outlook on life.”
Dr. Scott Terry explains: “In my 25 years of practice as a doctoral level clinician, supervisor, professor, and clinical and currently executive director of five different practices, a large mental health organization and a radio show, I have found nothing more productive or viable than the utilization of TM in the therapeutic process. The first stage of healing is not understanding or feeling, but shifting the nervous system so that one could process the experiences and thoughts that one is having. If we think about a condition like persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia) with its six symptoms, transcendental meditation is a perfect tool to address each of them.”
If a person has PTSD-based depression, they often get relief from PTSD and those symptoms fall away. Eighty percent of US Veterans with PTSD became free of PTSD symptoms in 30 days according to a January 2018 study by Dr. Robert Herron in Military Medicine. Eleven scientific evidence-based studies show similar results in many demographic groups with PTSD around the world, from US prisoners, to Congolese war refugees, to South African college students, to other US veteran groups.
Rigorous, peer reviewed, scientific studies show a 30-50% reduction in depression with TM in 3-4 months in a wide range of demographic groups… caregivers, government employees, war veterans, prisoner and others. In many cases the controls group showed much less or no significant improvement during this time.
TM can be used along with the standard treatments to accelerate the return to happy life, or may be used on its own.
If you or loved ones are suffering from depression or PTSD-based depression, you may wish to consider adopting an integrated, complementary approach to reduce both short and long-term depression with the support of a clinician. By making lifestyle changes such as these and by regularly practicing Transcendental Meditation you may begin to live life with fewer or no bouts of debilitating depression. Michael Phelps, Dwayne Johnson, and many other famous people, have called out for help. Here is effective strategy to help them and millions of other people around the world, to enjoy happiness, success and progress.
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About the authors:
Dr. Scott Terry, Ed.D., LCPC, LMFT, Ch.T., has 25 years of practice as a doctoral level clinician, supervisor, professor, and clinical and currently executive director of five different practices including the Ardent Center, a large mental health organization and a radio show.
David Shapiro, B.A. cum laude chemistry, M.A., is an author of two articles published in Journal of Traumatic Stress (April, 2013; February, 2014) on Transcendental Meditation and PTSD; the founding President of PTSD Relief Now and its African PTSD Relief projects and Alliance for PTSD Recovery; author of a third article, in submission, on rapid reductions in PTSD in South African college students; and an author of numerous popular articles on PTSD published throughout the world.
Ecuador and Venezuela have implemented the TM-Sidhi programme for 5,000 in the military and security forces. The commander of one of the military colleges decided it is so important it will be implemented top-down: He and his chiefs will set the example of doing Yogic Flying. He said ‘I see that what was missing in our military education was accessing the aspect of the soldier that is invincible—his own consciousness’. This establishes a completely new platform for the widespread implementation of Yogic Flying and professional peacemaking groups in the military.
In Brazil Flavio Canto, who is World Champion Judoka and a TM-Sidha, has made Transcendental Meditation and the TM-Sidhi programme part of the training for his 1,500 students. He says ‘I want all my students to meditate and fly as much as do well at Judo and Karate, so they will be peacemakers’.
“I learned Transcendental Meditation in 1998 while a student at Oxford University…. In fact, TM was by far the best thing I learned at Oxford. I am now a professional chess player and wouldn’t dream of playing a serious game without meditating beforehand. After meditating I feel calm, centered and ready to compete.” –Jonathan Rowson, Ph.D., British Chess Champion for 3 consecutive years. He currently leads The Social Brain Centre at Britain’s Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts.
Coherent Times Magazine 