Rily Quinonez

M. Arndt
HLTH 1240
10-5-14
Meditation and Depression
As a young adolescent I struggled with depression. Everything from my grades to my
relationships started to break down, it seemed as though life was too much for me. I was caught in
what felt like a spiral of negative thought. Then one day I went to a friends house and at one point I
remember laughing and saying to myself, Im happy right now. It was then that a realized I was a
victim of my own mind, if I had no rational reason to be sad then why was I. I started asking myself
these sorts of questions during meditation and before I knew it I had flipped my world upside down.
Meditation helped me take control of my life and truly be happy again. Many others beside myself
have caught on to the effects of meditation and the evidence proves that it is a simple and effective
path to mental health.
Even as powerful as meditation can be, it is very personal and a meditation that works for
someone else may not work for oneself. But that is part of the key to meditation, listening to
yourself and picking the path that suits you best. For me, it was mindfulness meditation, or rather
opening your awareness to something greater, whatever that may be. An article in Shots, NPRs
health news, said that meditation does help manage anxiety, depression and pain according to 47
studies. (Aubrey 2014) In addition, the article also supported that mediation does not work for
everyone. Because meditation requires time out our days it is not easily accessible for some, and
when dedication is not put into meditation not as much reward comes of it. My own roommate said
to me, I think a lot of problems in my life could be solved with meditation. If I could do it!
Nevertheless there is mounting evidence that meditation is a useful tool in the fight against anxiety

and depression. And for those without these issues, meditation will simply improve quality of life. In
a study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, it was concluded that after MBSR
(mindfulness-based stress reduction) they showed significant reductions of perceived stress and
quality of life. (Nyklek 2008) These results along with many other further solidify that the practice
of MBSR will lead to life improvement.
There are many different types of meditation out there, when I talk to others about
meditation, most of have the idea that meditation is only sitting crossed legged with you hands at
knees like the Buddha, but that is not the case. Even tai chi, a Chinese martial art form is considered
to be meditation. So when considering starting a meditation practice it is paramount to educate
yourself on the different forms of meditation and practice whichever style that suits your goals and
personality best. Yoga has become extremely popular in recent years, but more as exercise rather
than meditation, its original purpose. Yoga is an excellent method for becoming more connected
with the body and breath, whereas guided meditation is better suited for those who wish to become
more in tune with the senses. They Mayo clinic suggests meditation for stress reduction and lists
seven different types of meditation for doing so including the types mentioned previously. They also
state that meditation will improve emotion well being by giving oneself increased self-awareness and
a new perspective. (Meditation 2014) There are many more resources for meditation education on
the web, as well as many books describing the use of meditation in daily life.
Right now, anxiety and depressive disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S.
affecting rough 18% of the U.S. population. (ADAA) With the number of these illnesses so high
one would think information about meditation and MBSR would be accessible, but most people I
have talked to are unaware of its potential. Not only can be meditation be a useful tool alone but a
study in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice showed that meditation in addition to conventional
medication produced significant results in the reduction of anxiety and depression far exceeding

each on their own. (Marchand 2012) Mindfulness meditation surely rid me of my anxious behavior. I
once described my anxiety to a friend as a voice in my head that second-guesses every decision I
make and questions my every move. This became crippling because I was unable to make confident
decisions or really trust myself. When I started practicing meditation, I started to notice that over
time that voice in my head stopped questioning me and started telling me how great I was doing and
started pointing out the bright side of situations rather than what could go wrong. This change
would bring about an attitude and view of life that I had previously thought was unachievable for
me. The results of my meditation practice have been astounding and it is one thing in my life that I
can confidently say will stay there for the rest of it. I now encourage anyone who has the slightest
problem with anxiety or similar affliction that they seriously consider meditation practice as a means
to manage it. And the wonderful thing about meditation is that there is no downside to trying it,
either you find its not for you or like myself, it changes your life completely.
With everyday stress becoming a problem in more and more peoples lives across the world
and especially in America there is a need now more then ever for a solution. If meditation was
practiced more widely, even for thirty minutes everyday, there would be a significant reduction in
the number of anxiety and depressive cases. Furthermore with all of the evidence that has thus far
been presented by the scientific community, it would be silly not to consider meditation as a means
for achieving mental health. By making a meditation practice a part of your daily routine there is
surely to be life improvement whether that be heightened self-confidence or simply perceived quality
of life. The next you find yourself under stress, consider meditation first.

References:
Marchand, William R. "Mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy,
and Zen meditation for depression, anxiety, pain, and psychological distress." Journal of
Psychiatric Practice 18.4 (2012): 233-252.
Aubrey, Allison. "Mindfulness Meditation Can Help Relieve Anxiety And Depression." NPR. NPR,
7 Jan. 2014. Web. 5 Oct. 2014.
Nyklek, Ivan, and Karlijn F. Kuijpers. "Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
Intervention on Psychological Well-being and Quality of Life: Is Increased Mindfulness
Indeed the Mechanism?" Annals of Behavioral Medicine 35.3 (2008): 331-40. Print
"Meditation." Take a Stress-reduction Break Wherever You Are. The Mayo Clinic, 19 July 2014. Web. 6
Oct. 2014.
"Facts & Statistics | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA." Anxiety and
Depression Association of America. ADAA. Web. 6 Oct. 2014.