In a New York Times story, Daniel Goleman (author, psychologist, and science journalist) reports on how a growing stream of research suggests that mindfulness and meditation for ADHD may help children and adults cope with their disorder.
While the effects of medication as a treatment continues to debated, this suggests that meditation can bring the same benefits without any side effects.
“According to a recent report in Clinical Neurophysiology, adults with A.D.D. were shown to benefit from mindfulness training combined with cognitive therapy; their improvements in mental performance were comparable to those achieved by subjects taking medications.
The training led to a decline in impulsive errors, a problem typical of A.D.D., while the cognitive therapy helped them be less self-judgmental about mistakes or distractedness.
Mindfulness seems to flex the brain circuitry for sustaining attention, an indicator of cognitive control, according to research by Wendy Hasenkamp and Lawrence Barsalou at Emory University.”
We love every story like this, and the fact that we see increasingly more of them, as it repeatedly proves that meditation brings with it numerous health benefits. Without the side effects, industry, and cost of drugs – meditation is the definite winner here.
“There are no long-term, lasting benefits from taking A.D.H.D. medications,” said James M. Swanson, a psychologist at the University of California, Irvine, and an author of the study. “But mindfulness seems to be training the same areas of the brain that have reduced activity in A.D.H.D.”
“That’s why mindfulness might be so important,” he added. “It seems to get at the causes.”
What remains now is for medical professionals and communities to embrace meditation as the wonderful medicine it is, and start prescribing meditation for ADHD. The sooner, the better!
Have you experienced yourself how meditation have helped you focus better on your every day tasks? Comment below and tell us about it.
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