Can meditation completely eliminate anxiety disorders?

Meditation isn't a panacea for anxiety; it has been proven to be a powerful set of tools for the management thereof. This is done through changing your relationship with anxious thoughts and physical sensations. While it is not a cure, meditation in time builds sustainable resilience to the triggers of anxiety through repetition of practice. The severity and frequency of symptoms are thereby significantly reduced.

With consistent practice, meditation leads to changes in the brain that foster a lifelong balance. Instead of automatically responding to stressors, new pathways are formed. This is achieved through regular practice over a period of several months. The result is the ability to remain calm in the face of adversity.

For clinical anxiety disorders, meditation can be most effective with support from a professional. Therapists help work through still unresolved trauma, while meditation cultivates self-control skills. Medication may be necessary to stabilize the biochemistry initially, allowing for deeper levels of meditation. This overall integrated approach will yield optimal results in the worst-case scenarios.

Meditation teaches you to ride the waves of anxiety without being overwhelmed. When well-practiced, it gives you the skills to observe anxious thoughts without getting attached to them. This creates a distance between the stimulus and the response, which minimizes the panic response. Meditation practices expand your confidence in your ability to deal with anxiety rather than eliminate it.

Read the full article: Meditation and Anxiety: Your Complete Guide