An Innovative Solution to Africa's PTSD Crisis
For over a decade, 18 African nations have
been ravaged by war, exposing military personnel and civilians to violence and
trauma. As a result, one hundred million Africans now suffer from
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and in parts of Africa, 50 percent or
more of the population is afflicted with PTSD. Its effects debilitate
individuals and ripple into their families and communities. PTSD affects not
only military combatants but also anyone who witnesses or experiences extremely
terrifying, tragic or traumatic events such as natural disasters, rape, torture
or kidnapping.
PTSD comes with a variety of symptoms,
including inability to sleep, horrific and intense flashbacks to high-stress
combat experiences, depression, and difficulty relating to friends, family and
spouse, etc. The brains and personalities of those with PTSD simply have not
been able to process the intensity of past trauma. These experiences continue
to haunt and debilitate the lives of those suffering from its effects.
Research has shown that the practice of
the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique can result in large reductions in
PTSD symptoms in short periods of time. In a study on Congolese refugees, 90%
of subjects improved into the "non-symptomatic" range within 30 days
and stayed that way throughout the 135 days of the research (2). A follow-up
study replicated those findings and showed that two thirds of the benefit
occurred within 10 days of learning the TM technique (3). Effect sizes were
larger than those seen with other behavioral and meditation, relaxation or
stress management techniques.
American Vietnam-era veterans with PTSD
were taught TM and showed significant reductions in anxiety, depression, and
negative personality traits (4). Similarly, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans had a
50% reduction in PTS symptoms in a three-month period after learning the TM
technique (5).
TM is a cost-effective, easily learned,
effortless mental technique from the ancient meditative traditions of India.
Over five million people worldwide have learned this non-religious technique.
It is taught in a systematic, highly structured and standardized manner by
trained teachers. Over 350 peer-reviewed studies have documented its positive
effects on mental and physical health.
The efficacy of TM practice has been
confirmed by the American Heart Association, which concluded that TM is the
only behavioral technique that can be recommended for lowering hypertension
(6). Previous meta-analyses have also shown TM to be the most effective
behavioral technique in reducing anxiety (7).
TM practice produces a state of
"restful alertness" - deep rest that allows for a kind of passive
processing of trauma. TM dissolves the deep stresses incurred by trauma on the
physiological level and thereby attenuates identification with the trauma on
the mental level.
During TM practice brain wave activity
becomes highly coherent, an indicator of orderliness and brain integration.
Biological age and stress hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine and
norepinephrine decrease. Indices of relaxation and well-being such as serotonin
levels, galvanic skin resistance, and immune-modulatory effects all increase
(8).
Although conventional approaches to PTSD can improve self-confidence, sense of mastery and coping mechanisms, TM practice apparently goes deeper. It provides a broader spectrum of benefits, including increases in ego development, executive functioning, personality integration, creativity, problem-solving abilities and intelligence. More "side benefits" of TM practice include significant global improvement in psychological functioning and well-being beyond disorder-specific symptom reduction (8).
In addition, African military personnel and veterans may be hesitant to seek PTSD treatment because doing so might be viewed as a sign of weakness. TM is a self-sufficient technique, free from the possible stigma of mental health services.
The faces and words of people with PTSD whose
lives have been changed by TM practice can reveal far more than this article.
To hear one woman's experience, please visit http://tinyurl.com/oqdmdep.
Available data indicate that TM is
effective in decreasing symptoms of posttraumatic stress. Delay in its
implementation allows that suffering to persist.
About the authors:
Colonel (Ret.) Brian Rees, a former VA doctor, is a graduate of the
US Army War College who served in the Army Reserve for 37 years, including five
deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He was the lead author of the two studies
on TM for PTSD in Congolese refugees. His most recent book, Detained: Emails and musings from a spiritual journey through
Abu Ghraib, Kandahar and other garden spots, was published this month.
Dr. David O'Connell is an author and has been a clinical and
forensic psychologist for over 35 years. He most recently edited Prescribing Health: Transcendental Meditation in Contemporary
Medical Care (New York, London: Rowman & Littlefield; 2015).
Dr. David Leffler is the Executive
Director at the Center for Advanced Military Science (CAMS). He served in the
US Air Force for nearly nine years and has published articles about TM in over 1,000 locations worldwide.
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