Page 167 - Demo

165People take drugs in an attempt to correct stresses in the body that cause headaches, pain, anxiety, depression, anger, and other symptoms. Research has shown that regular practice of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique greatly reduces all these problems and thereby reduces the need for drugs. This is confi rmed by this comprehensive meta-analysis, which found that TM was more effective than other treatments available for reducing use of drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, prescribed drugs, and non-prescribed illicit drugs. Typically, for other treatment programs, whether they are for hard drugs, alcohol use, or cigarette consumption, abstinence from use is 100% at the beginning of the program when everyone is inspired for a new start or required to stop using. Sadly, by the end of one year only 10% are still drug-free. For TM, just the opposite is found. Over the course of a year, drug use decreases gradually as regular TM practice normalizes the stresses that provoke this self-medication. This meta-analysis also found that other relaxation and meditation programs are not as effective as TM. All meditation practices are not equivalent because other techniques do not provide the uniquely healing state of restful alertness that TM does. Efiect Size (Standard Deviations)0PeerInffuencePreventiveEducation0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0TMEfiectiveness in Decreasing Drug AbuseMeta-analysis of 70 studiesp = .000004tm-047EASIER TO STOP USING DRUGSReference: Alexander, C. N., Robinson, P., & Rainforth, M. (1994). Treating and preventing alcohol, nicotine, and drug abuse through Transcendental Meditation: A review and statistical meta-analysis. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 11(1%u20132), 13%u201388.