Nurses deal with highly stressful and traumatic experiences every day, which puts them at a higher risk of post-traumatic stress disorder – also known as PTSD. This anxiety disorder is diagnosed in over seven million adults in the US alone, but there could be a simple and easy solution that could help you to treat this problem. Researchers have found that two hours of stretching and meditation each week could cure nurses and other sufferers of this issue. The hormone responsible for stress control is cortisol, and the levels of this hormone decreases when people experience PTSD. In a similar way that Tai Chi or Yoga works, meditating and stretching can help to calm the mind and relax the body, helping to reduce the impact that stress has on the body. A recent study showed that those suffering with PTSD noticed a 41 percent decrease in their symptoms after eight weeks of the twice-weekly classes. This led to a 67 percent increase in cortisol levels in the blood.
Researchers were surprised by the results, expecting initially to only see around a 20 percent decrease in the PTSD symptoms. The method is so simple, but it can have a dramatic effect on the stress-induced post-traumatic stress disorder. The nurses in the study noted that they also showed reduced experiences of flashbacks or emotional detachment, which is common in PTSD. They noted that they could sleep more soundly and get less angry through their work. People often dismiss meditating and breathing exercises as merely holistic methods without much evidence to support them, but this study suggests that you can make a significant impact on PTSD with this easy and quick method. It is a cheap and easy form of reducing stress in everyday life, as well as for more serious conditions.