Thread by @TheUfoJoe

1 "For the first time, scientists compared patients who took an intensive eight-week mindfulness #meditation program to patients who took escitalopram, the generic name of the widely-prescribed and well-studied anxiety drug Lexapro.

npr.org/sections/healt…

2 "They found that both interventions worked equally well in reducing debilitating anxiety symptoms.

"The study was published in JAMA Psychiatry on Wednesday. 'The fact that we found them to be equal is amazing because now that opens up a whole new potential type of treatment,'

3 "says study author Elizabeth Hoge, director of the Anxiety Disorders Research Program at Georgetown University Medical Center.

"Hoge notes that she's not suggesting that meditation replace escitalopram (Why not? ~Joe) - she herself prescribes the drug regularly to her anxiety

4 "patients. She says her intent is to add new treatment options, and ultimately, provide evidence that would get insurance companies to cover mindfulness-based interventions for anxiety.

5 "Importantly, the study shows that MBSR (Mindful meditation ~Joe) can achieve similar outcomes with tremendously fewer side effects," Mrazek tells NPR in an email.

"Side effects of escitalopram include suicidal thoughts in extreme cases, but more commonly diarrhea,

6 "loss of sexual desire or ability, nausea, & constipation.

"It's worth noting that longer term adherence to the treatments was higher for participants taking Lexapro than for the meditators. At 24 weeks, just 28% of the MBSR arm were still doing daily meditation, compared to

7 "52% taking the drugs.

(Big Pharma get upset at 1st draft?👇🏼)

"Editor's note, 11/11/22: This story has been updated to include additional comments from researchers and clinicians on how medication and meditation may complement one another, and on future avenues of research."