Yoga meditation and flooding in the treatment of anxiety neurosis

Analysis of patient characteristics suggested that yoga meditation was beneficial for patients with a short history of illness and that flooding was effective in those with a long history.

Abstract

Nine patients diagnosed as anxiety neurotic had their anxiety symptoms monitored by an anxiety symptom questionnaire before practising yoga meditation at each training session. After approximately 4 months of practice, five patients improved significantly and the other four failed to show any appreciable decline in anxiety symptoms. These four then engaged in imaginal flooding, in the course of which anxiety decrement occured. Analysis of patient characteristics suggested that yoga meditation was beneficial for patients with a short history of illness and that flooding was effective in those with a long history. There was questionnaire data to suggest that the former patients had higher cognitive symptom scores.