Do you often feel overwhelmed and that your life seems to be out of control? Has anxiety been plaguing you each and everyday of your life? Anxiety manifests itself in many forms: uneasiness and fear regarding future uncertainties, obsessive thinking, sweating and palpitations. Acupuncture can be an incredibly effective modality if you are suffering from severe and/or chronic anxiety.
Licensed acupuncturists have been working with patients for several decades who felt that after trying all types of conventional treatments and after finding talk therapy and/or drug therapy to be ineffective, they have run out of all options for their anxiety problem. A lot of these patients have tried acupuncture as they felt they have nothing to lose especially with the quandary they were in. Based on their long experience dealing with anxiety, acupuncturists have seen that Chinese medicine, which includes qi gong, Chinese herbs and acupuncture as well as aromatherapy and some counseling, can effectively cure their anxiety ridden patients especially the underlying cause of their condition. These modalities are very non-invasive to the brain and much more comprehensive compared to SSRI drugs.
It’s a sad fact that tens of millions of Americans suffer from chronic anxiety each year with many of them under antidepressant drug therapy. While antidepressants provide transient benefits and relief, a lot of anxiety sufferers do not take well to these drugs. They cause a number of problems such as:
-A wide range of side effects that outweigh the positive effects of the medication
-A belief that anxiety is not the cause of a biochemical imbalance or that it is caused by a deep spiritual problem
-Extreme sensitivity to the toxic effects of these drugs
-Tolerance build-up to the drug that diminishes its effectiveness
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a 2,500-year old component of Chinese medicine that targets health issues by resolving the energy imbalances in the body and increases the levels of energy of the mind and body. This may come as a surprise to most people but acupuncture is often an incredibly profound therapy that relaxes the body by restoring balance to the central nervous system and fomenting a peaceful calm experience in the mind. A lot of individuals feel sleepy, dreamy and deeply relaxed during and after treatment and this feeling usually lingers hours after treatment. Moreover, this same feeling starts to become a continuous and more lingering experience with frequent sessions. Acupuncture is a treatment that smoothens and balances the flow of vital energy or Qi in the body. Weak Qi typically in the kidneys or heart often causes the development of anxiety. This condition manifests through symptoms such as irritability, insomnia, heart palpitations and low back pain. Nightmares often are experienced by people suffering from severe anxiety.
Essential Oil Therapy:
Anxiety conditions can be addressed by using several types of Essential oils.
Some TCM practitioners utilize several essential oils in their treatment.
-Marjoram
-Jasmine
-Neroli
-Rose
-Chamomile
-Lavender
Chinese Herbs:
Anxiety disorders can be effectively reduced with a number of Chinese herbal formulas. Some formulas commonly used by TCM practitioners to treat anxiety include:
-Calm spirit
-Suan Hsiao ren tang
-Free and easy wanderer
-Heavenly emperor’s formula
-Salvia and amber
Western herbs can also be used to treat anxiety. A few of these herbs you can purchase at a local health food store are listed below.
-Kava
-Passion flower
-Lemon balm
-Valerian
-Chamomile
Nutrition:
Preserving a stable blood sugar level all throughout the day is a very important thing to remember if you are prone to anxiety attacks. Most of those suffering from acute and chronic anxiety have a hypoglycemic condition. They often drink coffee to begin their day and daily consume refined carbohydrates. They tend to experience a “crash” in the afternoon, usually around 2 pm to 4 pm. To maintain a stable blood sugar level, you can start your day by eating breakfast that is rich in protein. Your breakfast may include whole oats, turkey bacon, eggs, smoothies with goat protein or whey. Every two or three hours after a meal, you can take a low glycemic snack. Stay away from coffee and other products that contain caffeine. It is also advised that you stay away from allergenic foods such as refined sugar, pasteurized dairy, gluten and wheat for a month to see if your anxiety improves.
The following is a short list of nutritional supplements that you may discover to be beneficial in battling your anxiety:
-B vitamin complex
-Fish oil
-GABA
-5HTP
Yoga or Meditation:
A lot of individuals have discovered that yoga and meditation can be extremely powerful tools in healing their anxiety problem. By regularly performing a number of yoga postures and breathing techniques, these people are much more able to deal with their anxiety allowing them to gain back control of their life. These activities can be direct paths toward the restoration and calmness of their nervous system. They can help them, on a deeper level, to make a spiritual connection with the universe and their lives that help them forge an unwavering sense of safety and trust. This help boosts confidence in themselves and others.
From the viewpoint of holistic medicine, symptoms of a condition are never random. They come about due to certain, sometimes unknown reasons. With regards to anxiety, disengaging from our personal feeling about something is helpful because this causes us to see the bigger picture. Oftentimes, our anxiety is an indication of where we are in life and also telling us about ourselves. It may be a sign that there is something in our life that needs to be changed or there is something wrong in the way we live it. Whatever the case may be, some of the things discussed in this article can provide a huge amount of support in addressing the underlying cause of our anxiety and point us to a direction that leads to insight and calmness.