In today’s hectic world most of us experience stress and anxiety at some point of our lives . These emotions are the way body and mind responds to a certain stimulus or event. They are normal and sometimes even helpful, but they can become a problem too. When they start to affect our quality of life, they are no longer a casual emotion but a state of being.
Anxiety symptoms
There are different types and anxiety symptoms. Anxiety disorders include:
- Generalised anxiety
- Panic disorder
- Phobia
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Post traumatic stress disorder
Emotional anxiety symptoms:
- Excessive, ongoing worry and tension
- Restlessness
- Disturbed sleep (trouble falling or staying asleep)
- Irritability and poor concentration
These emotional symptoms can have an effect on mood. For example, we can have an unrealistic view of problems, see things in a very black and white manner or have a negative state of mind.
Physical anxiety symptoms:
- Sweating
- Palpitations
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Cold hands
- Muscle tension and aches
- Dry mouth
- Trembling and twitching
Anxiety related disorders are the majority of diagnosed mental illnesses.
Conventional anxiety treatments include: psychological therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and applied relaxation, and medication such as antidepressants and benzodiazepines. All the drug treatments come with side effects.
Acupuncture for anxiety – an alternative anxiety remedy
Acupuncture stimulates the nervous system and cause the release of neurochemical messenger molecules. The resulting biochemical changes influence the body’s homeostatic mechanisms, thus promoting physical and emotional well-being.
Research has proven that acupuncture for anxiety is very effective as it relieves anxiety symptoms. It:
- Acts on areas of the brain known to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress, as well as promotes relaxation and deactivates the ‘analytical’ brain (responsible for anxiety and worry)
- Regulates levels of neurotransmitters and hormones such as: serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine and GABA, altering the brain’s mood chemistry (feel good hormones) to help to combat negative states
- Stimulates production of body’s own opioids, endorphins initiating the relaxation state
- Reverses stress-induced changes in behaviour and biochemistry
- Reverses pathological changes in levels of inflammatory cytokines that are associated with anxiety
Psychotherapy for anxiety
As psychotherapy addresses the underlying reasons for anxiety, it can be effective in relieving your symptoms, and also, help you to prevent anxiety from reoccurring.
In my experience psychotherapy is extremely effective with the treatment of:
- Anxiety
- Mild to moderate depression
- Self-esteem
- Relationship issues
- Bereavement
- Anger management
- Life changes
- Work-related issues
- Family issues
- and stress management
Read more on counselling/psychotherapy for anxiety here.
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Combining acupuncture with Counselling for anxiety
Acupuncture can help in easing physical symptoms, as well as in reducing emotional distress. Through acupuncture, my clients notice their physical symptoms are gradually reducing, which helps them to be able to connect with their feelings on a deeper level in order to release blocked energy.
Through an integrated acupuncture-counselling therapy, blocked emotional energy release happens through acupuncture alongside talking therapy. My patients are guided through easy breathing relaxation during acupuncture treatment, which leads to excellent results as a holistic body and mind treatment.
- Read more about acupuncture and stress
- For a natural way to calm the spirit, remedy insomnia and restlessness read my post on Healing Lotus Seeds and post on Rose Buds
