Coping with Anxiety
Natural treatments for the mind
Worry and anxiety
Everybody worries – well almost everybody; it’s a normal human characteristic. The problems arise when worries become all-consuming and ever expanding, and worry becomes anxiety.
Anxiety is actually very common. In the UK about 8M people suffer from it, and in the USA around 40M adults aged 18 and above. Twice as many women suffer anxiety conditions as men.
For most people, anxieties come and go. We usually get anxious about something we’re afraid may go wrong in the future, most often specific things – health, money, aging, exams. Some people just accept it as a phase, but for some, coping with anxiety can be really quite difficult..
An anxious episode might be triggered by a demanding situation, that starts a train of ‘what if’ thoughts. For most people these thoughts will fade away, but for some they become persistent, and can become more generalised to the point that the sufferer can become afraid of almost anything.. Western medicine calls this Generalised Anxiety Disorder or GAD
The way most people cope with anxiety is to avoid uncomfortable situations. Of course, this doesn’t deal with the anxiety itself, and the sufferer may end up withdrawing from normal everyday situations.
I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist or counsellor, What I can offer is a different approach to simple anxiety using the Chinese medicine model of body and mind and supporting you through periods of acute anxiety with acupuncture., herbs or other therapies such as breathwork, qi gong or meditation.
Acupuncture & herbs for anxiety
According to Chinese medicine the mind and body are indivisibly interlinked. What you think and what you do affects all of you.
Different aspects of your mind and emotions (called ‘shen’ in Chinese medicine) are said to be housed in different internal organs, which are inter-connected by their functions and by an intricate map of energy channels called meridians.
By diagnosing which aspect of your internal system and emotional makeup is causing your problem, acupuncture tries to restore balance and proper relationships using specific points on the meridians. Many points have specific functions in treating the ‘shen’ and restoring equanimity.
Some of the acupuncture points commonly used for anxiety or depression have beautiful names like ‘Spirit Hall’, ‘Spirit Path’, ‘Spirit Gate’ or ‘Peaceful Sleep’.
Chinese herbs can also offer an alternative and non-addictive treatment for anxiety or depression, and if you’ve been on western anti-depressants for a while, can sometimes offer a way to reduce your dependence, though as with all things Chinese medicine more research needs to take place. Here’s an article from the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease Treatment from 2016
You should always discuss using herbs with your doctor if you are already taking anti-depressants, and never stop taking them suddenly.
Herbs such as the flowers or bark of albizzia, the so-called ‘Tree of Happiness’, or the famous ‘Spirit Mushroom’ – Ling Zhi (Reishi) are among those that can gently support your ‘shen’ Of course besides these single herbs, Chinese herbal prescriptions normally contain multiple herbs which address your own personal imbalances.
It you’d like to find out whether I can help you, call me for a brief chat or to book straight in for a treatment
Qi Gong to help you cope with anxiety
Sometimes, when we’re anxious, we have excess energy to burn off, or for some people, the anxiety is kind of paralysing and we just can’t motivate ourselves to do anything.
In either case, the gentle exercises and breath-work of qi gong can work wonders. The exercises work to ground and centre you and help you feel more in control.
From a western prespective, it’s well known that exercise can help balance neuro-transmitters As little as 5 minutes of aerobic exercise can reduce stress and tension, improve your mood and help you sleep better..
Qi gong offers all these benefits in the gentlest way. It requires no equipment and no more space than you stand in. A short routine in the morning can really start your day off right, or before bed it can ‘calm your shen’ and help you get a refreshing night’sleep.
Give me a ring if you’d like to find our more.
