Anxiety is the body’s natural response to danger, an automatic alarm that goes off when you feel threatened, under pressure, or are facing a stressful situation. In moderation, anxiety isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, anxiety can help you stay alert and focused, spur you to action, and motivate you to solve problems. But when anxiety is constant or overwhelming, when it interferes with your relationships and activities, it stops being functional—that’s when you’ve crossed the line from normal, productive anxiety into the territory of anxiety disorders.
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine have always considered the connection between mind and body to be inseparable. Along with the ancient descriptions of external environmental disease factors, such as Wind, Heat, and Cold, internal causes of disease were considered to be due to emotions. Anger, fear, sadness, worry, and joy were correlated to each of the five Yin organs of the body. Imbalances within these organs could be the origin of the emotion, or the emotion could injure the corresponding internal organ over time.
The Western viewpoint of "more is better" has taken a toll on mental health. While some chose to work hard and play hard until exhaustion, others will suffer from over-thinking, worrying about every detail of life. There never seems to be time to just relax and unwind, without turning on the TV or seeking some social event. This lifestyle causes the mind and body to become tied-up inside, creating anxiety and depression. Acupuncture can help treat these mental-emotional disorders by helping you to "un-do". The needles create a deep state of relaxation during the treatment, allowing true rest and healing of both mind and body.
Regardless of whether you are experiencing anxiety, depression, or some other emotional difficulty, making changes in your lifestyle can help balance your mind. The mind likes to attach to negative emotions and resists acceptance of new ideas. However, consider beginning a program of exercise to help circulate your own energy and studying a form of meditation to learn how to control and relax your mind. Activities such as Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and Yoga are excellent forms of mind-body exercise that can improve you ability to control both anxiety and depression. Practicing these arts in conjunction with regular acupuncture treatments will provide the foundation for a positive change in your life. Continue to read Chinese medicine Treatment for Depressive Syndrome.