Drug-free treatment for anxiety and panic
Acupuncture is a very effective treatment method for both ongoing anxiety and panic attacks, and has the benefit of having no negative side effects. It helps the overwrought nervous system to relax and get back to a normal range of reactivity. Beyond that, one key goal of every acupuncture treatment is the “Rooting (or Anchoring) of the Spirit”. This aspect of the treatment will make you feel more grounded and focused.
How fast does acupuncture relieve anxiety?
Most patients experience relief of their anxiety from their first session of acupuncture. Over time, acupuncture helps normalise the sensitivity of your “danger detection system” which triggers fear, anxiety and panic.
It helps to understand why we get afraid in the first place:
Acupuncture actually helps your system get back to “normal” so you can keep your cool when appropriate but are in a prime state to react when something really is amiss.Fear is a normal and very useful emotion for survival. It sharpens the senses and primes our body for fast reaction in a new or dangerous situation, effectively putting the body and brain in a “red alert” state. Because it is so important for survival, it is triggered on the level of the instinct rather than the mind, so the fear reaction precedes our conscious knowledge that there may be danger ahead. Anxiety or panic attacks happen when this natural, normally helpful mechanism gets triggered by non-dangerous events or thoughts.
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If needles make you queasy…
...fear not! Acupuncture helps your body and mind move back into a state of relaxation where healing naturally occurs. If needles make you uncomfortable or even trigger anxiety, then effective needle-free methods are available, e.g. acupressure, moxibustion, shonishin, and herbal remedies. Often, patients who are anxious about needles lose that fear over several sessions of non-needle acupuncture and are happy to try the ‘other’ kind later on.
If you are taking medication…
Acupuncture works even when taking medication and usually helps to increase the intended effects of medication while mitigating unwanted side-effects.
If you’ve been prescribed drugs to treat your anxiety, do not stop taking them without first speaking to your doctor when you get acupuncture. For most people, in the long run it is preferable to live without anxiolytic (fear-reducing) or sedative drugs, and coming off them with acupuncture is generally a lot easier than without. But many antidepressant, anxiolytic and sedative drugs must be reduced gradually to avoid withdrawal symptoms. This is best done when you feel better and stable, not when you’re in the middle of a crisis.
One patient’s story of recovery:
“After the suicide of my brother, I experienced panic attacks and feelings of anxiety which were affecting all areas of my life. I felt very fragile and challenged by normal activities - work, exercise, relationships, etc.
I got amazing results from the first treatment: Just speaking to Rebecca and understanding that my experience was not abnormal made me feel much better. After I received treatment, I was much more at ease, and the effect lasted for weeks. I have been seeing Rebecca for ten months now. My treatments have gone from every week to around once a month. I have steadily been feeling stronger and better, and I am now back to doing everything I used to do prior to the bereavement. If feelings of anxiety come up, they are now just slight background noise and not the total focus of my attention.
Previously, I have had acupuncture for sports injuries, but I was not expecting such significant results. I have also been using yoga, qigong, massage and counselling to help get balance back in my life, but I would consider acupuncture the most effective treatment I have undertaken. Rebecca is great, very gentle and accepting and makes me really feel like there is nothing wrong with me. And the needles really don't hurt!”
Julia Barton, 34, Advisor, Wellington
What you can do until your appointment
- Continue doing what has worked for you so far. If you have found anything that has helped you cope with your anxiety or panic attacks so far, stick with it, even if it seems strange for an outside observer.
- Breathe. Use this 4-7-8 breathing exercise.
- Start taking an Omega-3 fish oil supplement
- Take a magnesium supplement to help relax your nervous system.
- Get smart: Empowering high-quality information on anxiety and panic attacks lets you understand what is happening and gives you tools to help yourself. This website is a good start. Other resources I recommend: “The Mood Cure” by Julia Ross and “Healing without Freud or Prozac” by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber
- Use aromatherapy. Our sense of smell is directly linked to the limbic system, the oldest, most primitive part of our brain which is controls our moods, emotions, memory and learning. I have seen very good results with Absolute Essential oils. Read their article on Emotional Health. Petitgrain, Mandarin, Lime, Bergamot, Melissa, Sandalwood, Lavender, Vanilla, and Ylang Ylang can be used, or their essential oil blends Heart Blues or Birth Time Calm.
- When your head is spinning, and you just want to “get off”, try a warm foot bath. Focus your attention on the sensation of your feet in the warm water, and add a few drops of essential oils if you have them at home.
- And, if you haven’t done it yet, booking yourself in for acupuncture helps a lot more than just thinking about it.