Acupuncture for Mental + Emotional Health

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine offer a transformative approach to supporting your mental and emotional wellbeing, healing trauma and helping you understand how your physical and emotional symptoms are related. Chinese medicine empowers individuals and releases them from the stigma and guilt that is often associated with mental illness, emotional disturbance and trauma. 

Rather than see mental health as a “problem”, we view it as a symptom that relates to what is physically going on in your body. We look to see what channels and diagnosis are implicated and how these are manifesting in your spirit. Coincidentally, we typically find you are experiencing physical symptoms related to these same channels. For instance, someone who is experiencing grief, loss or difficulty letting go may develop a cough, difficulty breathing deeply, skin rashes, dryness or irritation, constipation, or restlessness between the hours of 3 am and 5 am - all related to the Lungs. Everything is interconnected in Chinese medicine.

As a “root and branch” medicine, we treat the symptoms of a disorder as well as its underlying cause. With a strong treatment focusing on the connection between emotions, stress, trauma, and physical pain, acupuncture effectively addresses general health, emotional, and psychiatric concerns. 

In Chinese Medicine theory, emotions and mental functions are viewed as components of Qi (the body’s vital energy) and blood. There are acupuncture points along meridians located all over the body that affect the brain and mental activity. The goal of treatment is to correct the movement of qi and blood in the meridians and bring balance back to the mind, body, and spirit.

Acupuncture induces a relaxation response, has been shown to affect the nervous system, and positively impacts neurotransmitter activity. Acupuncture can also help regulate the hormones, immune system, digestion, nutrient absorption and metabolic activity as well as modulate the body’s inflammatory response, all of which, when impaired, can influence one’s emotional wellness.

Acupuncture can help treat a wide range of emotional and psychological disorders, from mild to debilitating, including:

• Depression 

• Anxiety 

• Panic Attacks 

• Fears and phobias 

• Lack of motivation 

• Hopelessness 

• ADD/ ADHD 

• PTSD 

• Eating disorders 

• Addiction 

• Stress

• Insomnia 

• OCD 

• Borderline Personality Disorder 

• Bipolar Disorder

Learn more about acupuncture for mental and emotional wellness. To schedule an appointment, you can book online or call (843) 937-6890.