Using Holistic TCM Treatments to Help With Anxiety Disorder: A Successful Case Sharing
designed by Gillian Levine
Background info: a 36-year-old lady fighting with anxiety disorders over 10 years
Main concerns:
unstable anxiety level (mostly triggered by the worries about her work performance)
sometimes having panic attacks
sensitive bowel movements (IBS)
restless during the night
always feel stiffness of the whole body
Treatment details
Main treatment methods: acupuncture and gua sha(face and head)
Treatment period: 3 months (11 sessions)
Frequency: once per week (first 8 sessions)
once in every 2 weeks (last 3 sessions)
Treatment results:
-Anxiety level decreased a lot
-No more panic attacks
-Sleeping gets better
-Less diarrhea
Patient’s feedback:
Michelle is an extremely thoughtful and caring acupuncturist who is dedicated to a holistic approach of treatment by taking into account all intricate aspects of our daily lives.
Michelle made me feel so comfortable during my sessions that it allowed me to speak openly about my conditions. My treatment plan was thoughtfully curated as I was suffering from insomnia and anxiety. My weekly treatments significantly improved my overall quality of life as I finally started sleeping more soundly. This new found rest aided in quieting my anxious mind and I’m so thankful to Michelle for helping to restore my homeostasis.
Words from the TCM practitioner:
Anxiety is quite complicated because it involves the mind, emotions and the body. And the trigger of anxiety is always generated from the mind: how you look at the world, how you view yourself, how you cope with challenging situations in life etc. So the treatment for anxiety needs to be very holistic.
This patient was very open-minded to her feelings and body reactions. We spent a lot of time exploring her thoughts and feelings within the sessions. Beyond that, acupuncture served as a tool to adjust the balance of her emotions and body, and gua sha created a deep relaxation for her nervous system. I remembered she always left the clinic with a calm and relaxed face each time. Besides the tcm treatment, she also started to practice meditation everyday which helped her maintain stronger resilience towards the changes in her life.
Traditional Chinese medicine and Anxiety
TCM views anxiety disorder as a psychosomatic illness caused by emotional imbalances, disharmony between the heart and spleen, liver qi stagnation and kidney essence deficiency.
Its approaches to treating anxiety disorders include regulating emotions, soothing liver qi, nourishing the heart and spleen, and replenishing kidney essence. Common treatment methods include herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage, qigong, and psychological counselling.The main purpose of TCM treatments is balancing and harmonising the overall health of the body and mind by improving circulation, regulating organ functions, and relieving emotional tension to alleviate anxiety symptoms.
