Acupuncture and Mental Health
Creating Mental and Emotional Wellness with Acupuncture
Occasionally
we must all deal with major upheavals or emotional distress at some
points in our lives. These events can trigger a host of unexpected
feelings and behaviors from depression and panic attacks to major
disruptions in sleep and eating. Not only can acupuncture and Chinese
medicine alleviate symptoms associated with mental health issues, it
can treat the root cause of the problem by helping to rebalance the
body’s internal environment.
What are Mental Health Disorders?
Mental
health disorders are medical conditions that disrupt a person’s
thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily
functioning which result in a diminished capacity for coping with the
ordinary demands of life.
Serious mental illnesses include major
depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive
disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
and borderline personality disorder. Mental disorders can affect
persons of any age, race, religion, or income. Experts estimate that
almost a third of people in most countries report sufficient criteria
at some point in their life. The good news about mental disorders is
that recovery is often possible.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Disorders
According
to Chinese medical theory, a mental disorder occurs when there is
imbalance within the body. Imbalance can come from an excess or
deficiency of yin and yang that disrupts the flow of qi or energy
through the body.
Chinese
Medicine does not recognize any mental disorder as one particular
syndrome. Instead, it aims to treat the specific symptoms that are
unique to each individual using a variety of techniques such as
acupuncture, herbal medicine, bodywork, lifestyle and dietary
recommendations and energetic exercises to restore imbalances found in
the body. Therefore, if 100 patients are treated with Chinese medicine
for anxiety, each of these 100 patients will receive a unique,
customized treatment with different acupuncture points, different herbs
and different lifestyle and dietary recommendations.
If you
or a loved one are experiencing a mental/emotional problem, please call
us to see how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help.
The Five Elements and Emotions
The Principle of the Five Elements (known as the Wu
Xing) describes the flow of qi and the balance of yin and yang. The
Five Elements refer to wood, fire, earth, metal, and water in Eastern
philosophy. They are used to interpret the relationship between the
physiology and pathology of the human body and the natural environment.
In
Chinese medicine, each element is associated with certain
mental/emotional states. For instance, our memory, thought processes,
emotional well-being, and consciousness are also attributed to the
heart and fire element. When the fire element is in balance, the heart
is strong and healthy, the mind is calm and sleep is sound. When the
fire element is imbalanced, we may either lack joy (depression) or have
an excess of joy (mania). Indicators of an imbalance in the fire
element include agitation, nervousness, heartburn, and insomnia.
The Five Elements and Emotions
Wood (Liver) – Anger, jealousy, frustration, resentment, bitterness and stress
Fire (Heart) – Mania and over-excitation
Earth (Spleen) – Anxiety, pensiveness and worry
Metal (Lung) – Grief and sadness
Water (Kidney) – Depression and lack of will
Yintang: The Third Eye Point
Acupuncture
has been found to be helpful with all types of emotional and mental
disorders, from stress and anxiety to schizophrenia. Often used for
such treatments isYintang, a point located between the eyebrows - sometimes referred to as “the third eye.”
The Chinese translation for the acupuncture point, Yintang,
is “hall of impression”. “Hall” is defined as a corridor or passageway,
or the large entrance room of a house. An “impression” is defined as a
strong effect produced on the intellect, emotions, or conscience. Thus, Yintang is the entrance or passageway to the mind.
Location: Midway between the eyebrows
Indications: Calm the mind, enhance one’s ability to focus, soothe emotions, promote sleep, and relieve depression.
Study: Acupuncture and Depression
Psychologist
John Allen, from the University of Arizona in Tucson, and Acupuncturist
Rosa Schnyer, conducted the very first pilot controlled study on
treating depression symptoms with acupuncture in the Western scientific
world. In a double blind randomized study, 34 depressed female patients
who met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria were assigned to one of three
treatment groups for eight weeks.
The first group received
acupuncture treatment specifically tailored to their depression
symptoms. The second group received a general acupuncture treatment not
specific to depression, and the third group was placed on a waiting
list for acupuncture treatment, but received no treatment. The study
found that those in the tailored acupuncture treatment experienced a
significant reduction in symptoms, compared to those in the
non-specific treatment. Moreover, over 50% of the participants no
longer met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for depression after the
study.
The study findings suggest that using acupuncture alone
could be as effective as other types of treatments for relieving
depression symptoms typically used in Western medicine, such as
psychotherapy and drugs.
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In This Issue
- Acupuncture and Mental Health
- The Five Elements and Emotions
- Yintang: The Third Eye Point
- Study: Acupuncture and Depression
- Finding Center
Finding Center
Dan Tian Breathing: Connecting to the Center
What
does it mean to be centered? In Qi Gong, the ancient Chinese practice
of self cultivation through movement and breathing, it signifies having
energy in the center of the body. This center is called the Dan Tian, which means “elixir field” is a place to store energy. Think of the Dan Tian as a reservoir and a place of inner strength.
The
Dan Tian, located in the lower abdomen between the navel and the public
bone, corresponds to the physical functions of digestion, elimination,
and reproduction. Psychologically it functions by giving us a sense of
stability and balance. It is also a source of power for physical
energy, sexual vitality, and inner power.
Exercise: Deep Abdominal Breathing
(Dan Tian Breathing)
1. Sit or stand with the spine straight and bring both hands over the lower abdomen.
2. Breathe in and out through the nose. Breathing through the nose helps to cultivate more “qi” out of the air.
3.
Exhale all the way out to clear the lungs. During “normal” breathing,
we usually only exhale 40 percent of the air out, which leaves little
room to take in a deep breath. So, at the bottom of your exhale, see if
you can exhale a little more.
4. Then, inhale down into the
lower abdomen so that the belly expands. This allows the diaphragm to
relax and air to move into the deeper areas of the lungs.
5. Again, exhale and squeeze the air out from the lower abdomen.
6. Then, take in a full deep breath down into the lower abdomen.
7. During this breathing exercise, keep the chest relaxed.
8.
Visualize a golden ball of energy, like a small sun, growing in your
lower Dan Tian. With each breath see this light growing brighter and
brighter.
9. Practice for at least 3 to 5 minutes (10 minutes is
ideal). Throughout the day, take one or two Dan Tian breaths to
recharge your internal energy.
10. Enjoy!
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