The first two weeks we discussed what anxiety is and why it happens. This week we talk about professionals you can reach out to for help in understanding your own stress.

Who can help?

Therapists

Talk therapy is a great help in teasing out anxiety. Sometimes, to get over an anxious episode, the best medicine is my therapist who holds space for me (without shame, blame or criticism) to just talk it out.

Also, a well-trained therapist will help you navigate your thoughts and re-train the way you think. Have some negative self-talk happening? A therapist can be just the tool you need to guide you out of that self-perpetuating cycle.

Acupuncture

Chinese Medicine will take a look at your whole body (not just the anxiety symptoms) and pin-point a reason you are experiencing the mental anguish. You and I can both have anxiety, but for different reasons. Maybe, as mentioned in the previous blog, I need more of that car coolant (Yin) but you need a reduction in your excessive heat (yang). One way to balance these energies is with needles and herbs.

Also, needles have been proven to turn off the sympathetic nervous system (fight, flight or freeze) and turn on your parasympathetic system (rest and digest). Both systems are necessary, but we’re simply stuck in fight, flight or freeze far too much.

Massage

It’s well-known that massage is a stress-reliever. It is also know that safe touch can also turn on the parasympathetic nervous system. Check out this excerpt from an article off of mayoclinichealthsystem.org:

“A 60-minute massage can lower cortisol, a hormone that’s produced in response to stress, by an average of 30 percent. And when cortisol levels decline, serotonin — one of the body’s anti-pain mechanisms — increases by an average of 28 percent after receiving a massage. By lowering cortisol and increasing serotonin, you’re boosting your body’s ability to fight off pain, anxiety and feelings of sadness.”

If you need immediate assistance, call the Suicide Prevention Hotline or Mental Health Hotline for free, confidential, 24 hr safe support. You can also
reach out to us, to a friend or family member, to a therapist (Wellspring Group in New Brighton, MN), or a support group (NAMI, Open Door). 

–Come back next week for Part 4: How can I tend to it on my own?–

Village Acupuncture and Massage | 651-756-8525