We have all had moments of anxiety, life throws a situation at us that takes us off guard and causes our pulse to quicken or a sick feeling in our stomach. For many, these moments are fleeting and cause little impact on our day to day life. For others, anxiety is debilitating to the point where it can be severe and lasting, people feeling completely out of control of their own body. The onset of anxiety can be triggered by an external factor, leading to what’s known as an anxiety attack, or it can be a constant low level of anxiousness that holds us back from fully expressing ourselves and jumping into life. Often people suffer from both with low level anxiety as a constant that is occasionally punctuated with the more severe anxiety attack. Usually anxiety is able to warn us of a situation that demands more attention, an evolutionary response that helps us avoid danger in our day to day life. When this feeling is constant, the lines between what is safe and what is not become blurred and the hormonal cascade that leads to the feeling of anxiety never gets a change to shut off leaving the body exhausted and a true reality of what is safe and what isn’t is lost.
With Chinese Medicine, 
we are able to assess each person as an individual with a diagnosis personal to them. Anxiety therefore can be caused by different imbalances in the body and are treated individually rather than a blanket approach. This means that having regular acupuncture will target what causes the anxiety response in each individual, with no side effects. As the body starts to respond, the hormonal cascade is interrupted and the anxiety starts to diminish. Unlike a pill or medication in Western Medicine, Acupuncture is cumulative meaning multiple sessions are needed, weekly, to bring balance back to the body and mind. Although the journey can take a little longer, the results are lasting and over all the body and mind become stronger and healthier than they would with a temporary fix. You will also have the benefit of a safe space each week with your practitioner who can stay by you on the journey every step of the way.
Please remember that extreme anxiety can need immediate help and if you need to, reach out to an organisation like Beyond Blue while also seeking Acupuncture treatment.
http://beyondblue.org.au #knowanxiety
Lauren is available for consult at Mornington Chinese Medicine on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. For an appointment please call 59736886