So while, treating patients for pain with acupuncture, in my office in Ridgewood, New Jersey, I almost always get lots of questions from patents who come in for pain but feel more relaxed, more uplifted, and more centered. Can acupuncture be used to help effect positive changes to your emotions and thoughts? Can acupuncture benefit your psychotherapy sessions?
As acupuncture grows in popularity, people are finding that acupuncture can treat other things than just pain. Here are 3 ways that acupuncture can complement psychotherapy sessions if you are treating the overly stressed, the anxious or the depressed.
1 Acupuncture helps one’s ability to allow better access to the feelings so you can gain insights into issues that are affecting you: Whether it is depression or anxiety, acupuncture creates an immediate sense of relaxation and well-being. This allows you to access feelings that were hidden or help you gain insights into the issues regarding your situation in a manner that is somewhat quicker than just trying to do it on your own. Acupuncture helps to foster introspection and slows down the mind so you can see things clearer.
2. Acupuncture helps foster a positive chemical balance in the brain: It is thought that much of mood is caused by a poor chemical imbalance. Acupuncture fosters a sense of well-being by releasing endorphins and improving the chemical balance. Endorphins, which are feel good hormones, are released from the brain during acupuncture, can alter mood and support more positive states of well-being. This helps you feel more in control, more grounded, and foster a sense of well-being necessary to help you calm down or feel more centered, and help you feel better, as you progress in your exploration of your life issues.This release can feel stronger than the 45 minute run or intense exercise session you just did.Let’s face it anxiety is so exhausting and difficult,so is depression. Feeling better helps you see there is a better state you CAN get to.
2. Acupuncture helps reduce the physical effects of stress and gives you a safe space: Feeling freer from the constraints of physical symptoms of your emotions,(whether it is anxiety or feeling so heavy from your depression), acupuncture allows one to see the emotional issues that are affecting you more clearly . Acupuncture puts the body into “relaxation” mode, stripping it away from the physical complaints of anxiety and the mental constraints of depression. Acupuncture is a mixture of a “massage” and a “workout session for the brain ,as acupuncture sessions help tone the nervous system so it can re-learn what relaxation and “balance” is. It can also inspire hope because it gives an immediate feeling of openness, of what is possible for you, who is trying to reach higher states of mental well-being.
So acupuncture while used primarily for pain, is being discovered by many as a helpful adjunct in the treatment of stress, anxiety and depression especially for those using psychotherapy.
Want more help? I would like to give you a chance to get to know me and to find out how acupuncture can be of help to you. Schedule your” get acquainted” consultation and evaluation today. If you are ready to take control of your health and your life now, call (201) 444-7150 or send me an email. I am never too busy to help you with your healthcare needs.