Anxiety and Traditional Chinese Medicine

"......Experience shows that acupuncture is very helpful in calming the

shén with application of needles on a weekly or twice–weekly

basis ensuring the momentum of treatment. Concomitantly, herbs

are best for replenishing yin and blood and anchorage to the shén.

Acupuncture and herbs are effective at ameliorating the withdrawal

effects of pharmaceutical medications, while dealing with the

problem that gave rise to the anxiety in the first place.

It is important to note other drugs that may be influential, and to

elicit a full list of medications or other potentially aggravating

substances being used. In addition to the drugs noted in the box to

the left, substances such as appetite suppressants and caffeine may

be implicated. Excessive use of caffeine (in coffee, chocolate and

cola drinks) is a reasonably common cause of anxiety and easy to overlook. "

".......Anxiety has too often been deemed pathological and

medicated inappropriately by health professionals lacking

the time or skills to address the feeling or emotions behind

the anxiety. Women in particular have often been prescribed

sedatives for distress following bereavement or resulting from

intolerable domestic or work situations. Such over prescribing

and abuse of tranquillizers and anxiolytic agents has brought with

it its own problems. Prolonged use of benzodiazepine agents1

in particular has many unpleasant side effects and withdrawal

symptoms. This class of drug acts in a similar fashion to the

heavy mineral substances that are used in Chinese medicine to

suppress ascendant yang and sedate and anchor the shén. The

consequences of prolonged use of a single (and unbalanced

substance) such as this are several; their bitter cool nature

damages Heart and Kidney yin, weakens the Spleen, congests the

Liver and further destabilizes the shén....."

**Full article published on the Mayway Mailer, May 2017;

http://mailchi.mp/mayway/mayway-mailer-may-2017?e=7c73bec114