On my intake forms, I ask the patient to rate their stress levels on a scale of 0-10. 0 being no stress at all, and 10 being the worst stress imaginable. As you can imagine, virtually no one ever puts 0. I would say more than 80% of my patients put 5 or higher (usually higher . . . around 7-8). With conditions such as anxiety, insomnia, and high blood pressure, it is clear that stress plays a major role. However, based on patients' reporting of their stress levels on my intake forms, I think it's safe to say that stress is a contributing factor to almost any condition in modern society. Even if stress isn't directly related to the disorder, it is most certainly capable of exacerbating it or hindering healing.
Self-help books, magazine articles and even holistically oriented doctors recommend incorporating stress relief techniques in to your daily life to improve health, boost the immune system and to help heal or cope with many types of disorders. When I was a freshman in college, I began experiencing strange and vague symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, shortness of breath, frequent headaches and migraines, frequent colds and flus. My doctor diagnosed anxiety and stress-related disorders. I was given medications to help with anxiety, as well as medications to help with individual symptoms that I was experiencing. Skeptical of the effectiveness of this approach and concerned about the side-effects, I decided to pursue a more holistic path. I started to read about relaxation techniques and began trying to meditate. "Trying" being the operative word. Relaxation shouldn't be so labor intensive right? I would sit there, back hurting, neck getting sore, mind wandering at 100 mph in all directions, wondering "What's wrong with me? Why can't I meditate?" I considered myself a spiritual person-- I did the reading, I did the studying . . . why couldn't I translate that in to practice? I even signed up for classes and joined a meditation group. After about 3 months of regular attendance, I was left feeling frustrated. Sure others in the group experienced and shared their own frustrations, but for me, being a Type A person, I hated not being good at something.
Now, as a practitioner, I've realized that this is a very common experience. Most of us would benefit from some daily relaxation exercises, however, we need a little help figuring out HOW to fit it in to daily life, and also how to do it correctly. What I found is that I was so anxious and stressed, that sitting quietly for even 5 minutes was torturous. I had no idea what it felt like to feel calm, so how could I get my brain to go there, if I didn't know where the destination was? My instructor's "road map" was only making me feel more and more lost. I know that three months is certainly not long enough to master meditation, and that the frustrations are a normal part of the practice, however, I was doing this to help my anxiety, and it was only making me feel more anxious!
When I began receiving acupuncture treatments on a weekly basis, something in my brain changed. After each session, I had an all encompassing feeling of "bliss" and "well-being"-- like anything could happen in my life at that moment, and I'd be completely fine and able to deal. After a couple months, I noticed that this feeling would carry over in to my life, even days after my treatment. I felt like I was better able to cope with stressful situations. At this point, I decided to try meditating again. To my surprise, it came so much easier this time. My mind and body, having been conditioned already through acupuncture to relax, automatically went to that place of "well-being" when I closed my eyes to meditate. This was also the case with other relaxation techniques that I tried-- they all became infinitely more effective and easier to do since starting acupuncture treatments. The symptoms that I had been experiencing due to anxiety only rarely bother me anymore-- usually if I haven't been sleeping enough, eating well or if my routine changes drastically due to travel, etc. The other thing that I realized was that there are all different kinds of meditation. For my patients who want to meditate but feel like they just can't sit there, I recommend active meditating-- just being mindful when you're doing day to day activities. Not letting your mind wander when you're washing the dishes, or folding the laundry. Really let yourself feel and see every part of the activity that you're doing.
If you're suffering from anxiety or other stress-related conditions, or if you think that stress is making your condition worse, I would urge you to try acupuncture. Acupuncture is effortless for the patient-- it is a passive activity. You only need to show up regularly for your treatments, and the needles and the practitioner do the work. Once your body is trained or re-programmed to respond differently to stress, you will have a much easier time incorporating other stress relieving techniques in to your life. Another great bonus is that you'll be healthier (physically and emotionally), better equipped to deal with life's stressors, and more likely to reach your full potential. Don't let stress and anxiety paralyze you, try acupuncture!
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