The best way for me to describe it is as though I was acutely aware of all of the bad things that could happen and it all kept racing through my mind most minutes of the day.
I was always thinking something small would turn into something big. I was always waiting for the ball to drop.
I was particularly worried about health issues. A heart palpitation here, a sore arm there, or even a headache could throw me into a tailspin in which I couldn’t truly focus on anything else without worry in the back of my mind.
There are reasons that I had this anxiety but I never acknowledged those reasons or thought they were valid enough to work through. I was supposed to be strong – like our American culture teaches us – and just deal with it.
I kept my anxiety to myself for many, many years. I thought if I ever told someone about it they would think I was crazy. And actually, I kind of thought I was weird myself for all of these worries.
I envied so many friends and family who did not seem affected by small things and seem to worry about very little. Why was I like this? Why couldn’t I enjoy life? Why was I just waiting for the inevitable rather than living my fullest life?
These questions secretly plagued me, but I didn’t have the courage to confront them. It wasn’t until my anxiety began taking a physical toll on my body that I decided to try and get help.
Why not go to my general practitioner and try a pharmaceutical drug like I had in the past with decent results? Because I knew if I didn’t deal with the underlying cause of my anxiety (as I hadn’t in the past) I would never figure this out. That it was time to confront my anxiety and figure out how to process it. That meant seeking out an alternative option.
And that’s when I turned to acupuncture.
I’ve never been the same since.
This personal account from one of our clients is not uncommon. Her experience with anxiety led her to adrenal difficulties, sleep disturbances, and high cortisol levels. She was on the brink of tears within minutes of starting each session with Dr. Graves, both from anxiety of something being wrong and at the same time, release from relief of having someone to listen and help her.
The following q&a with her is honest insight into how acupuncture helped her see that her life didn’t have to be lived the way it was. That she could find peace and calmness (not to mention happiness) through this service.
Read on to find out if acupuncture worked for her and why it may work for you as well.
CNMA: Why did you decide to try acupuncture?
Client: I had come to a point where I had had enough. I made a determination to figure it out.
It took a lot of courage for me to call and the commitment to spend the money, but looking back it was the best thing I could have done.
CNMA: What were your sessions with Dr. Graves like?
Client: Emotional and calming – both at once. Having someone to be able to fully open up to who doesn't judge and sees helping you as a privilege put me at ease to share and be honest – primarily honest with myself.
He would start by asking me about my life experiences, diet, current lifestyle, etc. I would find myself sharing pent up feelings – primarily grief and sadness, that I had buried for years. There were many kleenexes used, but the release felt freeing in so many ways. I had went to numerous counselors in the past, but none of them had the insight Dr. Graves did.
After we talked, Dr. Graves would conduct acupuncture based on our conversation. I would lay on the table with the needles for around 30 minutes.
At first, my mind would go crazy! As I laid there, it would spin with everything we had just talked about. But EVERY TIME, after approximately 15-20 minutes, my mind would suddenly stop. There was this calmness that came over me and no matter what I tried to think about, it just stopped me and brought me back to calm.
When I got up, I felt a little dizzy and had to take a minute to adjust. By the time I got in my car, I was at such peace! I had NEVER felt this before. It was like I could take on the world without worrying about anything!
Dr. Graves had told me acupuncture “is like a massage for your brain.” I FULLY understood that after my first treatment. It was pure bliss – that lasted for days.
It was so profound the first time I did it that I called him two days later and asked to have another appointment later that week. MY BODY CRAVED THAT CALM! It was then I knew how long it had been since I had actually had calm and peace in my life.
I even found myself yearning to write after each appointment about my life. I found that I was able to think so clearly and effectively. I learned so much about myself after each treatment.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was releasing so much fear and finding myself again.
And it was wonderful.
CNMA: How long did it take for you to work through your anxiety?
Client: In many ways, I still am and always will be. However, I can live happily, calmly, and most importantly – I understand why and what to do when it comes on.
It has been almost 18 months since I first met with Dr. Graves and my life is so different. I have freed myself of so much worry and can actually live!
We are honored to have worked with this client and even more delighted to hear about her success with decreasing her anxiety through acupuncture and natural medicine.
But can it work for you?
Let’s see…
Why can acupuncture work for anxiety?
In eastern medicine, it is believed that anxiety comes from an imbalance of energy. Stress is one big factor in why that is. Anxiety energy may travel to the brain and stay stagnant there.
Acupuncture works to rebalance that energy appropriately throughout the body. It tries to push that energy towards the feet so people live with energy more out of their core of their body versus their heads.
In western medicine, the goal is to balance the neurotransmitters and hormones in the body for more calmness.
We have seen many patients over the years receive relief, just like the above client, from acupuncture sessions. We recommend 2 treatments a week for the first 2-3 weeks and then a decrease in treatments over the following months.
Are you experiencing anxiety? Do you sometimes just think it’s stress but are now wondering if your worry and fears are something slightly different? Is your anxiety causing you sleepless nights?
If you live in Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Larkspur, Monument, Colorado Springs, Parker, Centennial, Lone Tree, or even the Denver metro area, please contact us to schedule a complimentary 15 minute consultation with Dr. Graves about your anxiety.
Hear directly from him how your issues may be able to be worked through with acupuncture and natural medicine.
Because what’s our goal? Having a success story of your own soon. Call 303.688.6698 or schedule online.
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