ANXIETY & Stress: HOW can TCM HELP?

There is no single cause of anxiety and stress - just like there is no single cure or treatment. Anxiety and stress are both emotional reactions that can be triggered by all manner of things and which can manifest themselves as physical reactions, such as panic attacks and feeling short of breath. 

In this article, we cover the medical definition of anxiety, how to manage anxiety naturally, and how traditional Chinese medicine can help. 

What is anxiety?

Anxiety and stress are defined as the mind and body’s reaction to stressful, dangerous or unfamiliar situations. Crucially, there is not one single cause or set reaction which diagnoses anxiety and stress - rather, we all have our own ways of responding to these emotions and it is this which makes anxiety so hard to spot and even harder to manage and control. 

However, there are some common ways that anxiety can manifest itself both physically and mentally. Physical effects can include:

·      Lack of sleep 

·      Palpitations

·      Panic attacks

·      Headaches 

·      Feelings of dizziness 

·      Nausea 

Mental effects can include: 

·      Mood swings

·      Feeling depressed 

·      Needing reassurance from others

·      Worrying about small things 

·      Having a continuous feeling of dread

Although anxiety can often be caused by specific events or stresses, it can also be an effect of certain disorders such as panic disorder and social anxiety. 

What is Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Traditional Chinese Medicine draws on the belief that physical health conditions and symptoms have a direct link to your emotional state, and that when your mind is unbalanced so your body suffers physically. 

There are five emotions the correspond to the five elements/organs. These include: 

·      Liver – Anger

·      Kidneys – Fear 

·      Heart – Joy 

·      Lungs – Sadness & Grief

·      Spleen – Worry 

By targeting and treating the corresponding element with the emotion, you can restore balance. For example, a TCM practitioner may apply treatments for the kidneys when seeking to remedy anxiety caused by fear. 

Through this belief, traditional Chinese medicine aims to primarily restore balance and harmony between the mental and the physical by streamlining the flow of energy around the body. 

How can Traditional Chinese Medicine help with anxiety?

Traditional Chinese therapies such as acupuncture are said to address the energetic imbalance of those who are suffering from ailments like anxiety and stress, as explored in this report on the link between traditional Chinese therapies and psychiatric treatment. 

There are several components to TCM that can help with stress and anxiety. For example, your TCM practitioner may suggest one or a number of the following after assessing your symptoms and needs:

·      Chinese medicine nutritional therapy 

·      Herbal therapy 

·      Auricular therapy/ear seeds

·      Meditation

·      Exercise such as qigong or tai chi

·      Acupuncture 

·      Tui Na/massage

For someone living with and suffering from anxiety or stress, these therapies specifically address the idea of an excess in energy flow to the head, causing racing thoughts and an inability to relax. 

Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Remedy to Stress?

It is clear that stress comes in many forms and types. There is no single remedy to stress and anxiety, which means a holistic approach should be taken. This approach should start by seeking to limit the causes of your anxiety and stress, but should also look to remedy the inevitability of stress in modern life – this is where TCM can help.