How Acupuncture Can Help Address Mood Swings and Promote Emotional Balance
Acupuncture, an ancient tradition, remains one of the world’s most fascinating practices. Just by taking a glance over someone lying on the bed with all those needles pinned to their skin, you can tell that something unique is taking place. In recent years (or, more precisely, decades), there has been a growing interest in how acupuncture can support those dealing with mood swings and disorders, the most common mood disorder being depression. Today, we'll focus on these mental health challenges and explore how acupuncture can help address mood swings, reduce stress, and promote emotional balance and overall well-being.
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a healing method derived from traditional Chinese medicine (also known as TCM). The practice involves placing tiny needles in specific body parts to help with or prevent certain health problems. While it’s generally seen as an alternative treatment, one should keep in mind that acupuncture is a serious practice, even used in accredited and public pain clinics like those in the UK.
How does acupuncture work?
Acupuncture works by helping to balance the energy, called qi, that flows through your body. In (ancient) Chinese medicine, it’s believed that once this energy flow gets disrupted, it causes illness. Therefore, to fix these disruptions, an experienced acupuncturist will use tiny needles to touch specific points on your body known as acupoints, and these represent parts of pathways called meridians, where your body's energy flows.
Once the needles are in place, they stimulate the body's nervous and immune systems. That helps the body react to various illnesses, rebalance itself in terms of energy, and release natural chemicals like endorphins (which are also painkillers) and neurotransmitters (which help control nerve signals).
During a session of this ancient practice, your acupuncturist will carefully place sterile, hair-thin needles into your skin. The session duration can differ: needles might stay in place for a few or up to twenty minutes. One small suggestion: don’t let the needless scare you. You’ll probably feel a slight prick, but it's usually much less unpleasant than it looks. For instance, it’s less painful than a shot, and the sensations you’ll feel are a sign that the treatment is working, so you shouldn’t worry.
A 100-word glimpse into the origins of acupuncture
Acupuncture is one of the oldest practices in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It dates back more than 2,000 years. While its exact origins are still a matter of scholarly debate, most historians will agree that it began in China (it was possibly influenced by Indian acupressure techniques that arrived with Buddhism).
The first detailed description of acupuncture appeared around 100 BC in the Inner Classic of Huang Di, a foundational medical text. Archaeological findings, like gold and silver needles from the same period, are suspiciously similar to those acupuncturists use today, suggesting that acupuncture was already an established practice. Nowadays, it is one of the most popular alternative treatments, and many people recognize its potency.
How acupuncture can help address mood swings
Okay, we’ve covered the basics; let’s examine how acupuncture can help address mood swings and aid you in achieving mental and emotional well-being.
Acupuncture can help with mood swings during PMS
Premenstrual syndrome is often marked by severe mood swings, irritability, sadness, and anxiety. One promising method for treating these symptoms is, of course, acupuncture. It balances the body's energy and reduces the emotional upheaval that PMS is known to cause. The regularity and quality of the menstrual cycle are also positively impacted by reducing overall stress levels. In addition to reducing PMS symptoms, this all-encompassing approach promotes mental health during the menstrual cycle.
Acupuncture can help deal with depressive symptoms
Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in not only managing mood swings but also providing significant help with symptoms of depression, which can often feel overwhelming and deeply distressing. A licensed acupuncturist is trained to identify specific acupoints associated with depression (such as the Governing vessel 20) and address them effectively. These points will be targeted to balance the body's energy and enhance emotional well-being in patients undergoing treatment.
This approach can provide relief and support alongside other treatments, offering a compassionate and holistic method for improving mental health; many mental health facilities include acupuncture in their program for depression treatment. Even though it can’t substitute for therapeutic models such as CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy), it’s an addition that can greatly boost the chances of complete recovery.
Acupuncture can help reduce stress and anxiety
Acupuncture calms the body, which aids in the management of stress and anxiety. It encourages relaxation by stimulating particular areas that trigger the parasympathetic nervous system. Moreover, it can raise naturally occurring mood enhancers called endorphins and lower stress-related hormone cortisol levels. This combo greatly lessens stress and anxiety. Frequent acupuncture treatments can help promote emotional stasis, which, in a way, simplifies life. Here, we’re talking about a kind, encouraging method that works well with other stress-reduction techniques and can make you feel more at ease.
Acupuncture regulates neurotransmitters and balances hormones.
Due to its ability to balance hormones and regulate neurotransmitters, acupuncture can be quite an effective weapon in treating mood swings. Their release influences important neurotransmitters necessary for a stable mood, including dopamine and serotonin. That can lessen emotional ups and downs and promote mental equilibrium. Also, the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, which aids in controlling hormone levels in the body, is stimulated by the ancient practice in this article’s focus. For people who are suffering mood swings due to hormonal fluctuations, this can be especially helpful.
Dr. Kim Kuhn
Conclusion
It’s no surprise that an ancient practice like acupuncture can help address mood swings and enhance emotional balance. Acupuncture is, in a way, unique because it bridges the sometimes obstructive and harmful gap between scientific and holistic approaches to mental health treatment. This tried-and-true treatment demonstrates a profound comprehension of the body's energy. Also, it fits in with current initiatives in mental healthcare to enhance general well-being. All in all, acupuncture, in its mission to embrace both scientific and traditional knowledge, is a useful method for achieving emotional stability and better mental health.