Acupuncture for
Stress Relief &
Mental Health Support
Recent data from the National Institute of Mental Health reports that nearly one in five U.S. adults struggle with mild to severe mental health issues (51.5 million in 2019). Mental illnesses include many different conditions (anxiety, depression, PTSD, social avoidance, bipolar disorder, etc) that vary in degree of severity, ranging from mild to moderate to severe and can have varying effects on daily functioning and quality of life.
The American Institute of Stress reports alarming information about stress levels in daily life, with 77% of people experiencing stress that affects their physical health and 73% percent of people reporting stress that impacts their mental health. About 33% of people report feeling extreme stress, and health research over the last 20 years has emphasized the profound negative impact that chronic stress can have on the body.
Acupuncture is a safe and effective way to help reduce stress and help reduce mental health symptoms. Flow Acupuncture recommends using acupuncture in addition to professional mental health support for best results.
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If you are unsure if acupuncture can help with your specific mental health concerns, call our office at (385)242-0649 or email info{at}flowacupuncture.org to answer any questions you may have.
Acupuncture for Stress Relief
Benefits of regular acupuncture include feelings of extreme relaxation, less tension or irritability, and more resilience to stress. Acupuncture has been shown to reduce levels of self-reported stress, encourage the release of calming neurotransmitters in the brain and reduce levels of cortisol throughout the body, which is dubbed the ‘stress hormone.’ Acupuncture has also been shown to regulate the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response in chronic stress. Try our Sound Bath Meditation treatment for a supremely relaxing and calming experience.
Acupuncture for Depression
Acupuncture may help reduce symptoms of depression and can help improve mood and reduce feelings of sadness, apathy, and hopelessness. Acupuncture has been shown to release neurotransmitters in the brain (serotonin and dopamine) which may help regulate and elevate mood. Acupuncture has also been shown to improve the outcome of antidepressants (with acupuncture plus antidepressants performing better than either one alone.) Multiple treatments are required for maximum benefit, and should not replace the care of a mental health professional. Acupuncture can be a helpful tool in addition to mental health therapy for whole body support for acute or chronic depression.
Acupuncture for Anxiety
Surprisingly enough, despite using small needles, acupuncture is usually a very relaxing experience that reduces feelings of anxiety and overwhelm. Whether it’s a daily occurrence of feeling excessive worry and anxious feelings or overwhelming panic or anxiety ‘attacks’ - acupuncture may help reduce these feelings. Often accompanying anxiety is increased heart rate, shortness of breath, sweating, insomnia, or nausea - all of which have been shown to be reduced with regular acupuncture. A comprehensive review of acupuncture for anxiety can be found here.
Acupuncture for
Emotional Processing
Anyone who has read the incredible book, “The Body Keeps The Score” knows that our physical bodies can hold onto emotions in interesting (and sometimes peculiar) ways! Acupuncture can be an effective way to release and process many emotions when a person may be feeling numb, ‘stuck,’ or going through an intense period of change or transition. Acupuncture can also be an extremely helpful addition to mental health therapy and can be used in addition to work with a therapist or psychologist to aid in transformative or healing emotional work.
Acupuncture for
Addiction Support
Acupuncture can be supportive in the process of stopping addictive and unwanted habits. Whether its smoking cessation, pain medications, food cravings, alcohol, or substance/drug abuse - acupuncture can help reduce cravings and irritability, improve sleep, and relieve anxiety associated with quitting and detoxification.
The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association has specific treatment plans and guidelines for addition-related support that our acupuncturists at Flow Acupuncture are specially trained in. We recommend medical and mental health support in addition to acupuncture for safe and sustainable results from drug and alcohol detoxification.