Western view
Anxiety disorders can be described as reactions of fear without object. For example: if I find myself in a situation where my life is in danger (violence, accident) I will be afraid. If I am in a safe situation and begin to have feelings of fear, without real reason (it may be because I imagine or anticipate a threatening situation) what I am having is anxiety. When these levels of fear and anxiety are abnormal and pathological we speak of anxiety disorder. There are several types of anxiety disorders, for example:
- Anxiety attacks, or panic attacks: happens to 6% of the population. Suddenly and for no apparent reason (apparently) sensations appear such as: palpitations, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, sweating, trembling, nausea, dizziness, feeling of imminent death, feeling of unreality. It may have one episode or be recurrent. It may be triggered by stress.
- Generalized anxiety: daily feeling of great worry and anxiety for more than six months.
- Agoraphobia: high levels of anxiety appear in specific situations or places, where the person is afraid of feeling ill, not being able to escape or being helped. For example fear of riding the subway or going to places with many people. In the face of that anxiety they begin to avoid those situations they fear. The relief they feel by avoiding them rewards that avoidance behavior and agoraphobia takes root. When they try to face the situation anxiety attacks appear.
- Social phobia: feeling of discomfort in social contact, fear of making a fool of themselves, feels observed, fears that others notice they are uncomfortable. They avoid social situations, avoid eye contact, speak little and softly.
- Specific phobia: irrational fear of something specific. For example fear of elevators... Depending on what it is, it may not prevent living a normal life.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: vivid, frightening memories and nightmares of a traumatic event experienced, that produce anxiety attacks.
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (or OCD): intrusive and repetitive thoughts that generate anxiety. They cannot get rid of the obsessive thought and develop a behavior (compulsion) to relieve the anxiety produced by the obsession. Like a ritual. For example fear of germs and compulsively washing hands.
With acupuncture we can help. A good diagnosis must be made for each person and see how their energy balance is. However, we see here three patterns that can guide us in the diagnosis when dealing with a person with anxiety.
Liver-Fire
By emotional blockage. Liver-Qi stagnation long-term that transforms into fire.
- Anxiety, irritability, easily angered, nervous, agitated, susceptible
- Sensation of heat in the head.
- Red and dry face and eyes
- Liver invades the Stomach even more: gastric reflux, constipation, thirst
- Like about to burst.
- May alternate with crying, sadness but anger remains dominant
- Tense and rapid pulse
- Red tongue with normal or yellow coating
Treatment
- Unblock Liver-Qi: LR-3, BL-18, LR-14
- Eliminate Liver-Fire: LR-2 (can be transversely needled to LR-3), LR-1 (can be bled), GB-34
- Main points: GV-20, Si Shen Cong, GV-24, GV-23, Yin Tang, GV-26, CV-17, HT-7, LR-3, PC-6
Loss of nourishment of the Shen
The Shen is agitated by:
- Excess of reflection, worry and obsession consume Heart-Blood.
- Spleen-Qi deficiency that does not adequately nourish Heart-Blood.
Symptoms
- Sudden emotional ups and downs
- Alternates anxiety and depression
- Crying, irritability...
- Pale tongue, may be swollen with teeth marks, normal coating
- Fine pulse
Treatment
Tonify Heart-Blood and calm Shen
Kidney-Yin deficiency with Empty-Heat
Chronic problem. Long time of stress, overwork. Heart and Kidneys not harmonized - fire-water axis broken
Symptoms
- Anxiety, nervousness, agitation, hyperexcitability.
- Has difficulty concentrating.
- Hot flashes. Night sweating. Insomnia.
- Heat in the five hollows.
- Dry mouth.
- Dizziness, migraines.
- Kidney-Yin deficiency: tinnitus, weakness and pain in lower back and knees, constipation, dry stools, general dryness.
- Tongue rather red at tip and sides, with little or no coating. May be cracked.
- Fine, rapid and tense pulse.
- In climacterium: menstrual cycle advanced (by fire)