By Antonina Bezsmertna

Many of us divide emotions into bad and good ones, but the truth is all emotions are equally important for fully experiencing life. Emotions play many important functions from keeping us safe and making decisions to understanding ourselves and the world around us. The problem arises when these emotions are excessive as in the traumatic event, stagnant (vicious circle of experiencing the same emotions over and over), or unreleased (unprocessed, hidden).

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), emotions, when unbalanced, are one of the fundamental causes of diseases. Moreover, ancient TCM texts emphasized how important our emotional health is by predicting the prognosis of disease from observing the state of “Spirit” in patients. They believed that a person with a strong mind and spirit had a far better prognosis in the treatment of physical ailments.

The stress response can be lifesaving in the face of danger, but when experienced daily it can affect not only the emotional well-being but also the physical state causing various uncomfortable or even disabling symptoms. Those can vary greatly from person to person.

Acupuncture is found to be effective in restoring emotional balance and alleviating the all-pervasive negative effect of chronic stress. Here’s how:

1. Acupuncture treats root causes

   We don’t work with stress itself but with symptoms and reactions to stress for each individual person. Through a personalized diagnostic approach, we find and treat the root causes of imbalanced emotions thus working on long-term alleviation of your symptoms.

2. Acupuncture harmonizes body-mind connection

   We are working with the physical manifestations of chronic stress or excessive stagnant emotions. Those may range from digestive issues and hormonal irregularities to the quality of one’s sleep or low immunity. We dive deep into finding connections between the body and the mind and make sure we restore the equilibrium between the two, building resilience to prevent future adverse effects of stress on overall health.

3. Acupuncture moves the thoughts

   One of the key principles of acupuncture is to ensure the proper circulation in the body, either of material substances such as blood or lymph to more subtle such as energy/Qi. Many times, we hear from patients “I feel stuck with certain emotions”, which means there is no proper movement of the thoughts and feelings. With acupuncture, we unblock this stagnation, allowing the healthy processing and letting go of feelings and emotions.

4. Acupuncture initiates the “rest and digest” phase

   Acupuncture has a significant effect on regulating our autonomic nervous system, specifically by activating the parasympathetic nervous system that is responsible for relaxation response (opposite to stress response which we know as fight/flight/freeze). To learn more about research conducted on acupuncture’s ability to regulate the nervous system, visit British Acupuncture Council.

5. Acupuncture works in a team with other therapies

   Research has shown that acupuncture can be safely combined with other conventional treatments for mental health, possibly enhancing their results, and minimizing unwanted adverse effects.

We can’t avoid all stressors in life or stop feeling emotions when they are overwhelming. But we have the power to change the way we react to situations and process emotions in healthier and more resilient ways. Acupuncture can gently yet effectively help with that transition. If you're ready to start your healing journey, we encourage you to take the next step and book your first acupuncture visit or complimentary consultation.

Antonina Bezsmertna is a Doctor of Acupuncture with Acupuncture Collective in Calgary. She has a passion for treating emotional health and offers 15 minute complimentary consultations for you to discover how acupuncture can support your mental well-being.