In any given week, at least 500,000 employed Canadians are unable to work due to mental health problems. Further, it is estimated that 1 in 3 Canadians will experience mental illness at some point in their lives. Despite these staggering statistics, our society is only recently recognizing the importance of addressing and treating mental conditions with the same level of importance as physical ones.
Although many people associate Acupuncture and other TCM modalities with the treatment of the physical body, TCM poses significant benefits for matters of the mental and emotional bodies as well.
A Whole-Body Approach
Rooted in Taoist philosophy, TCM operates on the principle that all systems in the body are intricately connected and mutually support each other. The mind cannot be separated from the body, and the body cannot be separated from the mind - dysfunction in one system will incur disruption in the other. These systems - mental, emotional, spiritual and physical - must all remain in balance and equilibrium with themselves and the others in order to maintain health.
Emotional symptoms are both a cause and a result of disease, according to TCM theory. Cause and effect are not mutually exclusive; they are very much interrelated. For example, anxiety can manifest due to neurochemical imbalances in the brain. On the other hand the presence of chronic anxiety or tension can eventually create those same neurochemcial imbalances. Overthinking and worry will deplete the digestive system, and unsurprisingly, a patient with pre-existing digestive disturbances will often develop the tendency to overthink and worry. These intimate relationships provide a clear path for diagnosis and treatment in the TCM framework.
The Nervous System
Our autonomic nervous system is comprised of two branches - parasympathetic and sympathetic. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for maintaining a calm, peaceful state - often referred to as “rest and digest”. From a TCM perspective, this is our Yin energy system; receptive, slower paced, grounded. Contrarily, the sympathetic nervous system is responsible for preparing the body for stress related activities - known as our “fight or flight” response. This branch is referred to as our Yang system; a dynamic energy that enables us to be awake and alert.
The sympathetic nervous system often gets a bad rep these days, as many have heard that we live in a constant state of “fight or flight”. This may be true to a degree, however it is the dynamic balance between the two that is key for a steady mental and emotional state. These two branches need an appropriate level of balance and tension between each other. Building exclusively parasympathetic (Yin) restoration runs the risk of inducing a ‘freeze’ state, which would manifest as fatigue, lethargy or apathy. Too much suppression of the sympathetic (Yang) system prevents people from being able to defend themselves or take appropriate action. Contrarily, an excess of Yang energy (sympathetic arousal) would appear as hyperactivity, hypertension and a constant state of hyper-vigilance. In reality, we need regulation of both branches and harmonious connection between the two to achieve desirable mental and emotional states.
The parasympathetic, Yin system is on one end of a polarity and the sympathetic, Yang system is on the other end of the polarity. Movement between these two polarities is possible thanks to our Qi mechanism - the motive force in the body that allows every function to be carried out. Qi is organized as tension between 2 poles, Yin and Yang (in neurobiology - parasympathetic and sympathetic). It exists in wave form that Taoists noticed and described such as heart beat; heart rest, inhale; exhale, day; night, winter; summer. All these dualities are expressions of movement of Qi between these two balanced poles of Yin and Yang. When an emotionally disrupting event comes in to this regulated system, the Qi becomes disorganized and dysregulated. The experience is energetically overwhelming, and manifests as an excess or deficiency of Yin or Yang along the sliding scale of polarity.
How We Treat Mental-Emotional Conditions
The fundamental premise of TCM is to maintain balance between polarities; balance between opposing states. It makes Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine an ideal approach to restore regulation and balance between these polarities and or branches of the nervous system. Qi itself does not become ‘tainted’; it only becomes scattered or disorganized. When we help people find their connection back to this organic, natural regulation of Qi, their system will automatically fall into equilibrium. The overlay of dysregulation caused by traumatic stress or emotional events is simply an overlay on the body’s system, not its’ true state. Inherent within every person is homeostasis. A diagnosis such as ‘anxiety’, ‘depression’ or 'panic disorder' is not a sign of brokenness, and it is not a state of permanence. It is simply the body awaiting re-regulation, awaiting direction back to it’s natural state of balance.
A treatment approach for a mental health condition may include any of the following modalities; Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Diet Therapy, Exercise/Lifestyle Modifications, Meditation, and Acupuressure or Ear Seeds. As with any TCM treatment protocol, each plan will be completely tailored to the patient and unique to itself. While there are helpful general recommendations, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ treatment and each case much be evaluated individually for optimal treatment outcomes.
Struggling with a mental health condition, or know someone that could benefit from such treatment? Book a free 15 minute discovery call to learn more.
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