What is anxiety? In acupuncture and Chinese medicine, anxiety is understood as a frequent and normal reaction to life or sickness, or to receiving treatment and to the health care system itself. Typically, it is a response to a perceived threat, such as having an operation in hospital.
For some people, anxiety can also be a filter for their perceptions and reactions. For others, it may be part of their illness.
The definition of anxiety is explained as a vague, uneasy feeling. The source of the anxious feeling is often non-specific, or unknown, to the individual.
This vague or uneasy feeling can be associated with an anticipation of impending danger and dread to the extent that normal functioning is impaired. It is accompanied by restlessness, tension, tachycardia, and breathing difficulty – all of these not associated with an apparent stimulus.. This reaction may be expressed as a panic disorder, a phobia, or a compulsion.
n general, an anxious person tend to sit tensely or edgily, they can fidget with their fingers or fiddle with things such as clothes or keys. They may sigh frequently, lick their lips which are dry, they sweat more than average and they can actually tremble.
But some anxious people can fall silent, they may be unable to speak freely or confide in other people. Some try to convert their feelings with words, but in the process they busily avoid their own basic problems.
Anxiety State
If you experience physiologic changes such as sweating, tremors, rapid heartbeat, dilated pupils and dry mouth, then you’ve entered an “anxiety state.” When you are in this state, your body also produces a mental and/or emotional reaction characterised by apprehension, uncertainty and irrational fear.
In children, anxiety can elevate their body temperature.
In the acupuncture and Chinese medicine tradition it is considered that a brief and mild feeling of anxiety is common for the majority of people. It is a normal reaction for the body to respond to stress with an anxiety state; this occurs when you are faced with an important event such as an examination, a job interview, meeting the parents of a loved one for the very first time. However, if the symptoms reoccur too often or they start to interfere with your daily life, then you should see a doctor.
You should note that when the condition becomes
chronic and associated with worry, it is termed Generalized Anxiety Disorder whereas if it is
acute severe episodic anxiety, it is termed Panic Anxiety.
For more information on anxiety, look below for more for more of a detailed explanation of the below topics.
- Physical symptoms of anxiety
- Causes of anxiety
- Treatment of anxiety
Kinds of Anxiety
The following are some of the types of anxiety.
- Generalised anxiety disorder or “free-floating” anxiety
- Situational anxiety
- Performance anxiety
- Panic anxiety
- Castration anxiety (anxiety complex)
If you feel you'd like to receive treatment for your stress or anxiety, please contact us.
*Below is a further explanation of what is described above
The Physical Symptoms of Anxiety
The physical symptoms of anxiety in acupuncture and Chinese medicine is not isolated to just physical (somatic) manifestations but also mental (cognitive), both of which can affect emotional wellbeing.Physical symptoms are:
- Tremor
- Sweating
- Palpitations
- Chest pain
- Breathlessness
- Gastro-intestinal problems such as diarrhoea
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Poor concentration
- Insomnia
- And others such as Pacing back and forth
In contrast, the psychological or mental manifestations are:
- Apprehension
- Irritability
- Fear of impending disaster
- Depersonalisation
- And others such as worrying, intrusive thoughts
Defining Characteristics
The defining characteristics may be subjective or objective.
Subjective characteristics include increased tension, apprehension, persistent increased helplessness and feelings of uncertainly, inadequacy, fear, over-excitability, distress, worry, and impending doom.
Objective characteristics include increased heart rate, dilated pupils, restlessness, insomnia, glancing about, poor eye contact, trembling, facial tension, quivering voice, self focus, increased perspiration, and expressed concern regarding life events.
Note also that some people can hyperventilate when anxious. Hyperventilation can be episodic and can often be recurrent.
This hyperventilation is over-breathing - with resultant respiratory alkalosis and fall in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the blood. Breathing in and out of a paper or plastic bag sometimes helps.
Causes of Anxiety and Panic Anxiety Attack in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine
The causes of anxiety: In my acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine practice, the following factors have been recognised as sources of anxiety:
- an unconscious conflict regarding essential values or goals of life
- threat to self concept
- threat of death
- threat to or of change in health status, the environment, or interaction patterns
- situational or maturational crises
- interpersonal transmission of contagion, and
- unmet needs.
Any one or more of the abovementioned can trigger an anxiety attack.
You should also know there are medical conditions that mimic anxiety disorders and they are:
- alcohol withdrawl
- hypoglycaemia (reduced amount of glucose in the blood)
- hyperthyroidism (hyperactive thyroid gland)
- paroxysmal arrhythmias (episodic severity of disturbed electrical rhythm of the heart)
- temporal lobe epilepsy (convulsive seizures arising from malfunctions in the temporal lobe of the brain)
- phaeochromocytoma (a tumour, quite rare, of chromaffin tissue which secretes catecholamines that causes high blood pressure)
Anxiety attack or Anxiety panic attack
For many people, an anxiety attack or an anxiety panic attack can occur at any time. An anxiety attack is described as an acute, psycho-biologic reaction manifested by intense anxiety and panic.
The symptoms you can experience are:
- palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, faintness, profuse sweating, pallor of the face and extremities, GI discomfort and a vague feeling of imminent doom or death.
Attacks usually occur suddenly, last for a few seconds to an hour or longer, and vary in frequency from several times a day to once a month.
One way to help a person with an acute anxiety attack is to reassure the person or separate the individual from the anxiety-producing situations.
If necessary, a western medical doctor could administer a sedative. For severe anxiety disorder, it is suggested that the individual receive appropriate psychotherapy to identify the stresses that are perceived as threatening.
Acupuncture and treatment of anxiety disorders, anti anxiety medications and natural treatments
Depending on the severity of the symptoms and the duration of the anxiety, a choice of acupuncture, Chinese herbs or drug therapy can be very helpful in the treatment of anxiety.Anti-anxiety medications or drugs belong to the anxiologic class of drugs, such as barbiturates, benzodiazepines and busperone.
During an acute anxiety attack, a western medical doctor could administer a sedative. But it is suggested that sufferers receive appropriate psychotherapy to identify the stresses that are perceived as threatening.
Drugs for anxiety or Anti anxiety medications
Adverse side effects can be experienced with various pharmaceutical drugs that are normally prescribed for anxiety disorders. For your information, therapy can include the following groups of drugs:
- Antidepressant drugs – have been indicated for anxiety disorders
- Benzodiazepines such as diazepam – have been used widely for treating insomnia and anxiety when symptoms are expected to last no longer than a few weeks. Withdrawl symptoms may occur if the drug is stopped abruptly.
- Beta Blocking drug such as propranolol - this is prescribed when the peripheral somatic symptoms of anxiety are prominent with tremor and palpitations
Natural treatments for anxiety
Some patients have successfully attempted to control or reduce their levels of anxiety. Anxiety control is achieved by taking control of one self, by taking personal actions to eliminate or reduce the feelings of apprehension and tension. Anxiety reduction is achieved by minimising apprehension, dread, foreboding or uneasiness. Keep in mind that these symptoms can be related to an un-identified source of anticipated danger.
Various relaxation and breathing methods, self healing exercises and mental self control techniques are helpful. It is suggested that natural therapies such as acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and self healing techniques, for example tai chi classes or lessons or dao yin qi gong healing exercises can be very effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders because there are no adverse side effects to treatment. These exercises are excellent because suffers learn to take control of their own mental, physical and emotional state.
Herbal remedies for anxiety or Natural anxiety medication
As a natural remedy for anxiety, there are a large number of herbs that are effective in treatment but success depends on correct diagnosis and a herbal mixture formulated to suit each individual.
This individualised diagnosis and treatment is the key to Chinese medicine because no two individuals are alike. For example, even if two anxious individuals manifest the same symptoms, their treatments would vary because each individual’s constitution, lifestyle, diet, medical history, and family history would be different. So a herbal formula is prepared to suit each individual’s picture. Therefore, an experienced doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine should be chosen.
Acupuncture - Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Symptoms
Although acupuncture and Chinese medicine regard anxiety and worry as part of universal human experiences, they become medically significant if they are dis-proportionate to stresses or persist after these have been resolved. So this persistence can become chronic thus affecting functioning and general health and wellbeing.Anxiety can appear unexpectedly. It can also be common with
stress or during early stages of illness and it usually subsides with time. However, when anxiety is persistent, it becomes distressing and interferes with life. Medical management is then necessary and treatment usually requires specific attention.
Keep in mind that, here, generalized anxiety is chronic anxiety associated with worry. In contrast, episodic attacks of severe anxiety can cause symptoms of
panic disorder
The chronic condition Generalised Anxiety is manifested with apprehension, fears, tensions or uneasiness that may be focused (phobia) or "free-floating". Free-floating means a general sense of ill-defined dread or impending doom.
Anxiety can make diagnosis of a disease difficult because symptoms of anxiety can complicate the presentation of an underlying physical illness. On the other hand, several physical conditions can initially manifest with anxiety before symptoms and signs of the disease develop. So if you are going to consult a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, you must choose one with sufficient experience and training.
In general, this disorder lacks a specific traumatic event or focus for concern. Excessive anxiety and worry, which sufferers can find hard to control, can be caused by a number of events or activities.
People suffer from anxiety either psychologically or somatically (physically). The disturbance causes significant distress and impairs social, occupational, or other important functions. At least three of the following symptoms listed below are present:
In brief, the symptoms of anxiety are listed below. But for more details please see also
Symptoms of Anxiety.
- Feeling restless, keyed up, or on edge
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Easily fatigued
- Difficulty in concentrating or the mind goes blank
- Difficulty in falling or staying asleep, or restless, unsatisfying sleep
The symptoms range from mild, chronic tenseness, with feelings of timidity, fatigue, apprehension, and indecisiveness, to more intense states of restlessness and irritability that may lead to aggressive acts, persistent helplessness, or withdrawl.
In extreme cases, the overwhelming emotional discomfort is accompanied by physical responses, including tremor, sustained muscle tension, tachycardia, dyspnoea, hypertension, increased respiration, and profuse perspiration.
Other physical signs include changes in skin colour, nausea, vomiting, dirrhoea, restlessness, immobilisation, insomnia and changes in appetite, all occuring without identification of a known underlying organic cause.
Anxiety disorders cause great distress and impair function, but those affected are not psychotic. The disorders are distinguished by either the symptoms, the entities feared or the stressors. Please see also the following as the links become available:
- Acute stress disorder
- Post traumatic stress disorder
- Causes of Anxiety and Panic Anxiety Attack in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine
- The causes of anxiety: In my acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine practice, the following factors have been recognised as sources of anxiety:
- an unconscious conflict regarding essential values or goals of life
- threat to self concept
- threat of death
- threat to or of change in health status, the environment, or interaction patterns
- situational or maturational crises
- interpersonal transmission of contagion, and
- unmet needs.
Any one or more of the abovementioned can trigger an anxiety attack.
You should also know there are medical conditions that mimic anxiety disorders and they are:
- alcohol withdrawl
- hypoglycaemia (reduced amount of glucose in the blood)
- hyperthyroidism (hyperactive thyroid gland)
- paroxysmal arrhythmias (episodic severity of disturbed electrical rhythm of the heart)
- temporal lobe epilepsy (convulsive seizures arising from malfunctions in the temporal lobe of the brain)
- phaeochromocytoma (a tumour, quite rare, of chromaffin tissue which secretes catecholamines that causes high blood pressure)
Anxiety attack or Anxiety panic attack
For many people, an anxiety attack or an anxiety panic attack can occur at any time. An anxiety attack is described as an acute, psycho-biologic reaction manifested by intense anxiety and panic.
The symptoms you can experience are:
- palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, faintness, profuse sweating, pallor of the face and extremities, GI discomfort and a vague feeling of imminent doom or death.
Attacks usually occur suddenly, last for a few seconds to an hour or longer, and vary in frequency from several times a day to once a month.
One way to help a person with an acute anxiety attack is to reassure the person or separate the individual from the anxiety-producing situations.
If necessary, a western medical doctor could administer a sedative. For severe anxiety disorder, it is suggested that the individual receive appropriate psychotherapy to identify the stresses that are perceived as threatening.
