Panic attacks can be mitigated through acupuncture; they can be made less severe and less frequent. What a relieving thought for anyone who suffers from panic attacks because they can be incredibly frightening.
Let’s look at panic attacks and what we do in Chinese medicine to alleviate them.
What do Panic Attacks Feel Like?
Panic attacks can be very frightening. We can experience various symptoms that may include:
- The feeling of fear.
- Tightening of the chest.
- Awareness of our heartbeat (palpitations), which may feel rapid or erratic.
- Pulsations or spasms in our abdomen or chest.
- Tingling or numbness.
- Shortness of breath.
- Dizziness.
- Trembling.
What Triggers a Panic Attack?
Panic attacks tend to occur following a period of severe taxation; often, this is emotional stress but can also be triggered by a period of illness or exhaustion.
Chinese Medicine Theory on Panic Attacks
In traditional Chinese medicine, the most fundamental energetic dynamic is that between the Heart and the Kidney (capitalised because they represent the Chinese medicine concepts of the organs, different from the anatomical organs of the heart and kidney as understood in Western medicine). The Heart-Kidney dynamic is illustrated by the first and second trajectories of the channel of Chong Mai.
In Chinese medicine, the heart is not just the muscle that pumps blood around the body; it also represents the concepts of the spirit and the mind. The heart is that childlike part of us that experiences joy, desire, excitement, passion, and wonder for life, as opposed to that thinking part of us – the brain – responsible for rationality and learned knowledge.
The Heart is considered the emperor—the ultimate ruler of the body.
The Kidney represents our foundation, our source. It is the seat of our constitution, what we came into this world with. It contains the blueprint for our destiny. In Western medicine, it is linked to the concept of DNA.
The energetic connection between the Heart and the Kidney is the first to be formed when we are conceived – the connection between Heaven and Earth – as our spirit becomes rooted into the material of our body.
When our sense of what is right – that instinct felt by the Heart – is aligned with how we live our lives, we feel secure. At a deep level, we know that we are carrying out our purpose and living our full potential without obstruction. Our Heart-Kidney axis resonates strongly. We feel grounded, calm, and confident about navigating life’s challenges.
If the Heart-Kidney connection feels obstructed, the acute symptoms can manifest as a panic attack. Our energy is caught up in our chest, no longer rooted in the lower abdomen, so we notice symptoms affecting the upper body, such as shallowness of breath, chest tightness, heart racing, and dizziness.
How Can Acupuncture Help with Panic Attacks and Anxiety?
There are various acupuncture strategies we can employ to help patients who suffer from panic attacks.
One strategy may be to select points from the Chong Mai 1st and 2nd trajectories, which directly govern the Heart-Kidney relationship.
When we work with the Chong Mai, we resonate the Heart-Kidney connection, thus reestablishing the connection between our spirit and our foundation.
We are reminding the body to come home to this fundamental dynamic, as although it may feel obstructed at times, the connection is never truly lost.
How You Help Yourself if You Suffer from Panic Attacks
Understand Symptoms as a Healing Mechanism
It is easier said than done, but it is important to learn not to fear the symptoms of a panic attack. The symptoms are part of our body’s healing mechanism.
For example, we can view the palpitations as our heart releasing an accumulation of tension.
Once the tension has been released, the heartbeat will return to normal. However, if we fear the symptoms themselves, then we create more tension and can get locked into a self-perpetuating cycle:
- We have symptoms,
- we fear the symptoms, so our tension increases,
- we notice increased symptoms as the body attempts to release the tension,
- our fear increases
- … and so on.
In our minds, our thoughts may run along the lines of, “This is wrong! It shouldn’t be happening! I’m going to die! HELP!!!!”
However, it is much more conducive to recovery if we can observe our symptoms from a gentle and accepting perspective along the lines of:
‘Ah, how interesting! My heart is fluttering. It must be releasing some of the stress I have been feeling. How clever of my body to self-regulate this way. What happens if I relax and allow my body to do this little job it’s decided it must do…’
Learning to let go of the fear of symptoms can be difficult, but like anything, it becomes easier with practice. If you suffer from panic attacks or anxiety, it is useful to practice daily a body scan meditation. A body scan focuses on tuning into what we feel in our body and accepting whatever we observe there in a relaxed way.
Connect the Chest and the Low Abdomen Through the Breath
Typically, our breath becomes shallow during periods of stress. Shallow breathing is what we need to do when we are in fight-or-flight mode (useful when we are being chased by a wild animal or our house is on fire).
When we do it constantly, we are teaching our bodies that we are continuously in danger. This is not good for our stress levels!
If we practise breathing deeply into our abdomen, this will have several benefits:
Break the Shallow Breathing
We break the habit of shallow breathing. Habitual shallow breathing creates an obstruction between the chest and the lower abdomen which will predispose us towards panic attacks (and all kinds of other problems, too).
Slow Down Our Thoughts
When we are chronically stressed, it is not in response to danger in the moment (no fire or wild animal); it is in response to the fear created by our thoughts. We worry about the possibility of (often undefined) danger in the future. We should deal with our worries by putting time aside to plan for future contingencies but to feel relaxed and calm, we also need to practise focussing on the present moment.
Give the Brain Something to Focus On
There will be many times in our day when there is no danger. Our brains like to be busy, and given no focus, they will often default to a habitual churn of useless worry. Focusing our attention on the breath gives the brain something to focus on in the moment, and in doing so, it allows thoughts to slow down. Our thoughts don’t stop, but we can make them less powerful by paying less attention to them.
Bring Breath to the Abdomen
Practising focusing on bringing our breath to the abdomen gives us a tool to use during a panic attack. As you pay attention to the lower abdomen, your body will recall your practice and you will notice the breath begin to slow and deepen, and the body will begin to relax.
A Life without Panic Attacks
The journey to stopping panic attacks varies for everyone, there will be ups and downs along the way. Celebrate each small step forward. Dedicate to practising self-care to maintain your progress.
Alleviating panic attacks brings a significant sense of relief and positive change to a person.
- No longer experiencing that intense fear and physical discomfort.
- Feel empowered and in control of your emotions and reactions again.
- Have the ability to manage and cope with challenging situations.
- Feel happier overall as you regain a sense of freedom.
- Boost self-confidence, demonstrating resilience and strength in difficult experiences and stress.
- Shift your outlook towards the future.
- Inner peace and calmness.
Generally, life can feel more enjoyable and less burdened.
How We Help Panic Attacks Through Acupuncture
I, Michelle Aris, have extensive experience in assisting patients who suffer from panic attacks. I use acupuncture as a means to release emotional tension and re-establish a healthy flow of qi throughout the body, which can help you feel more relaxed and grounded.
Advanced Acupuncture will also help you learn to work with your breath so that you can take ownership of your healing process and continue to work on your recovery in your own time.
Imagine living a fuller life after reducing panic attacks through acupuncture.
Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
Acupuncture for Anxiety Testimonial
“Being symptom free from panic attacks for a couple of years now is thanks to a combination of Michelle’s compassion, insight and wisdom along with her professionalism and skills in acupuncture which have contributed to my healing process.
Having considered myself to be fit and healthy it was a huge shock and very distressing to experience the symptoms of panic attacks.
By asking the appropriate questions, listening to my pulse and looking at my tongue, Michelle’s acupuncture treatment plan proved to be very effective for all my symptoms.
Acupuncture proved to be an extremely positive experience in treating the symptoms of panic attacks and with time promoted my overall well being.
Michelle gives time for discussion and listens to concerns.
Michelle is ready to give advice which I follow to this day and I credit Michelle’s knowledge and genuine desire to promote healing though acupuncture.”
Alexis, London