Mental and Emotional Health

Mental health is our psychological, emotional, and social well-being combined. How we think, feel, and act encapsulates our mental health.

• How we think (psychological)
• How we feel (emotional)
• How we act (social)

Mental health affects every stage of your life from in utero/pregnancy, infancy, childhood, adolescence, and throughout the stages of adulthood. Factors that contribute to mental health function include: genetics, family health history, and life experiences.

The difference between mental and emotional health is that mental health encompasses emotional health.

Mental health relates to the function of your brain and determines how

• You make decisions
• Interact with others
• Manage stress

Emotional health is a component of mental health and relates to feelings, emotions, mood, and demeanor. Emotions are healthy when you’re able to:

• Identify your feelings
• Acknowledge difficult emotions or strong feelings
• Process feelings that relate to frustration, irritability, anger, fear, loss, worry, loneliness, etc.
• Manage emotions as you move through your day without being distracted and be emotionally balanced in your interactions with others
• Express your feelings in a socially acceptable way

Mental and emotional health is a part of our overall well being: physical, emotional, and spiritual. In Chinese medicine, there’s a relationship between your brain and your heart. Acupuncture and herbal medicine can help balance the heart-mind connection.

If you’re looking for a safe, natural, and effective modality to help regulate your mental emotional health, make an acupuncture and herbal medicine appointment today.

Mental health is important because it influences how we think, feel, and act. It corresponds with the function of your brain. When you have a healthy mental state you can make decisions, interact with others, and manage stress.

7 Benefits of A Healthy Mental State

1. Improve and co-create healthy, meaningful relationships
2. Think more clearly
3. Cope with daily life stressors
4. Improve mood and self-esteem
5. Reduce anxiety
6. Remember and re-establish inner peace
7. Be positive

Focusing on our mental health can improve our relationships, productivity, confidence, and self-image.

Emotional health is important because it influences our actions, whether we’re aware or not. When you have emotional health, you work well with others and contribute to your community.

Emotional health is also tied to physical health. As an example, being quick to anger can often correlate to high blood pressure. High blood pressure relates to heart health.

When you are emotionally healthy, you can

• Think before you act—you can respond under pressure in a calm and collected manner
• Notice a difficult emotion—identify, manage, and handle it in order to put it into perspective
• Manage stress with relaxation techniques—meditation, deep breathing exercises, or physical activity
• Make time for relaxation and fun outside of work—rest, family, friends, and hobbies
• Take care of your physical health—sleep, healthy meals, and regular exercise
• Find purpose, passion, and meaning—your work, family, or volunteering
• Stay positive

Emotional health is important (understatement) because it’s a social skill we continue to develop. When we deal with everyday challenges, we are ideally gaining insight and perspective that helps us grow. Our goal is to bounce back and be resilient. If you struggle with bouncing back, acupuncture can help.

Stress affects mental and emotional health that can lead to symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, panic attacks, or depression. Long term stress can increase the probability of physical pain, sleep problems, and substance abuse. Stress makes our muscles tense and increases our breathing and heart rate. Overall it’s being overwhelmed or unable to cope.

Stressors may cause symptoms such as

• Excessive worry
• Uneasiness
• Tension headaches or body pains
• High blood pressure
• Inability to sleep

If you experience a high stress job, love loss, or another stressful situation, make an acupuncture appointment today. Acupuncture is an effective and proven method for naturally reducing stress and anxiety.

You can improve your mental and emotional health by learning what triggers your stress and develop healthy coping mechanisms to address the problem, reduce your concerns, and improve your overall life.

It’s important to remember that there is more than one way to solve a problem. Find what works for you, and remember the goal is health and happiness.

10 Tips for Improving Your Mental and Emotional Health

1. Morning meditation (30 minutes) Sit still, relax, and have no relationship to the content of consciousness — first thing when you wake up is best
2. Do the one thing that’s nagging you — if you did it, it would improve your life and everyone around you
3. Stick to a sleep routine — go to bed between 9-10:30 pm, avoid staying up past 11 pm
4. Exercise — 45 minutes per day, six days a week
5. Eat regular and healthy meals, avoid eating late a night
6. Avoid caffeine, if you tend to be anxious
7. Practice relaxation techniques — yoga nidra, deep breathing exercises, or visualizations
8. Journal
9. Maintain healthy relationships with family and friends

Seek professional support with acupuncture and herbal medicine

Yes, acupuncture can help many mental health issues. There are a number of conditions that acupuncture and auricular acupuncture (ear) can help.

Mental Health Disorders

• Anxiety or Panic Attacks
• Depression or Dysthymia
• Mania or Bipolar Disorder
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Memory Problems
• Irritability or Overly Aggressive Behaviors
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Difficulty Maintaining Alertness
• Neurasthenia or Nervous Exhaustion
• Psychosomatic Disorders or Hysterical Disorders
• Repressed Emotional Experiences
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Addictive Behaviors and Drug Detoxification

• Substance Abuse, Drug Addiction, or Drug Detoxification
• Alcohol Abuse
• Nicotine Dependence, Smoking cessation, or Tobacco Withdrawal
• Appetite Control, Weight Reduction, or Obesity
• Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia

Stress-Related Disorders and Sleep Disorders

• Stress and Strain
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Insomnia
• Snoring or Sleep Apnea
• Drowsiness
• Jet Lag or Circadian Rhythm Dysfunction
• Heat Stroke
• Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
• Hyperhidrosis or Excessive Sweating
• Shock

If you experience one of the mental health conditions listed above, make an appointment today to see how acupuncture can help you.

Acupuncture helps mental health by stimulating a number of neurotransmitters and hormones. These neurotransmitters send signals to the brain and spinal cord, and also send signals to release certain hormones that primarily kill pain and make you feel good. This is why acupuncture is an effective, natural, drug-free, non-habit-forming, and no-side-effect medical option.

This is the neuroscience behind acupuncture. There are four neurotransmitters and hormones associated with acupuncture stimulation:

1. Norepinephrine is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, and a neurotransmitter, which is a chemical substance that transmits signals across nerve endings. It is associated with blood pressure and heart health.
2. Endorphins are hormones secreted within the brain and nervous system. Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers. In response to pain or stress, they’re released by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland to relieve pain and create a “feel-good” sensation.
3. Dopamine is another type of neurotransmitter that sends messages between nerve cells (stimulated by acupuncture). It’s associated with pleasure and helps us think, plan, and have motivation in life.
4. Serotonin is another complex neurotransmitter that acts as a mood stabilizer. It helps produce healthy sleep patterns, improves digestion, and boosts mood. Serotonin affects:
   • Mood and behavior—feeling good and living a long life
   • Cognition
   • Reward
   • Learning
   • Memory
   • Physiological processes (digestion)

From an Eastern perspective, two main approaches can be gleaned from an 8 Principle Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) diagnosis and a Five Element philosophy. In a broad overview, the patterns involved relate to deficiency, stagnation, heat, dampness, phlegm, and shen disturbance. Our guiding principles are to transform phlegm, move stagnation, tonify qi /chi/, calm shen, and nourish the heart.

From a five element perspective, a person’s constitution (inherent way of being) is associated with one of the five elements: Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal. Depending on an individual’s physiology, emotions, and stage in life, the goal is to balance disharmonies and acknowledge your elemental virtues or gifts in the world: wisdom, benevolence, propriety, integrity, righteousness.

There are different approaches to the type of mental health issues you have. A licensed acupuncturist will be able to help you navigate your health from a holistic point of view. Book an appointment today.

Yes, Chinese herbal medicine can treat mental and emotional health issues. There are numerous classical herbal formulas and modified herbal formulas that can be used. Formulas are prescribed not only based on your primary concern, but your constitution.

Internal formulas can be formed as a decoction from raw roots and brewed into a tea or be compounded as granules, pills, or capsules. They are administered 1-3 times per day for at least three months. Some formulas are meant for acute conditions and others are safe to take for many years like a supplement.

It’s very important to take high-quality herbs that have an excellent reputation related to production and distribution. Herbal medicine is often safe with various prescription drug medications. It is important to seek herbal advice from a professional herbalist. If you struggle with mental and emotional health, consider adding acupuncture and herbal medicine to your health plan.