Success story #2: The duo of acupuncture and Shiatsu relieves depression

Background

 

In her early 30s, Maria (not my client’s real name) had been struggling with depression, anxiety, and panic attacks for a year. Each day she would burst into tears for no apparent reason.  Just as frequently, she was suffering with painful migraines and stabbing pains in her chest. Her mental health issues affected all areas of her life. She was forced to miss many days of work because of her condition.

 

Maria’s husband was desperate to find help for his wife’s depression. She was taking medication and was waiting for a consultation with a psychotherapist. But the medication was having no effect, and the specialist appointment could be months in the future. A friend of his, whom I had previously treated, recommended me to him.

 

Treatment results

 

Maria had weekly sessions of acupuncture combined with Shiatsu massage. Here’s the progress she made:

 

Session 2

I saw Maria four days after our first session, and she told me she had stopped crying so regularly since our last session.

 

Session 3

Maria was still experiencing migraines, but they had reduced in their intensity.

 

Session 4

Maria’s general mental health had improved. She had gone several days without crying. However, on the day of this session she explained that she felt anxious. It was a Monday, and often her symptoms were worse on the first day of the week.

 

Her symptoms included pins and needles in her nose, an empty feeling in her chest, and general nervousness. She told me that when this happened, she would normally feel upset the following day.

 

While she still suffered daily headaches, they had subsided in their intensity. Instead of giving a pulsating pain, they were now dull in nature. Instead of the pain presenting in the side of her head, it was now centred on her forehead.

 

Session 5

Maria said that her expected distress had not materialised the day after our last session. While still having anxious feelings, she was no longer crying or feeling deeply unhappy.

 

Session 8

Maria reported that she was feeling much better, both emotionally and physically. The week before, I had prescribed her a Chinese herbal formula, and her headaches had reduced considerably.

 

After 10 sessions

 

Maria had made significant progress during her treatment. She was less anxious. She no longer cried without cause. Her headaches had subsided in both frequency and intensity.

There was something else, though. As her symptoms improved, she began to realise that her depression appeared to be connected to her work. Her improved frame of mind now gave her the ability to address the real cause of her mental health issues.