anxiety – CuredByNature.net

3 AcuPoints for Anxiety

Jul 152019

One of the most wonderful things about being an acupuncturist is the ability to stimulate points on my own body when I need to. If I get a headache, or feel a cold coming on, I can always hop up on my table for a quick tune-up with some needles. Even when I’m not at the office, the magic of acupuncture can still work for me – as long as I know where the points are and what they do, I can press on them and get results.

So, what points do acupuncturists use when they need to chill out? There are so many points on the body that help to calm the mind and bring us down from our stresses and anxieties. My top three, however, are pericardium 6, liver 3, and stomach 6.

Liver 3 is a point located between the first and second toes. If you slide your finger between the toes up until you hit the junction of the two bones, you will find a very tender spot. This is a great point for so many things: irritability, headaches, TMJ, anxiety…the list goes on. If you think about these four issues, they all have one thing in common: they result from the energy in the body rising upward. Liver 3 is a very grounding point. It channels the energy downward. When we are in a state of anxiety, it’s so hard to get out of our heads, but this point will help.

Pericardium 6 is a point that is commonly used for stress and nausea. You have probably seen the bands some pregnant women use around their wrist for morning sickness. These are designed to put pressure on this point, quelling the queasiness. The point is located between the two tendons on your wrist, two fingers up from the wrist crease. Pressing on it is immediately calming. It helps to open the chest, as well, so if your anxiety comes with a side of chest tightness or shallow breathing, this is your point.

Stomach 6 isn’t typically on the top 10 list of acupuncture points for stress, but it is my favorite. If you clench your teeth, you can find it by going one finger width anterior and superior to the angle of the mandible at the belly of the masseter muscle. Like many people, I hold a lot of tension in my face and jaw. Massaging this point creates an instant release for me. Once I feel the muscles in my face release, it brings a sense of relaxation into my entire body. Try it for yourself, it feels great!

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Anxiety is Outmoded

Homeopathic

Sep 052016

What Does Anxiety Mean to You?

Today a wonderful client of mine said that for her “Anxiety was outmoded” as a word to use to describe how she now feels. I loved her meaning because she has been a sufferer of significant and debilitating anxiety for years. After being treated by me for some months, she now feels like the word ‘anxiety’ no longer applies to her. She came to see me 6 months ago wanting because she wanted to get rid of the feeling of anxiety that had been troubling her and to see how she should go about stopping her low level medications.

How Did We Do It?

I listened, thoroughly. I heard this client at the core of my being to understand what the feelings she labelled ‘anxiety’ were like for her. I was very careful not to make any assumptions about how she felt, even if she used words I had heard before. I really wanted essentially to listen to her on such a deep level of empathy and listening skills that I could almost experience momentarily, what her anxiety felt like myself. Then I did something that I have found to be essential when treating any kind of experience, I went entirely at her own pace. Each time we met and talked I re evaluated exactly what she was saying to me about her fears and needs and ideas; and each time I changed our treatment pace to match her exactly. In essence, I responded to every fluctuation of pace that she presented me with.

I Listen Very Deeply

This level of deep listening is very relational. That means it has the ability to track the ebbs and flows in a client and know when to gently encourage and when to sit back and let the client metaphorically take my hand and show me the way….their way. This delicate process is like a dance and as a counselor it is key to know how to follow as well as lead.

What Else Did I do?

I used effective and well prescribed Homeopathic medicines as well as coaching and counselling to treat the anxiety symptoms. As soon as a client has an experience where anxiety levels begin to alleviate they can start to feel confident that they can improve. The Homeopathic medicines are entirely natural and support the client to eliminate the anxiety feelings in her head, as well as the emotions she feels about them. When anxiety has been present for a long time, there is always a lot of feeling about it and it is important to address this side also.

The Result?

This client now feels anxiety is an outmoded word for her. She relates to the idea of anxiety as something outside of herself that she has previously experienced. Although we are still on her journey and have some way to go, we are now dealing with a very different set of experiences. Anxiety does not rule her life anymore, nor follow her around inside her head. She is empowered and realistic. She sees the change in herself and relationships including how she relates to her mothering (which was excellent anyway). She is now one of my biggest advocates and sends me anyone she knows who has a health, or emotional issue or a difficulty. I am very grateful for this client and what she still continues to teach me as a clinician and as a human being.

My name is Sam Adkins, known also as The Homeopathic Coach. I have been working as a Homeopath since 2003 in both Australia, the UK and internationally via skype. I am also a qualified and experienced holistic counsellor using a Process Oriented Psychology approach. I like to combine both these skill sets to facilitate greater balance, wellness and happiness for my clients.

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Teenager Stress, Anxiety and Depression

Homeopathic

Aug 042016

Anxiety, Stress and Depression can be Experienced by Our Teenagers.

It’s true to say that many of us experience life as busy and sometimes stressful. Teenagers are no exception. They have their own stressors whether from family, or school. To add to their load, they also have significant peer group stressors and this can sometimes be experienced as overwhelming. How I treat Teenager Stress, Anxiety and Depression is detailed in this Blog.

Problems Manifest Differently in Teenage Girls and Boys

In my counselling clinic I see children as young as 9 or 10 developing emotional or psychological difficulties that I used to see more often in teenagers. With these children it’s very important that they gain some insight into their struggle. So I work with them to give them tools and strategies to assist them as they enter their teenage years. Social pressures amongst girls can escalate as hormones kick in during puberty, so the children who already have a toolkit of strategies to draw on can often cope very well.

With boys I tend to see those who are well into puberty and are not coping at all well with those disruptive hormones; and who become sullen and withdrawn as well as sometimes angry. Often this is mostly contained at home which means the parents take the brunt of it all; but sometimes it spills over into school life and you can find your son getting into trouble and under performing in class.

Pressure Can Translate Into Anxiety

When teenagers find there is too much pressure they can sometimes become either depressed or anxious. I treated a teenage boy a few years back who was suffering from anxiety and finding simple things like getting public transport to school difficult, or attending assembly due to the crowd. I treated this client with a combination of Counselling and Homeopathy and after a few sessions he was back on track. He went on to have a happy, successful school life and achieve his goals.

Counselling is a Tune-Up For our Emotional Selves

Counselling no longer has the stigma it did. Many of us need it, and I like to think of it as a tune up for our emotional selves. After all we take care of our physical body but tend to leave out mind and emotions to just sort themselves out. During puberty we know the brain gets almost completely re-wired. This is why we as parents, often feel like we no longer know our distant teenager. Well I can tell you a secret…they often feel they no longer know themselves!

Teenagers are sometimes resistant to visiting a counsellor. When you talk to them about it, it helps to find out their reasons why and then address them one by one. Sometimes teenagers find it embarrassing to talk to another adult about their difficulties. Sometimes they do not understand the process of counselling and think they will have to divulge their inner most secrets. I would like to dispel that myth right away and describe how counselling can help your teenager when they are in need.

Teenagers Respond Well When They are Really Listened to.

I work with teenagers by normalising their problems. This does not mean I dismiss them, far from it. I hear and acknowledge their difficulties, within the context of them not being alone in experiencing their issue. We discuss the whole issue from many angles and my aim is to help your teenager develop their own internal guidance system of how to act and react in certain situations. Importantly, I also expand their awareness around why they think, feel, and experience things the way they do; as well as bring their awareness to the impact of their actions on others. If they need to be more assertive and powerful we will work on that (and vice versa,) but never at the expense of helping to develop and whole, balanced individual who can meet the challenges of their teenage years with empowered self-understanding.

How to get Counselling Help for Your Teenager

If you want to come and see me with, or about, your teenager I work face to face in my Sydney clinic in Rose Bay, or via Skype. Teenagers are usually great with technology and find the Skype process works well for them. Feel free to make contact and have a chat to hear more about how I work.

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Anxiety and Bullying in kids

Homeopathic

Jul 282016

School Playgrounds Can be Scary Places

Does your child have anxiety? The playground at school can be a daunting place for young children. For some who have experienced even minor incidents of bullying, there is a significant fear present around larger children. Imagine for a moment that you are 5 or 6 years old. You enter the school playground and look up at all the older children running fast and confidently enjoying themselves. It seems like a foreign world and at first can be overly intimidating, especially for those who are naturally more timid.

Is Your Child with Anxiety the Eldest?

The eldest child in a family is often a ‘pioneer’. They do everything first and you as parents share that experience with them in your parenting decisions. When they go to school however, they have to do it alone. If they do not have older siblings, their experience of older children may be small. Not only is a small child being asked to cope with a whole new social structure and set of routines and rules at school; but they are also being asked to adapt to the unspoken rules of the playground. This is important for the psycho-social development of all children, but can also be very challenging to some.

What are the Playground Rules?

Who is in charge?
What is it ok to say and do?
If I visit the bathroom will I miss out?
What happens if I’m a slow runner/poor catcher?
Will other kids make fun of me?

“Suddenly peer pressure is intensely present for the very first time”

Most children can rise to the occasion and gradually find their feet. Occasionally a child can find the challenge overwhelming and anxiety arises. When I see little kids in my clinic, I sometimes find that this anxiety can attach to a specific person or incident and appear out of proportion to the event/person described. This is not unusual. Ensure as parents that you are listening without judgment, and listening without dismissing the fear and trying to shrug it off. Using loving , open discussion about what your child is frightened of will help. Letting the teacher know that the anxiety exists will also help to create a warm supportive environment for your child. If these steps are not making a difference, then seeing a counsellor such as myself, can be an excellent idea. It’s likely that your anxious child may have a tendency to be sensitive to situations that others are not, and so forming a bond with an experienced counsellor early on in their life, means you have an expert to return to should anything else arise as your child grows.

I Treat Anxiety in Children Differently From Most Counsellors

I use a powerful combination of Holistic Counselling and Homeopathy. I determine the best homeopathic medicine to support your child, as well as using fun techniques to empower your child and build their confidence. I saw a gorgeous little boy this week who when asked where the feelings of anxiety were in his body, pointed to his chest and said “In my Heart”. His anxiety was not in his tummy as is often felt by kids and adults alike, or in his legs……it was very clearly in his heart and he knew it.

Never under estimate the ability of your young child to articulate what they feel and what they think and what they need. They are perfect sources of information about their worlds and listening to them impartially is a very powerful process.

So how did I help him?

This young boy knew he was good at running and it was important for him to feel a sense of his own ability and prowess. So we spent a few minutes running races up the corridor at my clinic and talking about his speed. I also wanted him to have a physical experience of his own power as he had been having daily experiences of his own perceived powerlessness in the school playground in the face of larger children. To do this I had him push against my hands (experiencing his own strength) and see that he could push me across the room. You should have seen his back sit straighter and his little face light up! I also prescribed an effective homeopathic medicine for him to take before school when he feels most anxious to alleviate the anxiety.

Treating anxiety in little kids is my passion. I step into their world for a moment and really deeply listen to what they are trying to tell me. That in turn allows them to stand in their own shoes more powerfully. If your child is being bullied or feels anxious, I would love to help them.

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