Any traumatic event whether physical or emotional at any stage of someone’s life can lead to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which can manifest with irritability or aggressive behavior, insomnia, anxiety, hyper vigilance, depression, flash backs, nightmares and often pain. We have been using acupuncture, and especially ear acupuncture in the aftermath of of catastrophic disasters like 9/11, Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, and the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting to name a few to treat large groups of people affected by PTSD. The United States Army has been employing acupuncturists to treat soldiers with the condition, after it contacted its own research that proved that acupuncture was an effective treatment for PTSD.
In my clinic, I usually combine body acupuncture with ear acupuncture for optimal results. You should expect a gradual decrease in the severity and frequency of your symptoms as acupuncture has an accumulative effect.
In the case of Anxiety I have successfully treated a variety of symptoms and severity ranging from mild episodes of feeling a little anxious, to stage fright, to full blown panic attacks.
You may suffer from depression or depression can be a manifestation of other conditions like PTSD, bipolar disorder or hypothyroidism. We can work to reduce the symptoms, especially if you suffer from a mild form of depression regardless of the cause.
Remember that with any of the above conditions, and depending on the degree of severity acupuncture may be used as an adjunct to conventional treatments like behavioral therapy or pharmacotherapy or a combination of the two.