Acupuncture Aftermath

It’s been over two weeks since my first acupuncture treatment and I can definitely feel a great improvement. Before, I could not be positive. I felt as though I was hitting a ceiling. I would think a positive thought (“What a great day!”) but had to push myself to really be happy. It took way too much energy, though, and I would sink down again. I didn’t realize this was going on until I experienced the opposite…an impossibility to be negative. I had three treatments over the course of a week, and below are some of my experiences:

Treatment, Day 1:  moderately happy after session

Day 2: I felt like I was on top of the world. I had so much energy I couldn’t contain it. Every time I tried to think a negative thought, I couldn’t. It was as though I was being buoyed up – every time I tried to push myself down, I just came right back up. I laughed so much today. Furthermore, I felt extremely clear in my mind. I could recognize what was happening in my brain and in my lifestyle habits when I was depressed and what was happening when I wasn’t. As the day went on, I felt my energy continue to pick up, but slow down a little after I ate dinner.

Day 3: I awoke from a restless dream and my heart was racing. I got out of bed and within a few minutes I started pacing. I had so much energy I felt like I had to keep moving…otherwise I thought I’d have a heart attack. The positivity faded away and I became anxious. I couldn’t calm down and I nearly called the hospital. I called my dad instead and we talked to each other on the phone and texted back and forth for the next few hours. He suggested I go for a walk, but I could barely stand still long enough to change clothes. I also ate a lot that morning, because I thought digestion would slow everything down. It didn’t. I wanted to be productive that day, but all I could do was pace. I called my office and was able to get another appointment with Margaret. After I hung up, I began chattering aloud to myself and wringing my hands nervously…still pacing. The whole anxiety experience lasted three hours, and then – finally – my heart rate slowed to normal and I was ok again.

Treatment 2: Margaret took my pulse and put a few needles in. This time they went in my stomach, legs, and feet. I kept my eyes closed the whole time. She taught me some calming breathing exercises to slow my nerves. When she finished, she asked,

“Would you like me to stay in here with you? I can…it’s up to you…”

“Sure.” I was uneasy and felt vulnerable.

After a few minutes I asked quietly, “Do you know what happened this morning? Why I reacted the way I did?”

“Well…” Margaret paused for a moment, “Sometimes in order to heal, we experience things that aren’t comfortable. There will be emotions and feelings buried deep inside of us and they’ll come out in different forms…” she continued to talk about these different forms and I nodded understandingly.

“How do you feel right now?” she asked. I was about to speak, but I couldn’t, because right then tears came streaming down my face. I didn’t know why I cried, but I suddenly felt very sad.

“It’s ok, Amy…” Margaret put a Kleenex in my hand. I let the tears continue to stream down the sides of my face. When they finished, though, I felt very calm. I realized then that I didn’t feel any needles in my body at all. In fact, everything felt very light and peaceful. Maybe this was what they meant by a blissful state, I wondered.

When the treatment was over, I felt sad again for the rest of the day and the day after. Just the day before I wanted to conquer the world…and now I didn’t want to do anything.

Treatment 3: Five days later I had one last visit. Margaret put in the needles in my back again and I wasn’t anxious at all this time. Actually, the last few days had gone pretty well and I had begun to feel good again. I felt neither buoyed up nor like I was hitting a ceiling; I felt…normal! When we were finished, she said my energy was much better than it was last time.

~~~~

I’ve been doing really well ever since and I’m an enthusiastic supporter of acupuncture now. The panic attack episode was a little scary, but since I didn’t take anything chemically (I was only stuck with needles), I trusted that my body was just doing what it needed to do to get better. In Western medicine it works the same way, right? Sometimes you get worse before you get better? And there’s no need to be nervous about seeing an acupuncturist yourself if you ever want to...everyone reacts differently based on what they’re going through and what they need. Regardless, whether you’re skeptical of it all or not, it doesn’t really matter to me. I’m just glad to be better!

Finally, the best part about everything is that I can actually look forward to and enjoy my birthday this year. It will be in a few days, and the quarter-life benchmark won’t be a crisis J.