The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) has found that more people are turning to traditional acupuncture to alleviate symptoms caused by the emotional strains of everyday life.

A recent survey reveals that the tolls of the 21^st century are affecting younger people with under-40s seeking traditional acupuncture treatment for emotional issues such as depression, stress and anxiety. 57% of those citing emotional issues are under 40 – a third of who are men – with Londoners representing the highest proportion of sufferers than elsewhere in the UK.

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With people working longer hours and dealing with the economic and social pressures of today, many are finding it hard to cope. The BAcC research revealed that the top three emotional issues for which acupuncture treatment is sought are depression (18%), anxiety (13%) and insomnia (10%) with stress following closely behind.

At least one person in every six becomes depressed in the course of their lives. One in 20 is clinically depressed*. Complementary medicines are playing a bigger part in the way patients tackle mental health issues.

Gisela Norman, BAcC member and traditional acupuncture practitioner said: “Depression is actually one of the most common health issues we are approached about. An acupuncture session completely focuses on the patient and hears what they experience. It involves one-to-one time in order to understand them as an individual with their treatment plan specifically tailor made. This, in combination with the needling to lift mood and give much needed relief, can be very powerful.”

Conducted across the whole of the UK, the survey reported that depression features in the top five health problems amongst acupuncture patients alongside back pain, fertility, headaches and skin problems.

BAcC practitioners are available for interview, expert comment and case histories.

About the BAcC:

The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) has a membership of over 2,800 professionally qualified acupuncturists. It is the UK’s largest professional body for the practice of acupuncture.

BAcC members practise a traditional, holistic style of acupuncture diagnosis and treatment based on a system developed and refined over 2,000 years. To achieve BAcC membership, practitioners must first undertake extensive training in traditional acupuncture (minimum three years full-time or part-time equivalent), which includes physiology, anatomy and other biomedical sciences appropriate to the practice of acupuncture.

What is traditional acupuncture?

Traditional acupuncture is an Oriental therapy that aims to improve the overall wellbeing of the patient, rather than treating specific symptoms in isolation. Traditional Chinese philosophy states that our health is dependent on the body’s motivating energy – known as Qi – moving in a smooth and balanced way through a series of meridians (channels) beneath the skin.

For any number of reasons the flow of Qi can be disturbed leading to ill-health. By inserting fine needles into the channels of energy or Qi, an acupuncturist can stimulate the body’s own healing response and help restore its natural balance.

About the research:

A total of 2,495 existing and prospective patients voluntarily took part in an online survey positioned on the British Acupuncture Council’s website.

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People rarely like to admit, to themselves much less to others, that they’re going through hard times in their marriage. It’s far from comfortable to have accept the fact that your marriage could be in pretty bad shape.

The truth is, though, there is no such thing as a perfect marriage and every couple experiences difficulties at some point. Some people may be really good at hiding their marital issues from the outside world and projecting a constant facade of happiness and affection, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have their share of problems.

Commitment and positive thinking are the secret weapons that enable successful couple to keep their marriages strong. Sometimes, though, a couple needs a little outside help. Don’t hesitate to seek help if you and your spouse are having facing serious issues with one another.

WHEN YOU NEED TO GET HELP

If you’ve been married for any length of time you’ve probably been through at least a few rough patches with your spouse. Eventually, you probably straightened things out without any outside help. So how do you know if the problems you’re facing now are of a magnitude to warrant professional assistance or just another one of the lows in the natural course of highs and lows that make up any relationship?

There are a few signs that your marriage needs some professional help. You may have been going in circles over the same issues over and over again without making any progress. You and your spouse might feel so angry and hostile toward each other that the two of you can no longer communicate civilly with one another. Both these problems warrant seeking help. Or if you just feel deeply afraid that your marriage is going to fall apart, that’s not a “gut feeling” you should ignore.

WHERE TO FIND HELP

Many couples have benefited from the camaraderie and shared experiences and wisdom to be found in support groups. If you prefer privacy and feel your relationship would benefit more from some one-on-one attention, consider marital therapy or counseling.

Counselors are trained professionals who can give unbiased advice. Since they aren’t right in the fray, so to speak, they have a better vantage point from which to look at the underlying problems that are damaging your marriage.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU’VE FOUND THE RIGHT PERSON TO HELP YOU?

It can nerve-wracking to confide in a stranger or to discuss your marriage in front of a group of people. You want to be sure you trust the professionals you seek help from. Meet with at least three or four counselors and check out a couple support groups before you decide on one in particular.

You want a counselor or therapist who answers your questions to your satisfaction and makes you and your spouse both feel at ease. The importance of a good rapport with your counselor or therapist cannot be over emphasized.

As frustrating and frightening as facing serious problems in your marriage can be, the right source of help, combined with the love and commitment you two have for each other, can restore the healthy, thriving relationship you once shared.

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Brent Crouch is the owner of BrentCrouch.com and the creator of MarriageEtc.com. He has dedicated this site for those interested in finding Free Advice on having healthy marriages.

www.marriageetc.com

Tags: relationships, support groups, couple experiences difficulties, marital issues, marital therapy, couples, stress, marital stress

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In recent years, aromatherapy has become quite mainstream in popular thinking. However, the image that generally comes to mind relates entirely to its fragrance, used for relaxation or to cover odors.

What most people don’t realize, however, is that the essential oils used in aromatherapy have a potential that extends far beyond this. They were, in fact, mankind’s first medicine. Through their combined influences of fragrance, aromatic molecules and frequency, essential oils can affect you emotionally, mentally and physically.

Aromatherapy is, after all, much more than just the smell.

What aromatherapy can do for you:

The benefits of aromatherapy are just too extensive to fully cover here. However, essential oils have powerful anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties that make them ideal for many different uses. They can be used to support the body’s organs and glands, as well as to boost immunity. They can be relaxing or invigorating, and soothing to sore muscles. Some oils are great at relieving pain.

Their fragrant influence can lift your mood, quiet and sooth the heart, clear the mind and help with mental function. It can also be emotionally balancing, stimulate the release of hormones and neurotransmitters and detoxify the whole body. Diffused into a room, they oxygenate and purify the air, neutralizing indoor air pollutants. They’re also great for getting rid of spiders and mice.

Ways to use essential oils effectively:

The three primary ways of experiencing aromatherapy are aromatically, topically and through ingestion.

Aromatically: The first, and simplest, way to use essential oils is through inhalation. There are a few ways you can do this:

1. Inhaling the fragrance directly from the bottle;
2. Diffusing the oil with a cold-air diffuser.
3. Wearing the oil as a perfume, and letting your body’s warmth diffuse the oil,
4. Putting a few drops of oil on your pillow at night to create a therapeutic – or romantic – effect.

What you never want to do is diffuse the oil with a heat source, like a candle or light bulb. The heat will fracture the delicate chemistry of the oil. You should also avoid using an electrical current to diffuse the oil. Wall outlet diffusers disrupt the oil’s frequency. Both effectively destroy the oil’s therapeutic effect

Topically: Everyone knows about massage, but there are other ways to topically apply essential oils that are very effective.

1. RainDrop Technique: Simply stated, this is a method of dropping the oils along the spine from about six inches up, and then massaging in the oils, using feather-like strokes.
2. Vita Flex Technique: This is something like reflexology, except that the oils are applied with essentially no finger pressure.
3. “Neat” application: Many of the oils can be applied, without dilution, almost anywhere on the body with great effect.

Ingestion: Essential oils also make great supplements. Diluted in honey or agave nectar, or diluted with vegetable oil and placed in capsules, ingesting aromatics can have a powerful effect on your health, boosting immunity and supporting various body systems.

Essential oil quality: The key to effective aromatherapy

But, whichever method you choose for your aromatherapy application, you must use a quality oil for it to be safe and effective. About 98% of the oils produced in the world today are not made for aromatherapy – although they are sold for aromatherapy. When purchasing your essential oils, make sure they are truly therapeutic-grade.

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Therapeutic-Grade.com provides more tips about
Getting the most
from your aromatherapy experience. See
What an
aromatherapy session looks like and learn about
Aromatherapy: It’s far more than just the smell.

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