I had a panic attack on a Tuesday; it came on quickly during an argument with an employee who was not following directions.
I had to take a break and use medication and eventually stopped shaking and was able to finish my shift, but for the rest of the day, it felt like somebody was standing on my chest.
I woke up Wednesday morning upset and tense, with that same feeling of a huge weight on my chest.
I felt so unsure if I could face the day that I nearly stayed in bed and called in sick to work, but I got myself out of the house and over to my morning appointment at FLOW Acupuncture and Wellness
I'd originally made the appointment because I do very labor-intensive work and I'm trying to keep my back in good condition as long as possible.
When I got there and Donley asked how I was doing, I told him I'd been having panic attacks for a long time, and explained what had happened the day before.
He was really easy to talk to, and asked a lot of simple, easy-to answer questions about how the situation made me feel and I answered honestly.
Then he said "OK, lets get ya fixed up" and had me lay face up in a comfortable position.
He put a total of 4 pins into me, all on my left side; on my hand and foot, and behind the knee.
The pins don't hurt me when they go in, but there can be a strange sensation of pressure which might cause a short second of minor discomfort while the pin is being put into position.
I am not a needle person; getting splinters sucks, having my blood drawn freaks me out, but acupuncture pins have never bothered me.
They're installed in an instant, and once they're in, you can't feel them
He took my pulse, asked me to take 3 deep breaths then said,
"OK, this should take about 20 minutes, just relax and let me know if you need anything"
I almost immediately started to feel the tension in my chest dissipate. As I lay there with my eyes closed, I felt a gentle, comforting, swirling sensation which slowly intensified.
The spot where it felt like there was a dent in my chest quickly began to feel as if it were rising and the feeling of despair began to dissipate.
The dent rose quickly and soon it felt as if it were now going the opposite direction, like a bubble of energy popping out of my chest
It felt as if where once there had been a deep and empty well, waves of energy had filled it up now there was a fountain where the well had been.
Instead of despair I suddenly felt relief, and I knew I could face the day.I didn't realize how much stress I really had built up inside me until I suddenly felt better.
I knew there were still problems I had to fix at work when I got there but I no longer felt unable to face the situation.
I was quickly snapped out of a state of panic and depression that had effected me for years and had come to be a daily struggle
That was 8 weeks ago, and I've been back every 2 weeks for treatments.
I've cut my anxiety meds in half, and I haven't had a panic attack again.
I was having them several times a week for years before this.
Effects of treatments can be less dramatic now that I'm feeling good all the time but at the end of every session I always feel relieved and revitalized
Each experience has been beneficial and specifics of treatments vary to address my needs and how I'm feeling.
I do a lot of heavy lifting at work and it makes my spine feel smashed and solid.
During treatments for my back, I lay there face up, flat and comfy with a few pins in me, and i can feel my spine slowly aligning itself.
Swelling in muscles reduces, and It feels like waves of gentle pressure from both sides are gently coaxing by back into its proper alignment.
Usually there's an easy, stress relieving pop. It always increases flexibility and makes my hips and tailbone area feel stronger afterwards
Donley @ FLOW is helping keep my back strong, my energy balanced, and my mind right.
Thank you, FLOW Acupuncture and Wellness!!! read more