As a parent, you've probably felt pangs of anxiety from time to time. It's natural to feel anxious occasionally about your child. For example, when you're about to board a 6 hour flight with a lap child or when it's your child's first day of school. However, when anxiety becomes a daily occurrence you need to take action for yourself and your family.

When anxiety spirals out the normal and into the excessive, even the best parents can feel like they're not enough... not doing enough, not present in enough, not prepared enough, not patient enough, not loving enough... the list goes on and on. If left untreated, anxiety felt by parents can spillover and foster anxiety in their child(ren). A study in the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (2013) found "parent anxiety confers poorer treatment outcomes for childhood anxiety disorders." Psychologists created a term for this condition: parental anxiety.

Parental anxiety is a serious condition because it not only affects you, it affects your entire family.

What are the symptoms of parental anxiety? It can manifest as...

• difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep
• waking up too early (4am is a common time)
• loss of patience
• feeling like you're going through the daily motions just enough to keep your head above water
• feeling like a failure at work
• feeling like a failure at parenting
• feeling like a failure at housekeeping
• feeling like your marriage (or relationship) is failing  
• rapid (racing) heartbeat
• shortness of breath
• digestive issues like heartburn, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, alternating diarrhea & constipation
• constantly comparing yourself to others
• excessive worry about the future
• sense of a lack of control
• frequent crying or over-sensitivity
• frequent sighing
• inability to concentrate (aka brain fog, mommy-brain)
• repetitive thoughts about worst case scenarios,
• reliving guilt over past events
• low or no libido
• wanting to run away
• inability to plan future events
• mood swings/snaps
• exacerbated menstrual issues 

Do you feel more than two of these symptoms on a daily basis? Has it impacted your ability to parent? If you answered yes, now is the time to take action before it spirals out of control. 

If you are experiencing parental anxiety, there is a solution waiting for you! A series of acupuncture treatments and customized Chinese herbs can effectively alleviate anxiety and bring you back to your best self within weeks.  Schedule a consultation today to get relief from your anxiety!

• Have you recently ended your marriage?
• Do you feel emotionally drained?
• Are you holding onto anger and/or feelings of resentment towards your former spouse?
• Are you grieving the loss of your marriage and your shared future?
• Has divorce caused old patterns of anxiety and depression to resurface?
• Are you ready to reclaim your new life?

Oriental medicine provides a holistic approach to healing from a broken heart. Symptoms of a "broken heart" can manifest as difficulty sleeping, depression, anxiety, poor appetite or overeating, inability to focus, acne, asthma, tight muscles and soreness, TMJ, sciatica, headaches, migraines, heartburn, constipation or diarrhea, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and more.

​Indigo Healing Acupuncture offers a comprehensive 12 week program to help you process the end of your marriage and reclaim a new vibrant life. 

This customized package includes acupuncture, Chinese herbs, traditional fire cupping/gua sha, and self-care suggestions to boost your Qi and bring forgiveness & hope back into your life. This program is offered on a limited basis and a pre-consultation by phone is required.

Contact Michelle to learn more about this one-of-a-kind Holistic Divorce Recovery program.

​Have you ever wondered about Chinese Herbs? What they are? What they can do? 

Before we dive into it, are you a fan of Harry Potter? 
Do you remember how Professor Sprout taught a magical herbology class at Hogwarts?
Harry and his friends studied herbs for 5 years, which is the same amount of time most Oriental Medicine practitioners (a.k.a. an Acupuncturist-Chinese Herbalist) study Chinese herbs in medical school.

There are over 350 herbs in the Chinese herbal medicine Materia Medica, which is our version of an herbal encyclopedia. Herbs can come from plants, minerals, and animals. When they come from plants, they can be the whole plant, or parts of plants like seeds, leaves, flowers or roots.

High-quality Chinese herbs are grown and harvested in accordance with the season and carefully prepared to protect their magical, oops, I mean medicinal properties. Every herb in the Materia Medica is carefully categorized according to its function.  For example, some herbs like rou gui (cinnamon) can warm you up, while other herbs like bo he (peppermint) can cool you down. Some herbs are minerals, like mang xiao (Glauber salt, similar to Epsom salt). Have you ever had a drink made with Epsom salt? If you have, you know that it drains downward and serves as a natural laxative.  The Chinese figured this out over 2000 years ago! 

Trained Chinese herbalists know how to use herbs effectively and safely. Some herbs can't be used together and some are only appropriate for specific conditions. There are over 100 ancient Chinese herbal formulas, each containing anywhere from 2 to 20 individual herbs that work synergistically together.  Taking the right herbs at the right time for the right condition can have downright magical results!

Chinese herbs can be taken in several different forms and it's an acupuncturist-herbalist's job to figure out which way is best for you. Herbs can be taken internally as:

• Decoctions... a fancy word for herbs boiled in water and consumed as a tea
• Capsules, tablets, or honey teapills
• Tinctures... herbal extracts preserved in alcohol or glycerin
• Food... can be added to soups, stews, or congee (rice porridge)

Herbs can also be absorbed externally through the skin as a poultice or by soaking the hands or feet.

So, what conditions can be treated with herbs? 

• Pain and inflammation
• Arthritis
• Stress
• Insomnia & Fatigue
• Headaches (including Migraine)
• Allergies (food and environmental)
• Low Immunity (catch colds easily)
• Recovery from respiratory illness (help relieve cough, phlegm)
• Anxiety, Depression & Mood Swings
• Hormonal Imbalance
• Digestive ailments like heartburn, stomach upset, constipation, diarrhea, IBS, colitis
• Poor circulation (cold hands or feet, varicose veins, neuropathy)
• And more!

For women, herbs can help with:

• PMS, menstrual cramps, irregular menstruation
• Endometriosis, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
• Infertility

So, that's a quick overview of Chinese herbs. When used properly, they can accelerate healing in a safe, natural way and keep you on track between acupuncture appointments.

If you want to find out how Chinese herbs can help you feel better, schedule a consultation with Michelle today!