I am a 24-year-old living and working in New York City. I’ve always been a huge foodie and loved to travel the world. After earning my Bachelor of Science degree, I landed a job in consulting with one of the big four firms. However, living on my own in the city has been a huge financial burden, especially with the rising rent. Unfortunately, my parents aren’t very well off, so I didn’t have anyone else to rely on. I didn’t know how stressful this was. It was a journey of anxiety where yoga and acupuncture came and saved the day.
This led to feelings of anxiety, as I constantly worried about not being able to pay my next bill. And with the tech industry being hit hard by layoffs, I also feared losing my job. At first, I thought these feelings of anxiety were normal and even motivating. I felt as if they pushed me to find extra income through side hustles.
But as time went on, my anxiety rapidly progressed. To the point where I was scared to ever go out and spend money, for fear of not having enough. These feelings of anxiety eventually led to depression, as I felt uncertain about my living situation. I couldn’t go out and hang out with friends as I normally could, because everything was just so expensive. I found myself falling behind in work, constantly anxious, not keeping up with relationships, and sometimes feeling so depressed that I couldn’t get out of bed.
My initial way of coping with these feelings of anxiety was to see a therapist. I had mental health coverage through work, so I was blessed to speak to a therapist for a low cost. This was very helpful considering I was having a lot of financial anxiety. However, I did three sessions and didn’t find them to be helpful.
I felt like I would talk about my problems for the entire 45 minutes. The therapist would just listen and recite back my problems, giving generic advice. I would sometimes feel worse after my sessions because I know therapy worked for a lot of people. But it clearly didn’t work for me. My therapist even suggested reaching out to my doctor for medication to help with the anxiety. But I’ve heard horror stories about the negative side effects for anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications.
After searching the web, I came across YouTube videos and blog posts that discussed how yoga and acupuncture helped people cure their anxiety and depression. One of my friends is an avid yoga enthusiast, so I reached out to her. We ended up going to a yoga class in our neighborhood. Everything is so much more expensive living in New York City, but she got me a referral discount. After the session, I felt a massive weight lifted off my chest that I never felt before.
I told my friend about how yoga helped relieve the symptoms of anxiety and depression that I felt. She also explained how acupuncture can help reduce the level of stress hormones like cortisol. Acupuncture was also a game changer for me in terms of managing my anxiety. Inserting thin needles into specific points on the body was new for me, but I was willing to try it.
After my first acupuncture session, I immediately felt a sense of calm and relaxation that I had not experienced in a long time. The practitioner explained to me that the needles help to balance the body’s energy, which in turn can help to reduce the level of stress hormones like cortisol. With regular sessions, my anxiety was significantly alleviated and I found myself feeling more in control of my emotions and less overwhelmed by the constant worries that had been plaguing me.
Acupuncture was a truly transformative experience for me and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a natural and holistic way to manage their anxiety.
There are many people experiencing anxiety and depression, especially with everything currently going on in the world. I want you to know that there are options out there to alleviate your anxiety, and I encourage everyone to try yoga classes or acupuncture, and appreciate alternative medicine practices. It’s important to remember that what works for one person may not work for another, and it’s important to have an open mind and explore different options. Don’t give up hope, there is a way to overcome anxiety and depression and find peace of mind.
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