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Acupuncture

The Mental Health implications of Climate Change

Mental health is a lesser-known impact of Climate Change

There’s an awful lot of talk about climate change and the impact that this will likely have on our physical health, ranging from malnutrition and respiratory diseases to cardiovascular issues and insect-transmitted diseases.

But what about the impact that climate change is having even now on our mental health? Phrases such as ‘eco-anxiety’ are being heard more and more and, according to Imperial College London, the damage that is being done to our mental health is now becoming more apparent.

Dr Emma Lawrance, Institute of Global Health Innovated mental health innovations fellow, called this a new topical issue, saying that “most people don’t know the evidence behind mental health and our climate”, before adding that studies have been done revealing that more people report mental health concerns when temperatures rise above 30 degrees C.

Temperature increases can also push suicide rates up, she went on to say – but this is still an emerging problem and as such, there aren’t many statistics on the topic as yet… so more research, more innovation and more awareness is necessary, Dr Lawrance continued.

Acupuncture & Mental Health

If you have been feeling anxious about climate change, you might want to consider going for Acupuncture.

As the British Acupuncture Council explains, it’s thought that acupuncture works by stimulating the nervous system to release neurochemical messenger molecules. This then leads to biochemical changes that have an impact on the body’s homeostatic mechanisms, which promote physical and emotional wellbeing.

Research has also found that acupuncture treatments can have specific benefits where anxiety disorders and symptoms are concerned.

It does this by acting on parts of the brain that reduce sensitivity to stress and pain, as well as regulating levels of hormones and neurotransmitters to help alter the mood chemistry in your brain in order to tackle negative affective states.

Acupuncture itself is a traditional form of Chinese medicine that has been used for thousands of years to promote and maintain good health. In the last ten years, it has started to be used more prominently in mainstream healthcare in the UK.

Interestingly, different people will have different acupuncture points that the acupuncturist will identify in order to find the exact nature of the disharmony in question, so as to choose the best treatment. Other techniques may also be suggested, such as electro-acupuncture, massage, cupping or moxibustion.

This form of traditional Chinese medicine can be used to treat all sorts of issues, not just anxiety. It can help with anything from sinusitis and irritable bowel syndrome to back pain, food allergies, kidney stones, morning sickness and lots, lots more.

Have a read of one of our more recent blog posts about how it could help with migraines, if this is something you suffer from on a regular basis.