In traditional acupuncture every patient is unique, and this means that the practitioners will be looking and listening very carefully to everything that the patient says to establish a diagnosis and find the specific keys to unlocking the patterns of the symptoms the patient is suffering. They will aim to identify the imbalances which cause the symptoms of anxiety or depression, not just treat the symptoms themselves. This whole ‘package’ – taking the patient’s individual story seriously and giving them time to tell it has been found to be effective. Acupuncture is designed to be an immediate treatment.
While not every acupuncture session provides complete and full relief right away, as soon as a patient leaves the acupuncturist (and in some cases the next morning), much of the anxiety can be diminished.
If you want to find an acupuncturist in your home country, the associations below have online search options.
The British Acupuncture Council
The American Society of Acupuncturists