I’ve seen a lady a couple of times who does “holistic bodywork” - massages, Reiki, aromatherapy, stuff like that.
I saw her the other day and she suggested that I try some kind of treatment for my anxiety, depression & insomnia - she had a word for it that I just can’t remember - I’m wondering if any Dopers know?
It involved using massage and pressure to release anxiety, phobias, etc - sort of like therapy…
Any ideas? Any experiences or input overall with holistic health?
I’m naturally fairly skeptical but counselling hasn’t worked for me, and I don’t want to turn to medication as anything but a last resort.
How about therapeutic touch? It cures almost anything and there is no actual touching at all.
Stainz, any question as you posed (’“holistic bodywork” - massages, Reiki, aromatherapy,’) in this set of forums is likely to be met with anything from mild to rabid skepticism, as this class of “medicine” is outside of, or at least on the ragged edge of, science that we can prove really, really works. And you did say, “Educate me!”
Sure, each pseudoscience has its proponents. But in a forum whose slogan is “Fighting Ignorance,” don’t be surprised if you are met with derision.
And for those that met our fellow doper with derision, maybe he needs to be told just a littler gentler why we feel this way? Like maybe the only sure thing about alternative medicine is the reliable wallet extraction?
You mean “Emotional Stress Diffusion technique” as shown on this page, grouped with other valuable metaphysical healthcare techniques such as witchcraft, palmistry and reflexology?
Well, you may be less likely to get peppered with “cite?!” cries in IMHO, but in my browser, at least, the “Fighting Ignorance” banner hangs above ALL SDMB forums, not just GQ.
If you just want to learn about medical treatments and don’t care whether they have any effectiveness or not, you can find many boards around that will believe anything you say without question. On those forums, voodoo has the same status as stuff that really works. SDMB isn’t one of those forums, but here’s one.
The counsellor I was seeing for my anxiety tried EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques or Tapping, which sounds like what you’re talking about) on me once, but I chose not to continue with that type of therapy because it has no proven effectiveness and did not suit what I need to recover from anxiety.
What is working for me to feel better is a combination of a healthy diet, regular aerobic exercise, bibliotherapy, self-help, and going to a support group weekly.
The books that I have that have really helped me are Self-Coaching: How to Heal Anxiety and Depression by Joseph J. Luciani, PhD, From Panic to Power by Lucinda Bassett, The Feeling Good Handbook by David D. Burns, M.D., and Power over Panic by Bronwyn Fox. I believe they are all available through Chapters.
The support group that I go to is called Freedom From Fear, and they have chapters all over North America.
There are also supplements that you can take for anxiety, depression and insomnia such as tryptophan, GABA, valerian, and Neuro-5-HTP. A naturopathic doctor is a good resource if you want to go this route.
I’ve been working on my recovery for almost six months now. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.
I would guess that like most ‘alternative’ treatments, this diffusion technique would only work if you believed in it and convinced yourself it was helping.
Ah well, I don’t believe in ghosts or ESP or reincarnation, so I just want anyone reading this to know I’m not a total quack - just someone who was interested in something she’d never heard of before.
Well, I believe that anxiety is caused by people losing confidence in themselves and their ability to handle life, so even if an alternative therapy takes your anxiety away, it doesn’t help you to recover your self-confidence. What helps you recover your self-confidence is facing your anxiety, dealing with it, and learning that it won’t hurt you, and that you can handle it. This is my experience, anyway. My best wishes to you on your journey, Stainz
