I am struggling with agoraphobia and would like to know if you can recommend anything. I have had acupuncture in the past but have not had it in over a year.
I had two panic attacks three years ago and have since felt a lot of anxiety about travelling, being in crowded spaces and occasionally anxiety about people coming to my home.
Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.
Those are definitely treatable conditions for certain. The best results will very likely come from having both acupuncture with some use of Chinese herbal medicine. I would suggest you find a licensed acupuncturist in your area who also practices Chinese herbal medicine and let them work with you for 2-4 months. After that time frame you will likely be on herbs much longer, but shouldn’t need too much acupuncture - although there are benefits to ongoing treatment.
The reasoning for why we will generally not recommend specific formulas without knowing all of your specifics (i.e. volumes more than just your symptoms) are spelled out in “treating the cause and not the symptoms” and “how to choose an herbal formula”.
Comment by Archived User
As @Chad_Dupuis advised, getting help from a licensed practitioner is the way to go.
But if there are no licensed acupuncturists in your area you can try to experiment with relevant patent formulas like Xiao Yao Wan variants or Calm Spirit Formulas:
Yin Yang House
Home
Start with low-end doses of a single formula, keep a daily journal of any changes, and immediately discontinue if you get any adverse symptoms.
Also consider starting a daily Qigong or T’ai Chi practice, which will create deep, long-term healing of your inner being. You’ll get benefits almost immediately, that will deepen as you progress.
“Systematic Desensitization” is an especially effective series of techniques to eliminate anxiety that you can learn from mental health professional, assuming they’re trained in them.