Depression, anxiety and Shiatsu-Anma

 

Depression and anxiety are among the most common mental health conditions in the United States. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), approximately 21 million adults (8.4% of the U.S. population) experienced at least one major depressive episode in 2020. Anxiety disorders affect nearly 40 million adults annually, representing about 18.1% of the population.

Impact:
These conditions significantly affect individuals' quality of life, relationships, and productivity. Depression is a leading cause of disability in the U.S., and untreated anxiety can lead to severe physical and mental health issues.

Causes and Risk Factors:
Both depression and anxiety can stem from a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors. Common triggers include trauma, stress, chronic illness, and significant life changes.

Treatment and Support:
Modern traditional treatments include psychotherapy (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapy), medication (e.g., antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs), and lifestyle changes (e.g., exercise and mindfulness). Despite the availability of treatments, only about 37% of individuals with anxiety disorders and less than half of those with depression seek help due to stigma, cost, and lack of access to care.

Stigma, insufficient funding, and disparities in care continue to be significant barriers. Expanding education, increasing funding, and addressing systemic inequities are crucial for improving mental health outcomes nationwide.

Shiatsu Anma therapy:
While lacking scientific backing research in the western world, Shiatsu-Anma is world- widely used, among other modalities of NATURAL MEDICINE, to balance and relief symptoms related to depression/anxiety, as well as to self heal and recover from depression and anxiety, as part of a holistic therapeutic plan. In my own practice I had encountered many individuals who were subjects to depression and/or anxiety with variety of levels and symptoms. I'm proud to have helped many of them successfully.

My Shiatsu-Anma insights:
My story of practicing with depression and anxiety begins in my own life, being an extremely sensitive young kid and suffering depression attacks frequently. I was very fortunate to have had my own suffering to lead me, gradually, to traditional Asian spiritual philosophy, martial arts and medicine, I have learned that the best way to deal with my misfortune is to know that THERE IS NO DEPRESSION, but only a DEPRESSED PERSON who needs to deal with their losses or challenges. In other words, it is within my control to recover, and the key lies in harmonizing with my body's potential through breathing and energy practice. I'm proud to have grown out of the clinical limitations I had from depression, including loss of weight, headaches and migraines, Candidiasis and digestive ailments, and more. I am a better man today and self Shiatsu-Anma was a big part of it (also KI energy practice and martial arts). I vow to share my success with my clients and the community of health-seeking individuals.

During my long-term practice I came across many clients who have depression or anxiety, and gradually built some insight on understanding and treating people with it:

• Many clients who suffer from depression, anxiety or both, manifest it through a variety of symptoms, such as lower sleep quality, fatigue, digestion or lower appetite, lower energy, deficient circulation and many more symptoms. So there are a variety of bodily variations for that and every clients should be individually evaluated for a specifically tailored treatment.

• Depression and anxiety are considered INTERNAL complexed conditions from an Asian- medicine perspective, and thus require much focus on abdominal treatment (core balance). Most clients subconsciously "hold their stress in their guts", blocking smooth bowel movement, contracting inner tissues and trapping their pain inside. Releasing the abdomen has a tremendous positive impact on the whole body/mind, yet being challenging for release at times.

• When being recommended specific self pressure techniques to administer at home, clients help to keep the healing process consistent and more effective, and enjoy a better lasting recovery. Other then that, they connect better with their body's vitality, and gain better control on their condition.

• Many clients hold "toxic energy" in their body as is a major factor in their disability, such as unpleasant inner pains, cold/heat, etc. (often related in Asian medicine as "Jya KI", or "sick energy") that gets triggered externally and must be released for restoring health. Such condition should be pre-evaluated by the therapist and brought into the client's awareness. Together, in a safe environment, both the client and the therapist learn to release the body from it. This process usually involves some controlled worsening of conditions up to release, but is always tolerated, controlled and safe. The reward comes gradually afterwards.

• The most common basic energies involved in most cases of depression or anxiety are the Kidneys energy, including the adrenal glands that often keeping the body unrested and excessively alert, leading to unproportionable anxiety, and the Liver energy, being affect by previous held anger and constantly irritating the Autonomic nerve system and the body's systems. I often chose Acupoints that relate to those energy aspects and meant to balance them and relax the body's response mechanism to stimulants. So after a prolong corrective stimulus, the body is expected to change its reactive response to external triggers, and health is balanced.

• I have notice that clients that were more participating in healing process and practicing their tasks at home, witnessed a better and long lasting improvement.

I hope this article sheds some light into understanding the value of Shiatsu-Anma therapy with those specific conditions and welcome all of you to connect and get further information related to this topic.