Acupuncture and Your Rotten Ex

Many years ago, a woman with a terrible cough came to see me for an acupuncture session.

This cough had been going on for six months, and could not be explained. All of her medical tests came back normal. Chest X-rays were taken, antibiotics were given, and she had taken time off from work to rest. Nothing made a dent in the cough.

When she arrived at the downstairs door for her session, I could hear her all the way upstairs. She had the kind of hacking, convulsing cough that made you wince, knowing how badly it must hurt. As I went over her health intake, I asked her the typical questions we go through before the first session, questions that covered every aspect of her physical, mental, and emotional health.

"Have you had any traumas or losses that really stuck with you?" I asked. I waited for her hacking to abate before she managed to get out, "No, none that I can think of."

Once the intake was finished, I set her up on the table and began to insert needles. We chatted briefly as I worked, and at one point we somehow got on the topic of pets.

"Do you have any pets?" I asked.

Her eyes began to well up. "Well, not anymore. I lost my dog six months ago."

Interestingly, in the world of acupuncture, the lung is linked to grief. As I needled the points that are specifically used for the release of grief, I noticed something: she hadn't coughed in several minutes. By the time the session was over, her cough was completely gone...and it never returned.

It was amazing.

Years ago, I dated someone who turned out to be terrible for me. But in the rosy light of the first few weeks of the relationship, everything was exciting and new. However, I started to notice that every time we were scheduled to meet, I ALWAYS ended up with a headache. I would power through it, taking Excedrin and moving on in blissful ignorance. It wasn't until years later that I realized my body was trying to give me a message, one that I was determinedly ignoring.

Time and again, I see patients who "randomly" develop strange new pains. Quite often, they have NO idea that this pain does have a real cause-it's just not a physical one. They get a new job with a terrible boss, and mysteriously, they start getting neck pain. Or they get into a tempestuous relationship with a new partner, and suddenly they have sciatica for the first time ever.

Most people are aware that there is a connection between the mind and body, but there still seems to be a stigma around it: if you get sick due to emotional issues, you must be weak. Your sickness is not as "real" as an illness with a defined physical cause. Or maybe you just keep responding to your emotional pain with physical pain because you are a delicate, sensitive creature.

Well...no. Your body is responding in this way because you're human, and that's how we work.

The beauty of acupuncture is that it is a medicine that strives to understand and treat every layer of you. Many people try acupuncture because of pain, anxiety, and sleep issues. But most don't realize that this is the type of medicine you can use for the other stuff that is just as valid: Grief. Heartbreak. Feelings of worthlessness.

So, the next time you get dumped and are tempted to wallow at home in your sweatpants for a few days with a pint of ice cream, know that there is another alternative-one that can help you to process your pain more quickly, decrease your anxiety, and lift your spirits. When you ease the suffering of your emotional body, you lessen the chances of having your physical body suffer, as well.