Rethinking the Panaceia

It is not quite true that there is a pill for everything. In the West, what we see most frequently are symptomatic treatments that provide temporary control. The idea of a pill that could solve everything at once and forever is not feasible — at least, not yet.

Take, for example, mood and neurovegetative disorders. There is evidence that mood is influenced by several complex physiological axes, particularly the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, the sympathetic-adrenal axis, and the microbiota-gut-brain axis.

Any alteration in how these systems operate and communicate can impact mood. And, as they are evidently interconnected, the complexity is such that achieving complete pharmacological control remains highly unlikely.

However, it is important to recognise that not all mental health issues require medication. There is a wide range of techniques and fields of study that can complement psychiatry, including psychology, physical education, neuroscience, and integrative medicine.

This is where acupuncture comes in, with its focus on Shen. Responsible for all higher mental functions — including consciousness, memory, emotion, and creativity — the balance of Shen is fundamental to maintaining mental health. Long before the West conceived the modern understanding of physiological axes and before the term "stress" became widely known, Chinese Medicine had already identified that Shen was affected by factors such as environment, lifestyle, diet, and emotions.

Chinese Medicine described Shen imbalance as a state in which individuals experienced symptoms such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, mental confusion, and emotional agitation. It also distinguished this from a balanced Shen, where individuals displayed mental clarity, emotional stability, and overall well-being.

In my practice, I strive to honour this legacy — strengthening individuals physically while also helping them face the challenges of daily life so that their minds can express themselves in a healthy way, with courage and resilience. I firmly believe that acupuncture treatment should prioritise the balance of Shen as part of a human-centred approach to care.

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